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<blockquote data-quote="simme" data-source="post: 1671610" data-attributes="member: 40418"><p>Lots of human contact, gradually increasing. Start at a young age, a few months old. If you are able to pen them separately and feed a little every day in a small area, put the feed out and stay in the pen with them. Over time (days/weeks), move closer to them as they eat. If they are not comfortable, back away until they are. Over time, they will be comfortable with you very close. Reach out and touch them briefly. Best if they come to you and you reach out with your hand and let them sniff and touch your hand. Go slow and you will be able to rub them as they eat. When they are very comfortable with being touched, put a rope halter with a somewhat short lead on them when you are feeding and let them eat and drag the lead in the pen after they finish eating. Remove the halter when you turn them out. Eventually the halter will be part of the feed experience. Then move the calf with the halter to a small space and just hold the halter lead. Put a little pressure on the lead to turn the head. Over time, start leading the calf. Soon the calf will be broken to lead. Try to avoid the rodeo situation where the calf is not comfortable and tries to run away and pulls the rope from your hand. More difficult to make progress after that. That is a reason to stay in a small space at first where there is not enough room to run. Halter breaking is a learned experience - for the calf and the person. Not learned in a week. Disposition is somewhat inherent. Some calves are just not a good fit. But most can be broken to a halter over time. After they are comfortable with moving in response to the halter lead, work on starting and stopping. At a show, they need to move when the person does and stop when the person does. Sometimes this is an issue. Then need to learn to set the animal up - stopping with most feet in the correct position and using a show stick to place the other feet. It is a lot of work, but will teach a lot of discipline and patience to your kids and family and make some good family memories.</p><p>After the basic halter breaking, the most important thing is for the parents to master when to intervene and when to not. Parents need training too.</p><p>With zero showing experience, you need to find a local mentor that can help and offer advice. There is a lot to learn about feeding, clipping, grooming and presentation.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="simme, post: 1671610, member: 40418"] Lots of human contact, gradually increasing. Start at a young age, a few months old. If you are able to pen them separately and feed a little every day in a small area, put the feed out and stay in the pen with them. Over time (days/weeks), move closer to them as they eat. If they are not comfortable, back away until they are. Over time, they will be comfortable with you very close. Reach out and touch them briefly. Best if they come to you and you reach out with your hand and let them sniff and touch your hand. Go slow and you will be able to rub them as they eat. When they are very comfortable with being touched, put a rope halter with a somewhat short lead on them when you are feeding and let them eat and drag the lead in the pen after they finish eating. Remove the halter when you turn them out. Eventually the halter will be part of the feed experience. Then move the calf with the halter to a small space and just hold the halter lead. Put a little pressure on the lead to turn the head. Over time, start leading the calf. Soon the calf will be broken to lead. Try to avoid the rodeo situation where the calf is not comfortable and tries to run away and pulls the rope from your hand. More difficult to make progress after that. That is a reason to stay in a small space at first where there is not enough room to run. Halter breaking is a learned experience - for the calf and the person. Not learned in a week. Disposition is somewhat inherent. Some calves are just not a good fit. But most can be broken to a halter over time. After they are comfortable with moving in response to the halter lead, work on starting and stopping. At a show, they need to move when the person does and stop when the person does. Sometimes this is an issue. Then need to learn to set the animal up - stopping with most feet in the correct position and using a show stick to place the other feet. It is a lot of work, but will teach a lot of discipline and patience to your kids and family and make some good family memories. After the basic halter breaking, the most important thing is for the parents to master when to intervene and when to not. Parents need training too. With zero showing experience, you need to find a local mentor that can help and offer advice. There is a lot to learn about feeding, clipping, grooming and presentation. [/QUOTE]
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