Are they trained?

I don’t think I have ever been asked that. “How long did it take to train them?” Seems to be a favorite.

When they ask a question at an inopportune moment, don’t answer right away. Wait until the moment you would have preferred they had asked. If you are forced to acknowledge the asker, to stave off additional repetitions of the question, a lifted finger (to show “one moment”) or a quick “Hang on…” should suffice for all but the most dense.

People who don’t work animals don’t understand about nonverbal communication bandwith requirements.

@Kevin Cunningham 39730 wrote:

Well put, I am amazed at how much of my communication with the steers is body position, and other non verbal cues. If you think about it all but the most vocal animals don’t make half as much sound as we do. Humans can really make a lot of noise in comparison. Maybe we would do better if we didn’t make so much noise all the time.

I agree with that 100%. And the more noise we make the less meaning it has for the animals. My guess is that while chatty teamsters believe they are communicating verbally, the animals actually filter the noise out and rely on visual cues almost exclusively. Animals have limited means to comprehend our intentions so the direction needs to be clear and consistent; otherwise it loses its meaning. I don’t talk much when I am working, mostly when we are on a load and I want them to stay focused. I am sure I talk more when I am driving from behind where it is difficult for them to see me. I also know that when I am silent I can turn or stop them with no more than a slight turn of my hand. They watch closely, and are more perceptive than we often give them credit for. But they are not particularly interested in trying to please you if they are not convinced of the leadership you provide.

These things you mention are why I really do not enjoy being in public with my animals. You really do not realize how focused on them you are until someone is distracting you with these kind of questions. The team can get use to it but they notice the inattentiveness and will take advantage of it if you are not careful.

I like to tell people they are in training.the minute you think your animals are completely broke is when you let your guard down and some goes wrong.

If it’s more than just an inopportune moment… if you need to be left alone while you work for an hour or two at a stretch, then maybe you need to take the person aside and explain about the amount of attention that you need to pay to your animals while you are working them. People who don’t do it, don’t understand it. They don’t understand how much active participation is required of the teamster to keep things running smoothly. How much of your focus is necessary to see the subtle shift of intent and head things off before they become a noticeable problem. How much of your attention is occupied just by being near the animals that are under your supervision.