TAKE THOSE GATES BACK TO TEXAS Poem and photo  By Gary Vorhes © 2003 Have you ever cuddled up to a Texas-style gate with the barbed wire ticklin’ your chin? I bet you gave blood and a purty good shirt and said all those cowboy words again! Sure hope that you were there all by your lonesome, you don’t want company on that kinda’ day. Cuz’ if you resort to wire-cutters to close ‘er up you can get famous in all the wrong ways. It’s the law of the range to leave gates as they were and once you get on the other side, It’s your solemn and unwavering duty, for sure, to close the gate again before you can ride. There’s a glorious assortment of diresome disasters that can parade through an unclosed gate. From repulsive new crossbreeds of cattle to lengthy rides into neighboring states. But some genius misdressed in a cowboy hat one day figured up a trick deal. And to my mind that guy should rank alongside the gent who invented the wheel. Just take down your rope and noose those posts right under the top loop of wire. Dally short and back your horse till it’s tight -- then you’ve got the slack you require. So I admit that some gates have been tougher than me, but I got that wire looped.  If you fall short with brute force and ignorance, use yer’ rope and just add some more brute!

Cautions...For you all that might want to really try this trick, here are a couple of pointers! You can unthread your rope for a tall post. And one rider can stand his horse right beside the gate if necessary. That is, however, a little risky if your horse ain't rock-solid.   In fact, you should only do this at your own risk and with a horse well-broke to pulling a rope in unusual circumstances.