Show no fear

As we rocketed across a bumpy paddock on the brand new, bright red automatic quad I was pleased I’d enrolled us in an ACC FarmSafe course. The farmer bought the quad at our local agricultural field days – probably at the same time I was earnestly signing up for the course.

My decision FarmSafe was for us was made while herding steers: one jumped up a bank and my dog, Floss, took off after it to keep driving it forward – with me in tow. 

She was on a long leash because five sets of circumstances cause her to ignore commands and the farmer to yell, “Control that expletive dog!” At that moment three were present – the quad, her sister Sue, and a beast that had got separated from the mob. The fourth situation is a stranger (a stranger with a dog or child also induces amnesia) and the fifth is the delectable smell of decomposing possum.

When the steer charged back towards us, I shot out of the bush and scrambled down the bank while the farmer shouted, “Don’t show any fear!”

Fear? We didn’t discuss it at the time (there was no time), but fear didn’t come into my reasoning. Being trampled by a steer would have compromised my comfort, health and, of course, safety. Roll on FarmSafe course, I thought.

On the morning of the course we noted that we’d moved the cattle with no mishaps.  It would have been depressing to have an accident on the same day as the course which, incidentally, kept us safe and sound thus ensuring we weren’t among the 11 or so people destined to have farm accidents that day. (ACC pays out on about 4000 farm accidents a year.)

During the course we were reminded of the old-fashioned safety principle:  Learn from your mistakes.

A few weeks later we were advised we’d passed with full marks then, the very next day, Rex ruined our impeccable safety record by nicking his leg with his chainsaw. The injury resulted in a small bit of flapping skin he wanted to cut off. I thought it would be interesting to lay it back in place, put a plaster on and see whether it healed or died. But he vetoed my idea.

“Nuh,” he said. “That means pulling off the plaster, that means ripping out hairs and that means pain.”

It’s surprising this type of injury isn’t covered in FarmSafe courses.