I have been asked how I handle stress with goats.  I don’t.  Which means I don’t get stressed.  I am gone during most hours of the day, so if a doe decides to kid while I’m gone, she better have them alive, or else she goes to town.  During the night, not much of a problem, as I don’t sleep much and I just casually meander out and check on things.  I try to schedule kidding when I know that at least one of us will be around of an evening and a morning.  Animals are supposed to be able to raise their babies.  If not, we are fostering a bunch of welfare candidates through improper genetic selection.  You CANNOT always be there.  If they constantly require support then they will get to where they can’t do anything on their own.  Kind of like a lot of people in this country.

      At a show, I don’t get stressed.  I may get pissed, but not stressed.  They are two different things.  My heart rate doesn’t get very carried away during a grand drive.  Why?  We’ve won some before, we’ve been beat a lot.  I hope to win again and I know that we will get beat again.  It is part of it, so why get yourself worked up.  Once you are out there in the ring, it is out of your hands.  Do your best, go to the ring and the judge will either use you or not.  

     When buying goats, my blood pressure doesn’t change too much.  Private treaty–I can either afford them or not.  If not, go to the next plan.  This sometimes means spend more money, other times it means go on down the road.  Auction–My heart will start to thump a little about two lots ahead of the one that I really want.  I don’t like people to talk to me at this point.  Once the bidding starts, it all goes calm.  Hit it one more time, maybe two, okay three.  Better stop.  A lot of times when buying goats, my blood is a little thinner than normal.  This may or may not help.

     Selling goats doesn’t phase me.  They will either sell well or not.  I hope they get a good home.  Do I worry about getting beat by something that I had at my house?  Nope.  It is going to happen and usually does around here.  It is part of it.   I recently sold a Freak on a Leash back to Gallagher’s.  They in turn sold the him to Steve Simpson.  Today, a Freak on a Leash kid raised by Schneberger was grand wether at the SW District.  Great.  What does this mean?  It means that I get rid of good ones.  And I have a pile of daughters sired by him.  I hope he works for Simpson’s.  I would rather get beat by one of mine, then by somebody else’s.  

     Although, I don’t have a stress problem, I have been known to cause a lot of stress for other people.  I don’t normally mean to, but sometimes I do just to see if she is breathing fire today or not.  

     Stress is what you make of it.  Some internalize it, some thrive on it and some are crippled by it.  Put the earphones in, keep calm and have fun.  If you’re not having fun, do something else.