I Lack the Confidence to Work with Cattle 

This video is proof you got your bull calf from the right people. Responsible breeding includes mentoring the new generations of responsible breeders. Good job, Janet & Ray!

What you lack in confidence diminishes with experience, but you always possess the compassion for your animals.

Morgan, I am a 73 yr old mother, grandmother and great grandmother. The first thing I want to tell you is that I am so proud of you! I have been watching you for two or three years now and I am so impressed with you as a farmer. Every one of us who have raised or owned animals had to learn to be safe with them. There is no need to be afraid of your cows, but definitely respect the fact that they have horns and are big. As much as you might like to treat them like pets, they are definitely not pets! I’ll never forget a veterinarian telling my husband that he shouldn’t treat his donkey as a pet because it could hurt him. Donkeys are like big dogs, but they weigh so much more AND they can kick sideways. (I’m not sure if cows can do that) Keep up your confidence and just know it’s better to be overly safe with large animals, especially horned ones! Keep up the good work son👍

As someone who grew up with horse trainers for parents, it would always surprise me when people came to us from other riding schools with no knowledge of handling. It is the MOST important thing to learn and generally the most often overlooked. It’s really one of those things that no amount of reading will teach you. A mentor and practical application is essential. It’s clear that Janet and Ray are passionate about their animals! They know you will always put the animals needs first, and with a bit of knowledge from them you’ll go far! A good mentor is worth their weight in gold

That was incredibly kind and generous of them to offer to help you. I'm really glad to see that you have some great friends willing to help you with things you struggle with.

Taking Randy for those walks is a fabulous suggestion! It’s going to exponentially help that confidence issue and really grow that bond!

Wow, you’ve come a LONG way with the cattle handling! Confidence isn’t something you have, it’s something you build with practice and determination. And I can already see a big difference in your confidence and comfort with handling the cattle. When I first started working with horses when I started riding as a kid, I was very nervous to even pick up their feet to clean them, or brush them too hard and annoy them. But by the time I became an adult and was working on a thoroughbred racehorse breeding farm, I was getting kicked and bit and stepped on all the time and I wasn’t scared, and I was confident enough to keep a hold of the lead and regain control of a horse that was rearing and bolting; “flying a kite”, we called it. I always had people who were teaching me and working with me though, which was really helpful, so taking Randy’s breeders up on their offer for assistance was a very good idea; I would work with them as much as you can! I would also maybe ask if they wouldn’t mind letting you practice leading and grooming and working with one of their docile adult cows, so you can practice handling a huge animal and be prepared for when Randy grows up. Trust me, leading a foal feels NOTHING like leading a large adult horse, so I imagine leading a bull calf is going to be very different to leading a fully-grown bull Randy. Just a little something I noticed that you want to be careful of; you don’t want to loop the excess lead around your hands, because if Randy was to yank hard then your hand can get trapped and seriously injured, especially once he’s a full grown bull. It can also get your hand stuck and cause you to get yanked off your feet, and from there potentially dragged or trampled. You also never want to let your lead drag on the ground though, since they can step on it (I learned this the hard way when a horse stepped on the lead and got scared and threw her head back and clocked me right in the nose, deviating my septum); the best way to hold excess lead in to just fold it and grab it in your palm. It’s also important to know when to drop the lead too, because although you always want to try to keep as much control over an animal on a lead as you can, there are situations where it is too unsafe and the safest thing you can do for yourself is drop it and move away from the animal if they are completely out of control and dangerous.

"“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear." - keep up the great wok, inspiring all us city ppl!

My family raised cattle in western Canada for decades. Unfortunately when it comes to hormones (particularly with males) it tends to overwhelm all their conditioning, training, etc. It can be very dangerous, especially if you turned your back for a moment to talk to a camera. I like you and your channel a lot. So please stay safe as you create your content. Best wishes. Edit: I'll also note most of the cowboys I've known have either a real mean streak, or else a quiet immovable stoicism. You have a very gentle nature about you that might be difficult to work with cattle, but that doesn't mean you can't do it if you want to. If there's one thing I've learned watching your channel grow, it's that you have the spirit to learn, adapt, and overcome the challenges that come your way. Don't let the naysayers undermine your confidence. *Believe in yourself the way we believe in you.* Stay vigilant, and you'll be just fine.

Running a Farm is a learning experiment. Thanks, for having the courage to bring us along with you.

I have zero interest in farming but I have a lot of interest in watching Morgan farm. Sometimes Gold Shaw Farm videos are just what I need. 👍 Thanks Morgan!

Yay Ray and Janet! Its just like starting out with a puppy on a leash. You got this.

I’ve been watching your channel for a few years now and I don’t usually comment. On another channel I watch, Rick is always saying, you can’t blame or shame someone because they don’t know what they don’t know. Learning is a lifelong activity. I also have to mention that you are looking really good and healthy. You’ve obviously lost some weight and you look great.

This morning's video made me think about all of the "teachers" I've had in my own life--some in the classroom, but many more out of it. Those kind people who see someone struggling and offer their time and experience by way of helping. Thank you to all of them--and to you for your thoughtful content.

It's good that you got Randy as a calf so your confidence could grow with him and help establish a bond before he gets bigger and scarier.

I think a good amount of caution is needed when dealing with large livestock. I think too much confidence will get you in trouble fast. But ya, animals can smell fear, so finding the balance is key. I think you are doing great!

Best Advice - Janet and Ray are a goldmine of cattle handling experience. Do not be afraid to reach out to them and ask for guidance on things when you feel you need it. That is absolutely the best way you're going to learn what you need to. Randy is going to be with you for years. Learning the right ways to handle him will allow both of you to have a safe and happy relationship with each other as bull and farmer.

So happy to see you leading with your body, Morgan. Vastly improved. It's as much about training him as it is training your own habits! Keep it up.

Your nerves are just your body telling you that you’re onto something. Seeing your progress over the last few years gives me the utmost confidence that you will get there. Not if, but rather when. You got this Morgan.

Toby has always been confident around the cattle❤

I'm not Mollycoddling you when I say you're doing a great job Morgan. Your willingness to accept and even seek out constructive feedback is where you excel. I don't know much about farming or animal husbandry, so I can't provide advice. But I can recognize and acknowledge a guy who is recognizing and learning from his mistakes. Keep up the good work, Morgan. I never trick yourself into thinking you have nothing left to learn.

No matter the topic, your videos are enjoyable & comforting to watch. I think it's in your vocal delivery and the great editing. I just wanted you to know I appreciate them!

Aw the walk with randy was cute bonding with your animals is great

I think it was obvious to a lot of us who work around hoofstock when that lesson with his old owners was. There was a really marked difference in how confident you looked and acted around the calves in videos, and you've definitely been looking more confident each time. Working with animals is definitely a learning experience, regardless of how long you've worked with them. The important thing is keeping that open mind to learning from others that you've got.

Fantastic advice!!! It’s also so cute to see you two go walking together 😅

There will always be time that you doubt yourself even if you’ve tried it before, but what is important is to learn from a lot of people who are knowlegeable in those fields and try it until you perfected it. Knowledge and experience is the best teacher. I love your farm videos.

Great message, Morgan! Additionally, if you're offered help, being humble enough to accept it is a good thing too. 😊

Confidence comes with experience you'll get there.

You certainly have a wealth of persistence, and a lot of respect for your animals. You’ve got access to great mentoring, and your relationship with your cattle has already come a long way! I’m confident that you’ll increase your skills steadily, like you already have. You can borrow some of my confidence for you if you want, till you have more of your own. Remember to pat yourself on the back for every step forward! You’re doing great!

Fortunately, highland cattle are notorious for being very gentle so they're the perfect breed to get started.

You’re awesome ❤confidence grows everyday just like your trees and animals on your farm❤️be kind to you too

It's good to see you gaining confidence with your cattle. Animals can always tell when you're not confident, and will often take advantage, so gaining confidence in working with them is essential. I'm glad you got some help.

Daily routines with any animal makes bonding and safety for both of you more sustainable. As you build trust with that animal you are also building mutual respect. that goes a long way in all of your future interactions. Good work.

I think you're worrying too much. You have lots of confidence and it shows in everything you do. You are handling the cattle just fine. It takes time and if you are friendly enough with each new one like you are with your current cattle, things will be just fine.

i mean, you seemed pretty confident when you first got them and were trying to herd them with a truck, until you correctly second-guessed yourself. it's important to remember that overconfidence is the ENEMY of quality. you need confidence to be bold and step forward and to form/execute plans, but a healthy dose of humility allows you to discern your flaws and areas in need of improvement.

I may not have any advice that'll directly help - but I can tell you you're not alone. 40, left the city a couple years back, and me and my wife are on a similar adventure of learning as we go on a 70 acre homestead in Manitoba. Our first chickens arrived this week, vegetable beds are in, and we're clearing shelterbelts and planting new trees. Every step of the way is an inner voice (and sometimes others') saying - "this is insane, you can't do this", but when we look at all we've already accomplished, it just makes us wants more and instills that confidence we need. So look at all you've accomplished (and that includes, being part of inspiring us!). Thanks man. - From a fellow "could always use more confidence" kind of guy.

I'm petrified of cattle, i just know i don't want to be near them, horses no problem, i've worked with horses and feel comfortable enough that i can spot any issues, it's really good to see you talking about issues you face, Randy looks like an amazing bull to gain confidence with, especially with how calm he is and how he was raised before arriving on your farm ♥

Thank you for your honesty. This will help those who want to do what you did be realistic about the journey.

There's a big difference between ASKING Randy to go for a walk and TELLING him he's going for a walk and animals in general respond to that energy. Keep at it, you're doing great!

Yes, it's good to see that you're applying what was taught. The kind and generous cattle folk knew you could improve and thrive with the baby. ❤

Good one. Great lesson and what a good thing for you to show and tell the viewers to not be dicks and for people to accept help.

It's great to see you're more comfortable with both Randy and Joey. I'm sure your interactions with them also make them more comfortable with you, too. So it's a two-way street. They look forward and enjoy your presence, knowing that you have their best interest at heart. I always enjoy watching Ginny Barn Cat doing her scene-stealing routines. She's is such a character.

I love your videos because you not only talk and show love for your animals but also teach life lessons that are bigger then your farm. Lessons worth knowing regardless of the situation. Confidence is key to success.

I think it's important to let people know how you feel about suggestions of how you might want to try something different, everybody has their own perspective on that. What I like about you Morgan, is how you express you're openness to different ideas. I see how far you have come with the cattle, and you are definitely heading in the right direction. Thanks for taking us along.

Morgan you have really inspired me to become a farmer and to make my own RU-vid channel (in Danish) After seeing you by cattle in 2021 I got really interested and bought two myself in March 2022. I am even going to an organic farming school in January. Even though people might not think that you are a real farmer, you will always be one to me.

Real confidences comes from competence. Because the more you know and are able to apply the less you worry.

My mother used sometimes say to others I was studying with, that I needed more confidence. The irony of this was that it was she who would often undermine that confidence from growing stronger, with criticism (& not the constructive kind). Yes indeed, another great message you send with major added bonus of yet another way for humans to support one another. Yet another skillfully crafted story , & still young man you are...may you and yours Thrive, that your wisdom may rub off on Many. Thank you Morgan!

There is confidence and there is respect. Respect is more important than confidence when you are handling cattle. Respect your animals, don't get killed, and confidence will come all by itself. Cheers from Denmark!

I think you're doing the right thing, you're growing with your cow learning from each other. Sure not all highland cows can be tamed to the point of hamish on youtube but you're learning every day how to read their moods and behaviors. Take some tips from other fluffy cow owners who know how to read their animals and you're going to be okay.

How lucky you are to have people who are experienced and compassionate coming to your help. I kept asking myself why you picked the breed with the most enormous horns as a starter group and sensed your insecurity in handling them. Bulls are nothing to clown around with. Your loyal viewers are praying for you, here's hoping that ups the confidence a couple of notches. Hang in.

And this is one of the many reasons I appreciate your channel! Great work sharing, risking, trying, and accepting - and promoting the offering and acceptance of help. I second the comment from another about making up for lack of experience with the compassion and desire to do right by the animals. And the thoughtfulness you put into each experience you share with us.

Love your videos. Big inspiration for content creators like me.

Shout out to Ray and Janet for being great, quite cute walking the bull.. I remember there was a video not to long ago with same tittle. Also great shot of Jinny

Jenny was rushing off with that mouse like a kid who just shoplifted a candy bar from the corner store! 😂🤪

Confidence and patience will lead you to the promise land. YOU ARE DOING AMAZING!!!!! DONT STOP!!!!!

So awesome that they are sharing their expertise. Good on you for taking them up on the offer. We kept close to the farmer we got our sheep from and reach out to her often for advice. Invaluable!

Exactly, those folks who talk to you at eye level are the ones offering good advice. The know-it-alls who preach from on high I ignore. Learning from people like you and others is how I've been able to get comfortable in running my homestead.

It seems to me your openess to learning has taken you far and will continue to do so. I love horses but also lack confidence. For me, learning how to read them and methods to communicate and handle them is helping. Best of luck! Thanks for your videos!

Morgan, prime rule for learning ANYTHING new - don't be afraid to ask questions! I'm glad your friends reached out to you, but when in doubt, ASK QUESTIONS! It will save you AND your critters from much confusion and stress! Love ya, man! Keep up the good work! 👍🙂 🐮

Good advice! Successful people are not afraid to ask for help, be good listeners and able to take constructive criticism as a positive - not a negative. As my grandmother often said, “Pride goes before a fall.”

Good to see you growing in confidence and bonding with the cattle!

It is your lack of experience that makes you unique as a content creator. Watching you learn, and learning with is what is what makes it entertaining.

I appreciate your honesty and I think your point about helping people is spot on.

Awesome video! I love your courage to shine light on what is perceived as a weakness. I applaud you. Learn, face it, and overcome is a great lesson to teach. I think you are helping more people than you think. Thank you!

It's been so fun watching your successes! We used to have horses and also lived on a dairy farm and one rule that is good to have with any large animal is to not let them come into your space unless you ask them to. A little fist bump and a "hey hey" will help get their attention. Never with anger, just insisting that they respect your space. Maybe keep a light colored short cane with a rubber tip to help push them if they get too close? After a while they will recognize what you are comfortable with and respect that. They are very aware of their body and where it is. They won't run you over if they know that they are not allowed to. They are easily as trainable as a dog, it just takes repetition and lots of one on one time.

Hearing you say you lack confidence and seeing all of the ways you put yourself out there and allow yourself to be vulnerable, I find it hard to reconcile the two. You exude confidence in many ways, and inspire it in a lot of people. Constructive criticism is good but don't lose sight of the bigger picture!

I do that with other dog owners I see struggling. It really is important to ask them first if they would like a tip, bc, as every dog-owner knows, you get plastered with unwanted advice of all varieties by ppl who think they know better but often really don't... Morgan is actually often one for me to go to for advice on social interactions, as I don't have a farm and am too sick and old to ever get one. He is my vicarious farming person, and much wiser than I am, too. So glad and thankful for his channel!

I just love you videos! I grew up with live stock. I never had fear around the big beasts. I would say that a lack of fear does not = complacency. You can be confident but still vigilant. I just want you to lean next to your heards sides and hug them more! I love that you are not giving up.

Morgan NEVER doubt yourself or your ability! What you are doing is an exciting thing to see. A "city slicker" becoming a farmer! Reminds me of the old sitcom "GreenAcres"! You just do it better with less comedy and better animal husbandry! Some of us envy you and your lifestyle, some of us want to come and help you, some of us just watch in amazement. It is good that you feel a little less confident as it ensures that you will be willing to accept help when it is given to you rather than a cockiness that will result in tragedy! We all appreciate watching you do whatever you do never doubt that!

It is rational to lack confidence at first. You have a healthy way of dealing with that: educate, get advice and training, practice, change what does not work for you. Good on you, Morgan!

Good to see you're learning the cattle language... essential to understanding and communicating with them.

Your doing great! I can see a big difference in you handling him. Your not the only one. I've seen alot of new homesteaders in the same position. That's y we need friends who know what their doing to teach us and pass on these skills.

❤ l love the fact that someone offered the assistance, and most of all that you accepted the opportunity to learn.

When I went for a job interview for Vodafone, I loved the whole call center when I was touring it, all employees had to go through this buzz tunnel when entering the building, if you snuck beside it, a manager could pull you over, that buzz tunnel just triggered in my memory when I saw the buzz of the geese and ducks 😊😊😂😊😊🎉🎉🎉

Hey man, confidence makes all the difference in working with animals, but there's really only one way to gain it, and that's by doing it. Absolutely it's great to have help offered, I've getting a ton with our neighbors, working as a farm hand and helping with their herd. Before 2021, I had never worked with anything that big, and now I'm with cattle every day, and comfortable doing it. Still have a ton to learn, but the guys who have that lifetime of experience are always glad to teach, and share that experience. It's fantastic! And really, it's a lot of fun learning this stuff. Good job and great progress, getting that bull halter trained will make life so much easier once he's huge.

Here's my helpful suggestion, take a look at your posture when working with the cattle and compare it to Janet and Ray. They stand with their shoulders stacked above their hips and their shoulders are relaxed. Their hips are never leaning away from the cattle. Now look at yourself. Your hips are not stacked below your shoulders, rather you are often pushing your hips away from the cow. Basically, you are sticking your butt out and leaning forward, or when you are walking the cow, your hips are pushed out to the side, away from the Randy (You can really see his when walking along the fence line.). Now, how does this make a difference in confidence one might ask? When you are holding your body in an unnatural position your body is tense and stressed, which translates to an animal as fear. So, you need to fake it until you make it. Throw your shoulders back, tuck your hips under, and don't lean away. This advice comes from a person who has worked with abused horses and dogs (and walked cattle).

Thanks, Morgan! Excellent video, story, and message.

Wow, amazing improvement in such a short period of time! I absolutely loved everything in this video. Now that you have learned the basics I'm sure your confidence with Randy will skyrocket. This video makes me feel so proud of you. Keep up the good work!

Good for you for accepting help and great for them for offering. After instruction - practice makes better.

The title without watching...I witness this every time I see you with them. Pick different animals or make the decision to be confident. Confidence or not you will be hurt owning cattle. Being a farmer equals injury.

As always as a human being. You are a work in process. I hope people are being informative while being kind. I am impressed with all you have accomplished.

That was very nice of them to give you a hand so you can start feeling better about taking that step. I am going to gather by the time you are much older you will have all the fears gone and be pro . Nice to see him well behaved and taking a walk with you .

Awesome video! I am really impressed by your honesty and integrity to do your best and constantly work at improving your skills. Good job!

Your walk at the end already improved. You are standing straight more and seem less scared. I'm happy for you! And I'm happy you share this lesson.

This is the kind of video I needed. We all need confidence in what we do. Whether that's taking a walk with a highland Bull or with whatever scary change you might be making in life. I think when we respect those challenges and accept that hey we might need help its a little easier to gain that confidence that we need to keep doing what we love. -- Keep it up Morgan! Thanks for the video :)

Having a healthy respect for those horns is a good thing. Keep working with him daily so you both learn that happy medium. Good luck and thanks for sharing.

Excellent video Morgan!!!

Mr Morgan I am proud of you taking of your health. Continue with much success.

Love the honesty Morgan, keep it up, continue learning and have confidence in You🐂🐃🐂

Great work! I’m proud of you!

RU-vid recommended to me a new video on a subject I had never watched before. It was about arborist who was on a contract job from Washington state to Florida. He had to climb a very tall palm tree and he was unfamiliar with this kind of tree. He spoke about his fear of heights, while he was trying to put reason and logic in the forefront. It was really interesting how he used his logical self to control his fear. A little bit of fear makes one work safer. His RU-vid channel is Guilty of Treeson. Bulls are big animals. I think showing fear and yet addressing the fear it’s a very common sense approach.

Great video with a wonderful message. We all just don’t ask for help grateful caring people come along to coach you.

You could see a good difference in your confidence when you took Randy out for his walk.

What weird timing! I just reached out to offer help to some people. You are a more advanced farmer than I so I have little to offer you. However, you gave me the confidence to help my neighbor catch a steer that got out. All I did was stand with a long branch in my hand to create a barrier to keep the steer from getting out of the yard. I waited until my neighbor showed up to do the real work. I should add that although I don't have experience with cattle, I do have a couple of years experience with our barrow pig and I worked with horses a little in my youth. Thank you for your efforts.

Such a big improvement! You're doing great. Keep at it. And eventually, you'll be so confident that we'll see you need a cow to step aside and you'll bump them out of the way with your hip or backside without even thinking twice about it. Then you'll know you've arrived! :)

youve come so far morgan. its amazing your journey. dont let anyone say otherwise.

I do believe you’re shrinking, dear sir! Looking great!!! Congrats on all the hard work with yourself and your critters too!

DONT WORRY MORGAN, YOURE NATURAL!

I love watching your videos. I've been watching you almost from the beginning. I Like that you humble yourself to accept advise. I've watched you grow as a farmer and as a person. You don't hesitate to say it's always a learning process and show or tell us the mistakes you may have made. Keep on learning and sharing. Because these videos are not just about the process of your farm growing it's also showing the the process of you growing as a person. 😊 Keep up the good work👍

Young man, the MOST important voice comes from YOU..... You learn from experience and from experience you gain confidence so it's good to listen but trust your voice and instinct.