SaddlebredAlly
New member
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2016
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Hey, there!
I'm looking into purchasing a calf soley to have as a pet and possibly break. I do own one horse that I'll be moving from a boarding barn and onto my property so the cow/steer would be in the same field as the horse. My questions are: Can a cow be broken to ride in the same manner as a horse (lunging, desensitizing, flexing, etc...) or would it take a more individualized approach? Do cows think/react relatively similar to horses? Do they catch on fairly quickly to training/aids/voice commands or do they require a bit more time and patience? Is there anything else I should know regarding training or even cow ownership?
I've done tons of research but nothing quite specific enough to answer the above questions. I know it can be done but, so far, it seems that the ones that have broken cows just threw a saddle on or hopped on bareback until the animal got used to it. I would like to have quite a bit more ground work done before hopping on. If possible, my ideal cow mount would behave similarly to a well trained horse (respond to leg cues, body language, subtle rein ques, voice commands). Thanks in advance for any advice/answers you can provide!
ETA: My horse has some arthritis which has cut my riding time in half. I'm looking for a project to occupy time without the expense of buying a foal/horse.
I'm looking into purchasing a calf soley to have as a pet and possibly break. I do own one horse that I'll be moving from a boarding barn and onto my property so the cow/steer would be in the same field as the horse. My questions are: Can a cow be broken to ride in the same manner as a horse (lunging, desensitizing, flexing, etc...) or would it take a more individualized approach? Do cows think/react relatively similar to horses? Do they catch on fairly quickly to training/aids/voice commands or do they require a bit more time and patience? Is there anything else I should know regarding training or even cow ownership?
I've done tons of research but nothing quite specific enough to answer the above questions. I know it can be done but, so far, it seems that the ones that have broken cows just threw a saddle on or hopped on bareback until the animal got used to it. I would like to have quite a bit more ground work done before hopping on. If possible, my ideal cow mount would behave similarly to a well trained horse (respond to leg cues, body language, subtle rein ques, voice commands). Thanks in advance for any advice/answers you can provide!
ETA: My horse has some arthritis which has cut my riding time in half. I'm looking for a project to occupy time without the expense of buying a foal/horse.
