Wondering about wild grapes

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Wondering about getting one's goat, etc.

Has any one every "gotten your goat"?  There a lot who have gotten mine but I will not go into that today.  What I did dig into was how that saying got started.  The origins of common sayings is something I always wonder about.  I looked it up in my "Reader's Digest book titled "IMPNDERABLES"I really have enjoyed that old book I bought at the flea market.  Anyway, it used to be the practice to keep a race horse (or any high spirited horse) calm by putting a goat into the stall with the horse.  Its presence usually kept the horse calm.  It seemed that sometimes an owner of a rival horse would sneak in and take the goat out of the stall to supposedly upset the other horse hoping it would make it perform below its standard in the upcoming race.

Have you ever milked a cow by hand?  I have, but it has been years ago.  Now, why are most cows milked from their right side?  When using milking machines, any side is used.  About the only thing I can think of or find on that subject is that most people are right handed and by milking the cow from the right gives more free space for the promenant hand.  Now, I am wondering agian, do left handed farmers milk cows from the cows left side?  I wonder, wonder why. . . Now, it is a little late for milking cows, but do what ever you enjoy and have a great day, you hear?

7 comments:

  1. Tried milking as a kid, but couldn't make it work.

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  2. You've goat to be kidding. Speaking of cow's milk, why do we drink cow's milk? Do you have a bale of hay for breakfast? When was the last time you saw a herd of cows hanging around the maternity ward trying to get some human's milk? Y'all be well, you hear?

    Gary :)

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  5. I have never heard about the origins of "getting your goat".

    Maybe Walter needs a goat to keep him calm and for company.

    Looks like the Spammers hit early today.

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  6. Trouble, Maybe you forgot to turn the valve to on (grin). Just getting your goat. . .

    Klahanie, I was just a growing boy back then and milk helped my bones grow. At least that is what I was told. My Uncle (who owned a farm) had one cow that was my favorite.

    MsB, Well now you "know the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say. I think a goat would do Walter a lot of good. Deleted the spam. I have been lucky so far, haven't had too many spammers to contend with. Hate to have to put security precautions on my blog.

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  7. The goat not only settled the horse down but provided a companion for the goat. Goats are herd animals that need a companion. They get very sad, lonely, and stressed if they do no have at least one other companion. They prefer to have another goat as a companion, but they will bond with other animals, like a horse.

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