Harris County Fair

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TxCoUnTrYbOy

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College Station, Texas
Showed my heifer today at the Harris County Fair. Well, didnt quite make it to the show ring. It was a big disappointment for me, but I know it wasnt my fault or from lack of working with her. She started out being really good, she was great when I took her to wash, cleaning her up, but that changed later on a couple hours before show.

Some of you might remember my last show at Washington County, where the photographer shook a pompom in her face and she freaked out, I got hurt and she got hurt. Obviously she still remembers that all too well. As soon as I got my show shirt is when it started. It was in that plastic bag from the dry cleaners. I hung it up and that bag started blowing around and that is when the trouble started. She flipped out dragging the entire row of stalls a few feet. I moved the shirt and she calmed down. Or so I thought. I got ready and went to the holding area. Someone walked by with one of those shirts in the bag, and the heifer flipped again. She threw me on the ground (of course, they wet down all the dirt to keep dust down, was almost muddy). I landed on my side, broke another number clip (broke one last show with the heifer), hit my shoulder and then my head hit the ground. The next time some girl walked by with some sparkly purse and it scared her. Leg twisted and I landed on my other side in a nice mud puddle (I think it was a mud puddle).

Anyways, after that I decided that for my safety and everyone elses safety it would be best to not try to show her.

The other 2 heifers from my chapter did very well. The Red Brangus got 1st in class, and the other Red Brahman got Reserve Champion American Breed. What really turned a bad day for me around was when the girl that won Reserve tried to give me the buckle she won and said that I taught her everything she knows about cattle and wouldnt have a clue without me. Of course, I refused, but it made me feel really good, especially after such a bad day.

And now for the advice. What can I do to get my heifer not scared of all of these movements when I am at shows? One guy suggested that I hang garbage bags in her pen. She will be scared for a while but realize they wont hurt her. Looking for any advice I can get, I want to keep showing her but be safe doing it.
 
she definitely needs desensitizing.
plastic grocery bags and aluminum foil would be where i'd start. (just make sure she cant eat it)
 
I don't want to be a spoiler - but de-sensitizing at home doesn't always help when they are out in strange areas.
I would def start with plastic bags, ballons, foil, tin cans, etc. Than, load her up & go to a friends place & put her thru the different "scary" things.
Cattle will adjust to things at home that are unacceptable elsewhere and vice-versa. I have a heifer that totally freaked out everytime someone walked into our barn at home, but is absolutely no problem on the road - go figure!!!
 
I have this same problem before. I have taken a long pole (showstick, sorting stick, etc.) and tied a towl or rag on the one end and rubbed it around her until she relized it
didn't hurt. If it is only one or two things that make her go off then she needs to be surrounded by those things until it stops or she goes to pasture. E-mail me back if you need any help. You and I are only about 30 min. away. I also halter break heifers and steers for my side job. Been doing it by hand since 1990, but just recently bought a donkey and that has saved me about half the time it usually takes.

Matt
 
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TCB, I guess I missed your post about the first show with your heifer! I'm so sorry to hear she's been such a struggle for you. Unfortunately, Brahman cattle tend to be that way. It seems they are either extremely quiet, or get spooked very easily. But you were right in not presenting her in the ring.. I commend you for that! I've seen many over the years that should have done the same thing. It's hardly fair to the others in the ring to put up with a wild and uncontrollable animal.

Definately PM Matt Sheil.. I know him well, and I'm sure he'd be glad to help you. Sometimes it's hard doing this stuff on your own.

You can put all the things she's scared of in the barn with her, or in the pen, or near her feed trough, but some cattle will just find another excuse to act up. I hope you can get her settled down. Good luck!
 
Its not that she acts up, she gets spooked by certain movements. She normally acts almost perfect. She saw the plastic bag on the clothes and tried to take off but was tied up. She drug the entire stall a little. She just seemed really nervous the rest of the day. The only other time she has done that was her first show when the guy shook pompoms in her face, so now any movements that resemble that will scare her. As soon as I get back from National FFA Convention this week I will put everything I can think of in her pen with her and tie her up and just rub some of those things on her.
 
We had this same problem with a heifer a few years back. We tried all the suggestions except the Meltonin, but we did use some other human drugs such as muscle relaxers. The heifer would be fine 90% of the time, but always, certain sounds and/or movements would set her off like a bolt of lightening. My daughter was a very experienced showman, but could not control her when she flipped. Lucky for us, this heifer had done extremely well the times my daughter had shown her, and we had people offering to buy her at every show. We sold her to a family with a big, hefty son who had a firm grip. They never had a problem, and won many shows with her. Same song, second verse; those terribly dumb animals never forget who can and who can't control them. My advice is to sell her to someone willing to take a chance with her.
 

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