It has been said “The glory of man does not follow him to his grave.” Meaning, once you shed the surly bonds of earth, all of your worldly accomplishments and possessions are of no value to you.

I would take it a step further and say “The glory of man does not follow him to the corral.” The bucking horse, butting ram, biting dog, belligerent mule or baleful cow have no respect for your place among men.

For instance, after watching a student try and look at the teeth of an uncooperative mare, the imperious professor intervened, “It is obvious this student has no clue how to do a proper oral exam on an equine. Stand back, young lady, and maybe you will learn something.

“First approach the mare confidently, grasp the halter with your left hand, insert your right and...YEE-OW!”

“Here Professor, maybe you can staunch the bleeding with this dry straw. I’ll go catch the horse.”

But remember - with the animal, it is not a matter of comeuppance. The mare has no idea the professor is a condescending blowhard and deserves to be put in his place. She simply does not discriminate. She’s an equal opportunity humiliatior.

Affirmative action, special privileges, VIP treatment, wealth, disability, intelligence and good looks do not count for much in a human-animal relationship. Even on the best days, with animals who know you, catastrophe waits right around the corner. You tell your spouse, “I’m going out to feed.” How many times in your life have you spoken those words, never giving a thought to the possible complications that animals can add to the equation.

You’re dressed for work; boots shined, hat on straight, running late. Out to the corral you trot, stepping around the puddles. The horses nicker, the 4-H hogs are grunting. You throw hay to the horses, scoop up the porker chow, lean over the fence to dump it in the feeder.

Your pen falls out of your pocket. You grab it, an 80-pound shoat bites the sleeve of your new leather jacket, pulls you over the edge and you land head first in the large wet spot. Thank goodness you’ve got your hat on, so the rest of your life you will never be able to wear that hat indoors on a warm day.

So, human to human, I could tell you to be careful. But it wouldn’t help much ‘cause in the corral with your critters, your glory ain’t worth a drop of guppy scat in a whale’s bathtub.