training show calf to lead

[Brute 23]

Not to start a fuss or anything up here but just a quick question. Tieing the steer to a fence all day then draging it to water would be a postitive reaction to being lead. But sometimes once a steer already knows a routine they become pushy and eager to make their own head way. How do you prevent them from running you over?

Its not meant to be a lure that you have to use every time. It is just to "break them"; get them to trust you; get use to being led.

ITs just like leading any animal... dog, horse, steer. SHow your dominance and take control.

If my dog wants to stop and I want to walk I drag his ars and pop the lead a little.

Same with a horse... something bigger that I cant out muscle. If I want to walk it some where and it wants to stop and eat grass I pop the lead and pull. IF it still fights I pull foward on the lead and slap it on the rear with a stick or something and make it do circles around me until it understands its reason for being alive.

Same thing with cattle... develope the relationship EARLY ON. Get trust and show dominance at the same time.

There is a man here who rides his long horns around. He can do anything with that long horn you can do with a horse or dog. Its all the same theory.

 

[cowgirl Ibara]

Ok i see its pacients. The steer or horse doesnt want to liston you make them wait. So its like they walk with you or not at all but you do this all the while when your making friends with them. ^_^ Much clearer.

 

[Susie David]

I'm wondering why y'all waited until the calf is 800# before teaching him to lead.
Really something that I don't concern myself with as we won't be showing again for a few years....the mothers of the grandkids 4-H projects were born this spring.

Do a search of past posts and be amazed at all the successful techniques that have been posted.

just my two bits worth...asked for or not....Dmc

 

[choward]

I have been breaking claves for almost 20 years and my best advice is to order a video that was shown on the Cattle Show on Hlater Breaking cattle. I have used this method and I can have a calf to lead in 1 day or less. Not the best lead but it will not fight the halter

 

[msscamp]

msscamp... you are like a politician. You point out what every one else is doing wrong but don't have a better way to do it yourself. :lol:

Bite me! I don't see you offering any usable suggestions. What am I supposed to suggest when the calves weigh 800 and 1200 lbs? Either weight is big enough to cause some serious physical harm to the handler, both are far beyond the usual halter breaking methods, and I'll be damned if I'm going to go along with or suggest something that can get the calf or handler hurt. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is and give them the do all/be all solution to their problem?

:lol: I have already offered my method. The water thing is well used around here.

I've got a newsflash for you - unless one is superman/woman, one doesn't doesn't DRAG an 800-1200 lb calf anywhere. In fact, the reverse is generally true - especially when the steer in question has been held away from water all day/for a significant portion of the day - so that pretty much renders your suggestion useless for a 10 year old kid, now doesn't it?

 

[msscamp]

msscamp... you are like a politician. You point out what every one else is doing wrong but don't have a better way to do it yourself. :lol:

Bite me! I don't see you offering any usable suggestions. What am I supposed to suggest when the calves weigh 800 and 1200 lbs? Either weight is big enough to cause some serious physical harm to the handler, both are far beyond the usual halter breaking methods, and I'll be damned if I'm going to go along with or suggest something that can get the calf or handler hurt. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is and give them the do all/be all solution to their problem?

Well what are show kids who show 1200 lbs steer supposed to do when we buy the calves at a weight and they dont want to walk? Yes methods are risking,by walking a steer behnd a truck, but a steer is risky to begin with. Just like bull riders, they chose their profession because thats what they want to do.

If possible, raise your own so you can be working them from day one. Do some research/ask questions, find a seller in close enough proximity that you can work with the calf prior to weaning, then write up a contract for future sale. Put forth the effort to find out how to properly halter-break an older/heavier calf. Talk to show people in your area who do it right and have a good reputation. I'm sure I'm missing a few options, too. As far as I'm concerned, there is no excuse for dragging a steer behind a tractor/truck - it is a quick fix because the owner failed to do his/her homework about how to halter-break an animal of this size/weight or simply doesn't want to spend the necessary time to properly halter-break. Have you attempted to halter-break him as you would a colt - first earning trust, then spending the time to gentle him down, next putting the halter on and letting him drag the lead rope around (that step alone will go a long ways towards training), finally working with him on leading and when he balks changing direction and trying again? Yes, it takes time and it's work but - 8 times out of 10 - you end up with an uninjured/unharmed calf who not only leads, but who also trusts you.

 

[novatech]

My son has a show calf that does not want to walk. He is very gentle but very stubborn. We have to carry a bucket of feed with us when we try to walk him. He walks in hopes of eating the feed but not because my son wants him to. Will he ever walk with out the feed?

In my openion you have already started. Since he will follow the bucket, try puting the bucked down about 10 feet away, were he can see it, lead him to it. Keep his head up until you get to the bucket. Let him get only one bite at a time each time you move the bucket. Next move the buck further away and lead him to it again. Do this over and over day after day until he can no longer see the bucket. Increase the distance untill he is leading properly. Feed at the end of every exercise. Do not pull continuosly on the lead. Pull only when he stops, pull and release, pull and release, do not jerk the lead. When you lead have your back to the animal not faceing the calf. If the calf balks try to turn him in a circle. they usuall offer less resistance. Leave the calf tied to a secure safe place for 20 minutes at first and increase the time daily, After you release let him drag the rope, this will get his nose sore and teach the calf a lot about fighting the lead.
If you resort to dragging the calf with something you should have another animal along side, one that leads well. Tie the lead high when pulling. Remember there is a risk of injury when useing this method.
Look at this calf as if it were a teenager. If you want money to go out tonight you had better do your chores first. ;-)

 

[mskaren]

The steer is walking now with no problems and he is not being pulled by anyone or anything and no food or water is deprived. I thank you all for your suggestions. We had researched it and tried many methods and had been working on the problem for a while. I wanted to get some suggestions from people when we had exhausted all methods. You can learn more from people sometimes than you can from a book as not all wise people write a books. Thank you all. Karen :heart:

 

[Susie David]

Hey MsScamp....how much do you charge for the...Singing Swine Lessons...?

Sounds like you are whipping the dead horse...you are too cool a gal to be getting into whizzing contests with kids.

Just my two bits worth...asked for or not....DMc

 

[msscamp]

Hey MsScamp....how much do you charge for the...Singing Swine Lessons...?

Sounds like you are whipping the dead horse...you are too cool a gal to be getting into whizzing contests with kids.

Just my two bits worth...asked for or not....DMc

Thanks Dave.