Battling Beasts with Horns

Today I went on our farm milk run, since it was my week to go. I am thankful I only have to go twice a month, because sometimes I encounter things like this:

YOU SHALL NOT PASS.

Other days my large-horned friends have greeted me like this:

Whatchoo lookin' at? 

And this:

Move along, lady, move along.

So today I saw that my van could not roll over the rope while it was 1-2 feet in the air. I also obviously did not want to hurt this guy, or give him cause to charge our van (Hmm, explain that to the body shop). So I got out of the van, with express directions to my children to stay buckled and not to get out no matter what, and walked toward this large-horned beast. I called out a couple times to see if anyone would hear me (it is a long lane), to no avail. I slowly crept closer, glad of my sweet ninja skills in a pinch, but when I was near the rope, he stood up! Aha, a fellow ninja. So I ran back to the van and shut the door. He didn't seem threatening, or like he was trying to intimidate me, but may have thought I had food for him? Now the rope was like two feet higher than before, since he was now standing there, stubborn as an ox. Hmph.

Finally I willed him to put his head down long enough for my front tires to roll over the rope, and prayed he would keep it down for the back tires too or we would be hamstrung and this what-I-thought-was-a-bull might panic. After telling the story to the farmer and both of us having a good chuckle, he told me these were oxen his son was training, and "he didn't think" they would charge. Hmm. So apparently caution was a good thing. And if you ever want to set a booby trap for people wanting to get milk at your farm, tie up an ox or two out front. It will work like a charm!