High Paw! Or Hoof, or Fin...

Good morning, and welcome!

Every kid has a phase in their childhood when all they want to do in a day is go to the zoo and gawk at the animals. It's a relaxing day, cruising around in a stroller, letting someone else pick up the tab for the hot dogs and ice cream you ate for lunch, and then visiting the gift shop just long enough to clear out the place. If you don't count squashing worms on the pavement at recess, the zoo is really the first opportunity today's kids have to interact with our natural world. As a four or five-year-old, I wish I had known that there was so much more out there when it came to partnering with life on Earth.

Humans and animals have been teammates for millennia. In exchange for their loyalty, companionship, and willingness to work hard by our side, we provide them with the resources they need to thrive and work with modern technology to protect their communities and habitats. Animals can be found working in therapy, agriculture, the military, schools, and even in homes (if you count dog kisses as "work"!). They do a lot of important jobs in modern society, and their presence and support should not be taken for granted. Our relationship with them is far more complex than that of a kindergartener and a gorilla staring at each other from opposite sides of the same Plexiglass barrier. That's why this morning, I'd like to take a little time to recognize some of humanity's most memorable (and, okay, outlandish) relationships with the natural world. With that, here’s to the unsung animal heroes with whom we were able to foster a partnership that carries us both through life, side by side.

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Team #1: Draft Horses and Produce Farmers

(Photo "Plow Days" by Starley Shelton is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 )

My great-grandparents owned two draft horses named Mabel and Princess. I grew up hearing stories about how my great-grandfather would hitch them up to the cart with an old school bus seat fastened to the front and teach my mom to drive the team. To this day, my mother still has a soft spot for these gentle-giant breeds like Clydesdales or Percherons. Turns out, a lot of other people do too, as draft horses and American farmers have been working together for over two centuries. Take the handheld plow, for example: a team of draft horses trained to work in sync with each other were able to pull the plow forward with their raw strength, while farmers pushed the blade of the plow down into the dirt and kept it steady as it prepared the field for the upcoming growing season. While working with horses could be slow going at times, they were considered more reliable than early tractors or machines. There was also a personal bond to consider, one that cannot be replicated by technological advancement. They kept farmers on their toes: their feelings had to be taken into account when working in new environments, with new tools, or with unfamiliar horses. Long, hot days on the farm could be hard, but I like to think it was made a little less so with an equine companion by your side.

Operational draft-horse reliant farms still exist today! Check out this Real World Survivor interview: https://www.realworldsurvivor.com/2019/01/03/draft-horse-revival/

Team #2: Guardian Llamas and Sheep Farmers

(Photo "Guard llama and sheep, Wisconsin" by Citizen 4474 is licensed under CC BY 2.0 )

Yes, you read that right. Guardian llamas are taking the place of sheepdogs as protectors of flocks of sheep on the farm. Unlike their canine counterparts, llamas require no training, and form an instinctive bond with their flock. Because they are naturally territorial, they are able to embrace their role as a rural sentinel of sorts, and have been known to attack any creature that comes too close by way of a neatly aimed stomp with one of their two-toed camelid feet. However, don’t think that adding a few extra llamas would grant your flock complete immunity. The presence of other llamas comes with the risk that they will bond with each other as opposed to the flock and ignore danger that does not apply directly to them. Because of this, they work best one at a time with smaller flocks. At their finest, coyotes have a lot to be afraid of when it comes to guardian llamas. When they spot potential danger on the horizon, they first herd the sheep over to a safer location with the llama’s trademark cry of alarm, then face the predator with their species’ instinctive hostility toward doglike creatures. Sheep farmers say they’ve never seen anything like it: the sheep are the llama’s number one priority in life. Many sources claim that llamas are able to reduce predator losses by 100 percent.

For more info on sheep farmers and their llama buddies, read this Life Out Here article: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/cms/life-out-here/the-barn/cats/enlisting-guard-llamas-to-protect-livestock

Team #3: Dogs and Mushers 

(Photo "Dog Sleds on the Move" by puffclinty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 )

Move over, Pony Express, and say hello to sled dogs like the Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, and Samoyed. In teams of about sixteen, these dogs are able to travel at approximately 10 miles per hour across frozen terrain, perfectly at home in death-defying temperatures. Though originally used for hunting and protection by early Alaskans, the roles of these dogs evolved significantly with the introduction of the sled. By the time of the Klondike Gold Rush, these dogs were carrying mail, supplies and even people between camps and small towns. One particularly daring trip, a sort of relay spanning almost a thousand miles, resulted in the transportation of diphtheria medication from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska in little under a week. A statue of one of the lead dogs involved, Balto, was erected in New York City’s Central Park not much later. However, Alaskans have their own way of remembering the heroism displayed that week in 1925: the Iditarod dogsled race. Mushers from across the world travel to Alaska each March to take part in this journey with their dogs. Each musher has a different approach when it comes to their team’s meal schedules, meal contents, sleep schedules, and training methods. The dogs must work in tandem with each other and with the musher, and everyone must pitch in to help in order for the team to succeed. Although dog sledding is predominantly a sport in today’s society, it is a sport that highlights Alaska’s rich history with man’s best friend.

For more information on modern dog sledding, give this ModernDog article a try: https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/sled-dogs-north/137 (No, seriously. You’re going to want to read this one. It really is fascinating.)

Team #4: Yogis and Baby Goats 

(Photo "IMG_3935" by cindi_dar is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 )

Okay, the official term is “caprine vinyasa”, but come on. Goat yoga. And not just any old goat, either - baby goats work best, as their weight makes them ideal for climbing on yogis to make their positions a little more challenging. Goat yoga’s ultimate goal, however, is to provide a unity between the yogi and nature, in the form of an adorable baby goat. The practice originated in Albany, Oregon, when Lainey Morse found solace in spending time with the goats on her farm, because, let’s face it, goats are hilarious and adorable. Before long, a friend suggested to her that she could conduct yoga classes in the field on her scenic property, and it was then when she put two and two together. The concept of “goat yoga” immediately grew in popularity, and additional farms began introducing the idea to their own hometowns to earn a bit of extra cash. While the notion may seem playful at first, the idea of humans and animals joining together in the quiet of nature is actually quite a beautiful thing. People attend goat yoga classes to relieve stress, depression or anxiety; keep their bodies relaxed and fit; or even receive physical therapy after injury or illness. These little goats are able to do a lot of good just by existing. Goat yoga. Who knew?

Here’s the Los Angeles Times’s take on this unique experience: https://www.latimes.com/style/pets/la-hm-pets-goat-yoga-20170827-story.html

Team #5: Horses and Therapeutic Ranch Owners

(Photo "Horse" by Neil T is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 )

Horses may have been bred for farm work, but they also have a softer side, as shown by therapeutic ranches from across the country. In all honesty, “therapeutic ranch” is bit of a broad term, as different ranches have their own unique priorities, methods and goals. Some offer help to students suffering from anxiety, depression or addiction, others support military veterans with physical or emotional injury upon returning home after service, and there’s one right down the road from where I live that is dedicated to children with physical or mental disabilities. The philosophy is the same, however: learning to ride, care for, and often clean up after a horse introduces riders to the unconditional love of these animals. Many working horses retire to therapeutic ranches, where their experience with people, combined with the gentle nature of their kind, provides an easy and relaxing ride. Additionally, riders are taught to feed, groom and sometimes even shoe the horses, as spending time working in the barn builds familiarity and relationships with the horses that live there. Sometimes other ranch jobs are offered to riders as well, because there is never a shortage of chores to do in such a busy place. Many facilities are even volunteer-based to give others in the community an opportunity to make a difference in both human and equine lives.

For more information about therapeutic ranches, I would encourage you to research a local ranch, but here’s this Equitrekking article anyway: https://equitrekking.com/articles/entry/the-benefits-of-therapeutic-horseback-riding

Team #6: Dolphins and Military Workers

(Photo "Dolphin looking at camera-3+" by Sheba_Also 15.6 Million Views is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 )

Dolphins and similar species have proved essential to countries across the globe. Their secret? Echolocation, also known as bio sonar. The dolphins are able to release high-pitched cries that they are then able to track as the sound waves bounce off of solid objects. Their jaw structure and large foreheads make them more susceptible to sensing these echoes, which serves as a sixth sense in murkier waters - as if their superior eyesight in such an environment wasn’t enough! Additionally, dolphins are known for their swimming speed. There isn’t a human diver alive who could propel themselves through the water at 20 miles per hour! Such abilities make dolphins ideal for missions too strenuous for human technology. The dolphins are trained by experts armed with fish for positive reinforcement until the dolphins are capable of detecting and marking underwater mines, and more importantly, returning back home immediately after the task is finished for their own safety. Sometimes they are also used for surveillance or security surrounding a coastal base or event. This arrangement isn’t only beneficial to our country’s armed forces, either. Marine researchers have learned a lot from the military’s use of these aquatic heroes. Maybe someday, data collected from these dolphins will help us humans with our own sonar technology, and the two species can part ways once more with a simple “thank you for your service”. Of course, in the meantime, I say this should totally be a James Bond movie plot.

Still wondering about these dolphins? Give the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal program homepage a read: https://www.public.navy.mil/navwar/NIWC-Pacific/technology/Pages/mammals.aspx

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Okay, even I was taken by surprise by that last one. Dolphin espionage? Who knew animals had such an impact in our lives? Well… I guess their caretakers knew. I can’t help but admire people who are willing to join forces with the animal kingdom to make a difference in the world. People like them remind the rest of us of just how much we can get done if we work together.

(See, there’s more to animals than just the zoo.)

Our family dog, Marlee, doesn’t know I’m writing this. She's downstairs, likely slobbering on the floor as she takes her usual midmorning snooze. She's been my buddy since grade school, and I doubt I’ll ever be able to show her how grateful I am for her presence in my life. However, I can try and thank her by spending time doing things she likes, such as going on long, exhausting walks or playing fetch with that one really gross chew toy that I hate to pick up. We may be in this together, but it’s for different reasons. To remind Marlee how much I care, I have to take her motivations into account. With that in mind, today I dare you to thank an animal teammate by giving back to the beautiful community that is the natural world. Donate to your local humane society, volunteer at a therapeutic ranch, or even give your pet at home an extra pat (or treat, since you can't exactly pet a goldfish). By empowering each other, we can make Earth a better place for all life here, one partnership at a time.