Yes, at a 4H sanctioned show a steer would most likely have to be polled or dehorned. At least, in our state he would have to be.
A comment on horns. Horns are a danger. Period. No one can dispute that.
We raise polled Murray Grey cattle. Many years ago, my husband was leading our most gentle, halter broke cow from the stock trailer to the back corral after a long ride home from Idaho. As he was leading the cow, one of our horses walked up and gently nipped the cow on the rump. That cow suddenly swung her head around with such force that my husband's abdomen was black and blue for weeks. She was merely startled and was trying to see what was nipping her butt. Had she been a horned animal, we would have been making an emergency trip to the ER. I'm a nurse, and had a horn hit where the worst of the bruising showed up, my husband would have had a punctured liver, which would very likely have been a lethal wound.
Horned animals are fine for those adults who are used to handling cattle and who understand the risk. They should not be around children, no matter how gentle the animal. There are enough dangers with livestock and children, without compounding the risk.
> And I'm not trying to be mean.
> There are probably numerous
> Longhorn shows around the country
> and if you show at a breed
> sponsored show, horns are
> acceptable. But this poster
> indicated he was interested in a
> 4H project for the kids, maybe.
> I'll bet his 4H show will require
> the animal be dehorned. Horns are
> dangerous, even on gentle animals.
> And with all those kids running
> around, safety is very important.
> It's funny, though, we are
> currently using our second
> Longhorn bull as a gomer bull. We
> got him as a 4-month old calf
> about three years ago. We had the
> first LH about six years. Neither
> one of them has been as gentle as
> our Angus bulls and we don't try
> to make pets of our cattle.
) ok? A longhorn halter trained and comfortable with people is a very docile animal in the show ring.
