Whether you are her boy friend, man friend, or husband friend I suggest you read on.  In light of the weekend’s events, I decided to help you male species out.  I’m sure you guessed it, we were branding again this fine weekend!  Oh and got to see Tom Russel in concert!  AMAZING!!!  What a great way to end a day of branding.  But back to my enlightenment, epiphany, or whatever you want to call it.  As we were sitting around yesterday enjoying great company, hilarious stories, and a few good drinks, it dawned on me.  Among the sea of calf roping enthusiast, there were only a few us us lady friends.  Maybe 3-4 to be exact.  Why is that, I asked myself?  Well men folk, I think I have the answer to your long lasting ability to brand calves with out the female struggle.

PC: Farris Smith, Branding at the Smith Branding

As I once was in your lady’s shoes, I think I can shed some light on this conundrum.  Invite, her, teach her, and for all things holy don’t always make her give shots!  Now I speak to you as a savior of relationships during branding season.  I’m sure you all have seen the dramatic eye roll, or the famous comeback of “another branding…”, “didn’t you just brand last weekend….” , “we have dinner plans, when will you be home….”  etc. etc.  The list could go on.  In an effort to help, I have decided to help you man friends out.

 Include her, include her, include her.  If she rides, great, you are one step closer to saving grace.  Teach her to rope, I repeat, teach her to rope, I repeat, teach her to rope.  If you still haven’t got it, teach her to ROPE.  This is a commitment on your part, not like a marital commitment, MUCH GREATER.  Trust me, you will benefit from it.  If you don’t have the patience to teach her, find a buddy who does.  Preferably one with a female counterpart, who can hopefully encourage your less enthused woman friend to get roping.  The next step is make sure she has a good horse to learn on.  Let her ride your good horse, your best bridle horse, borrow a horse, do whatever you have to do to make it a pleasurable learning experience.  Riding is a challenge, add roping to it, and it becomes a slight act of divine intervention.  Let her learn on small calves, encourage her to rope the dummy at night, make it a competition.  If all else fails BRIBE her.  If you catch this roping dummy 100 times I will take you to dinner, buy you a new pair of boots, a new bit, whatever it takes, don’t let pride stand in the way.

As a former side line attendee, brandings can become the enemy.  Not just for her, but for you.  You will try to sneak off to them, which is never a good plan.  She will catch you.  Lovely social media has made it virtually impossible to sneak a calf branding in.  But those pictures though, are so cool!    If you want to continue going without all the lady drama, I suggest you get her roping.  It will take time, A LOT OF TIME!  But with the right combination of heckling, good horse borrowing, new rope buying, fancy hat wearing, and practice, your lady friend will become converted.  Trust me, I know, I have seen me do it.  Then she will become just as excited as you- maybe even more.  Heaven help us when that day comes.  And what could be worse than a lady friend who asks you, “Hey when are we going to go brand calves?”.  When that day comes, and it will, you can thank me and the 5 minutes you spent reading this blog!  Your welcome!  Now go roust your Woman Crush Wednesday off the couch and get out there and rope that dummy!

Three ladies at the fire!