Think
What are we doing?
Every task begins with a conversation: what is the task, who is involved, and do we have the right training for it?
Ranch safety · People • Animals • Land • Purpose
Safety starts
with TH!NK.
TH!NK before you work. A safe ranch keeps everyone in the saddle.
Safety is a top priority at Warrior Rizen Ranch — every task starts with a plan, and no one new to a task works alone.
Our commitment
Safety is a top priority.
Safety is a top priority at Warrior Rizen Ranch. Working cattle, running equipment and maintaining ranch facilities is real work, and we treat it that way: every task starts with a plan, hazards are named out loud before work begins, and no one new to a task works alone.
Every volunteer and visitor takes part in a ranch safety orientation before any ranch work begins. The orientation covers our top five ranch hazards — animals, tractors and mobile equipment, struck-by and fall hazards, machinery and PTO, and the ranch environment — along with the gear to wear, the rules to follow, and who to ask when something is not clear.
Before each task, the crew works through the WRF pre-task plan — think, check, do, review — and signs off together. If conditions change, work stops and we think again. At Warrior Rizen, we look out for one another, ask questions freely, and work safe so everyone goes home.
New to the task? Never alone.
That is the overarching rule of ranch safety at Warrior Rizen: no one new to a task works alone. New tasks are always learned under the guidance of an experienced hand.
How we work
The TH!NK framework.
Safety starts with TH!NK — the five-step habit behind every task on the ranch.
Hazards
What could hurt us?
We name the hazards out loud before work starts — animals, machinery, falls and terrain, the environment, and people in the work area.
Identify
How will we keep it safe?
We agree on the controls: the right equipment, the right protective gear, and the rules and special instructions that apply.
Now
Put the plan into action.
Everyone confirms they understand the plan. We make a final check of equipment, animals, the area — and each other.
Keep checking
Review.
We watch for new hazards as conditions change. Afterwards we review: what went well, and what can we improve next time?
Know before you go
The top five ranch hazards.
Our safety orientation covers these five areas before any ranch work begins. Each carries one simple rule.
Animals
Respect. Give space. Follow instructions.
- Cattle and horses can kick, bite, charge, pin or knock someone down — even calm-looking animals are never assumed safe.
- Livestock handling is assigned to people with adequate experience.
- New or less-experienced handlers always work alongside an experienced person, under controlled conditions.
Tractors & mobile equipment
Trained people only. Use the right equipment.
- Tractors, ATVs, UTVs, trailers, loaders and implements are operated only by trained, authorized people.
- Everyone else stays out of the operating zone — see and be seen.
- Seat belts, pre-operation checks, terrain awareness and no extra riders, and everyone is clear before equipment moves.
Struck-by, crushed & falls
Be aware. Stay out of the line of fire.
- Gates, trailers, hay bales, loader buckets, swinging equipment and hitching move fast.
- Uneven ground, ladders, falling objects and getting caught between equipment and fixed objects are serious hazards.
- Never put yourself where something moving, falling, rolling or shifting can trap you.
Machinery & PTO
Off means off.
- Guards stay in place; hands, clothing and hair stay clear of PTO shafts, belts, augers, balers and hydraulics.
- The PTO is disengaged, the engine shut off, and we wait for machinery to stop before approaching it.
- Never reach, climb, clear, adjust or repair while equipment is running.
The ranch environment
When the conditions change, TH!NK again.
- Heat, cold, sun, dust, mud and ice can turn a normal task into a dangerous one.
- Uneven terrain, electrical hazards, chemicals and fatigue are part of every ranch day.
- When conditions change, we stop, re-think the plan, and adjust before continuing.
Before every task
Every job starts with a plan.
Before work begins, the crew walks through the WRF pre-task plan together — think, check, do, review — and signs off as a team:
- Review the task and who is involved.
- Name the hazards for the task at hand.
- Agree on the controls, equipment and protective gear.
- Confirm everyone understands the plan — a final check of equipment, animals, area and people.
- Sign the plan together, and keep checking as conditions change.
If conditions change — weather, animals, equipment or people — work stops and we TH!NK again.
The Warrior Rizen way
We look out for each other.
- Wear the right gear
- Follow instructions
- Look out for others
- Ask questions
- Work safe so everyone goes home
Every volunteer and visitor takes part in a ranch safety orientation before any ranch work begins, covering livestock, equipment, machinery and the ranch environment — and works under experienced supervision.
Get involved
Work safe. Go home together.
Stay connected.
Safety program materials — the ranch safety poster, pre-task plan and safety orientation — are developed in-house by Warrior Rizen Ranch. Wording on this page is drawn from those materials and is pending final foundation review.