Quote:
Originally Posted by wdfifteen
I grew up on a farm, where you grow up fast. Watched the farm animals practicing the birds and bees from the time I was born. I started raking hay with our Ford 2N when I was 8. I don't remember my age, a little older than 8 I think, I learned to drive our IHC KB7. I had to drive it instead of the smaller pickup because it had a hand throttle and I was too short to drive Dad's pickup, which didn't. I couldn't push the throttle and see out the windshield at the same time. That didn't last long, I was in the pickup soon, and then in the Henry J that I traded a calf to our neighbor for.
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Another ranch kid, born in 1970...I really don't remember when I got behind a wheel. From tractors to swathers and everything inbetween. I used to take the tractor to town to pick up chickies to take to DQ for ice cream, when I was in grade school cause there was no age limit or DL needed.
My kids have all steered the pickups while I feed hay. The first thing taught is to shut off the key if scared or I yell. Then you put it in gear hop out, kid slides over or walks and steers the pickup idling, in first gear, while you feed hay. From ages 5 and up.
Its very important to teach your children to drive on a ranch the very instant they can touch the wheel. Its a safety thing they might just have to drive you home or to the hospital if you get hurt. Or at least it was before cell phones. Well I still adhere to the old ways.
I do remember my folks being gone to a cattle show and I took the pickup to my new girlfriends house. She lived twenty miles away, I took all dirt back roads, only had one three mile stretch of pavement. I was 12. I didn't take my DL test till I was sixteen, and my first road trip was from Eastern Oregon to Lake Tahoe two weeks later. Driving life is different in cattle country.-WW