Losing Sight - 8 x 6 Palette Knife Oil Painting of baby horseby Debbie Grayson Lincoln

8 X 6 Palette Knife Oil on Linen Panel $125

Includes shipping and insurance US

He was grazing peacefully, sun warm on his back, grass cool and lush, life was good. SUDDENLY he realized he had lost sight of his Momma - momentary fear and panic! Bugged eyed, he searched and caught sight of her farther away than he usually ventured at this young age. But SHE had kept HIM in HER sights, and he was still safe.
I went to the local cattle sale barn yesterday and brought home a very nice, mostly black day old bull calf. It was so hot in that barn, many calves were barely able to walk. I felt lucky to find one in relatively good shape, as he was quite lively and evidently came from a dairy who had cared for him well before they brought him to the sale. He was eager to nurse Abbey when I got him home and after a little resistance, she allowed him to join her own calf at the dinner table.
There was also one tiny little Jersey heifer calf who was bouncing all over the pen she was kept in before the sale. I briefly considered bringing her home, too, but I needed to get the one I already had purchased home before the heat injured him, so I left with him as soon as the ticket was ready.
Going to the sale barn to get a baby calf is worse than visiting the dog pound. So many baby calves are considered a by-product of the dairy industry - and many never make it more than several days of life - especially this time of year. Cows in a milking herd cannot be allowed to raise a calf, so their unwanted babies are sold almost immediately upon birth to folks who make a living (or try to) bottle feeding them until they can be weaned. They are then sold to ranchers who put them on feed and/or pasture until they are large enough to be butchered.
The main problem with this scenario is that the calf buyer never really knows for sure if the calf has gotten the necessary colostrum to survive. Or even if he ever nursed at all. In defense of my dairy friends, most of them make every effort to be sure that their calves get every chance they need to do well...and many even keep them to raise themselves (a VERY labor intensive effort). At the sale barn, however, it's "buyer beware", even though I think I have a pretty good eye for finding a calf that is at least 3 days old and has been cared for well. So far, so good....
Joel 2:21
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
If you are interested in this painting, click here to send me an email. I accept checks and Paypal. I can also arrange LAYAWAY. To view my latest paintings on Daily Painters go HERE. To view larger paintings, go to my Website HERE. To view a wealth of OTHER Texas Artists, enjoy THIS site!