🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Apr11.233214.1969@doug.cae.wisc.edu> kolstad@cae.wisc.edu (Joel Kolstad) writes:
>If you want to talk about taking this idea a little too far, perhaps we
>should discuss cattle prods.  I've been told that these things are
>quite painful to the beast of which they're applied...

If you have never worked with cattle, they can be quite a treat.  As a
rule they are very stupid and stubborn beasts.  They outweigh you by
several times, and are very strong.  They are not pets, they don't get
extensively worked with by humans.  If you wrestle one on its terms,
you will lose.  Trying to move them around in enclosed spaces can be
difficult.  Usually they will go where you herd them, but sometimes
they get it into their head to balk.  They will crush you if you get in
their way at this time.  No amount of gentle persuasion will work.  A
jab from a prod will usually get them moving, more as a startlement than
severe pain.  I am sure it hurts, though.  (Still, it's better than using
a heavy club, which could do some real damage.)

As proof (sample of one) we had an electric fence protecting the barn.
To a human, getting zapped by one feels just like getting kicked.
Hard.  We were having a problem with one steer going through this fence
and getting in and pulling down the haystack.  Whatta mess.  Daily.
And with me getting tagged to fix the fence and clean up the mess each
time.  I lay in wait for him once, and watched him calmly walk 'under'
the fence.  All I saw was his skin twitch three or four times as he got
nailed repeatedly on his leisurely trip through.  No more Mr. Nice
Guy.  I got out an oil-burner ignition transformer and made an, umm,
_enhanced_ electric fencer, hooked it up, and lay in wait again.
(Sound/sight of soft blue coronas glowing around each fence insulator.)
Watched him come up for his free lunch.  Touched the fence.  Jumped
back hard, bellowed, and didn't stop running 'till he got to the other
end of the field.  I think I got his attention with that one, because
after that the problem stopped.  I replaced the normal fencer after that.

Moral:  Cattle are tough, and what would floor/kill you and me might
only  annoy the cow.

In retrospect, I should have toned down the enhanced fencer, it was
a little bit much.  But, we all do stupid things as kids, it's amazing
that any of us live to grow up.

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