Perhaps safety is the biggest concern when living on a ranch or a farm is safety. There are many hazards acquainted with living in the country.
- Hydrate!!! Now that you have all of this great water..drink it. Even in the winter months stay hydrated. You will probably have heavy coats or jackets on which causes perspiration and a loss of water. My solution, a small thermos that yo can carry with you as you do “chores”. I promise, you’ll feel much better.
- Watch your step!!! Uneven ground, ruts, rocks and weeds can cause you to trip and hurt yourself. Pick up and put away your tools. I have found some of my “lost” tools in the field when clearing weeds. “Oh, I’ve been looking for that shovel”. Glad I didn’t trip on it. Speaking of shovels, have a few around the property. Why???…
- Snakes!!! Yup,we got snakes out here. Why? Mice and critters. Snakes like mice, squirrels, rabbits, small pets and people. The bad news…there are many poisonous snakes that can kill you. Most poisonous snakes have a pupil that resembles a cat’s; an oblong shape with peaked ends, like a slit in the center of the eye. Non-venomous snakes usually have round pupils. There is always the exception. … Venomous snakes also have a more triangular head, whereas non-venomous snakes will have a rounded jaw. The good news…there are many more non-poisonous you will find on your property. Even better news, most non-venomous snakes hunt, kill and eat poisonous snakes. Of course you could get a couple of peacocks who love eating snakes, but they eat all of the snakes. So now you’ll have mice and lizards. AND…peacocks are loud!!! What’s a farmer to do??? https://www.sdnhm.org/science/herpetology/resources/faqs-on-rattlesnakes/
- Spiders and other creepy crawlers!!! All I can say about this is look before you reach.
- Dress for success!!! From top to bottom: Hat, scarf, long sleeve shirt, jeans, thick socks and most importantly boots preferably with high top. As a firefighter, I was required to wear safety gear my whole career. I can attribute a 44 year career to using safety equipment. Carry a knife, always comes in handy.
- Communicate!!! Let your partner know where on the property you will working. Some time ago a land owner was working on his tractor in his barn. Somehow he got trapped between the tractor and the wall. Had he told his wife where he was working she might have been able to help him. As it turns out, he was supposed to go to town but instead stopped by the barn to get some measurements. The accident happened and he was found deceased a few hour later by his wife.
