NEED some advice for daughters show heifer.

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timefactor

Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2015
Messages
10
My daughter's 7 month old show heifer has learned a bad trick!. She yanks the rope from my daughter's  hand!!!. She was born on our place, handled since birth, and has been halter trained for several months, even shown in early October and behaved well. My daughter really hasn't been able to do a lot with her besides of course feeding her daily...and working with her on a tiny bit of leading ,setting up in the barn as weather has been horrible. ..raining most weekends and of course it's dark extremely early now. She does tie her as well.
My daughter is all of 100# 17 year old and not very experienced at showing cattle. ...but has handled cattle at our home for years.
I'm not sure what to do.  I was considering separating her from the other show heifer thinking that might help. She just started this several weeks back after they were put together. We just started tying her with one of the cruise control cable halters yesterday with her head high and just this evening I thought I'd see if there was any change, my daughter tried to lead her with it on and after about 2 seconds she took off. Not sure if it will make a difference to tie her longer.
 

RyanChandler

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Joined
Jul 6, 2011
Messages
3,457
Location
Pottsboro, TX
When she takes off, don't let go.  If your daughters not stout/brave enough to hold on and halter break her, then you're gonna have to get someone who is to help.
 

CAB

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Mar 5, 2007
Messages
5,607
Location
Corning,Iowa
  I'm not trying to get anyone excited, but I personally don't like the advice to "not let go", That is a very good way to get a person hurt and it could be serious. If you have one that learned to pull down and away quickly it is almost impossible for a young person, as far as that goes any person to out muscle a calf. I think what I would try is to is to try leading the calf in a small pen, say 20ft. by 20 ft. Lead the calf counter clockwise around the pen keeping the calf on a short lead and when she feels the calf making a move or feels that she is ready to make a move step to her right in order to have the fence be the thing that she'll have to run into. You may have to do it the first while to try to break the bad habit. My guess is that if she was broke pretty well earlier that you can break the habit somewhat quickly. I always start breaking calves this way using the fence to help me slow them down if needed. Does the halter that you use have a "ring" in it for the lead rope to go through? I find that having that ring there helps the calf learn so much quicker and causes them less fear or pain.
 

cowman 52

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Jan 16, 2009
Messages
719
Location
San Angelo Texas
Try a Kant slip nose lead,  heifer going to be a little awe struck at first,  but it may keep her from trying to run off.  Keep the nose lead a little more taunt than the halter. 

Second choice,  tie the heifer halter to the biggest, tamest, old show heifer you have, tie the halters together, stay where you can't get tangled, and dare her to run off.  When the fun of bolting can't be attained, she will give it up.
 

Tallcool1

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Jun 21, 2012
Messages
969
One day on a donkey, and she will forget she ever figured out how to get away.
 

Bradenh

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Jan 10, 2010
Messages
2,646
Location
Central Texas
I agree with x bar don't let her make a habit of getting away and there wontbe a habit

Most of our Cattle here won't run because they don't know tts possible to get away and eventually they forget the idea

If the habit is made and she breaks and runs tie her off to a telephone pole and lead her and when she breaks to run make sure she's got a good full charge head of steam built up by the time she hits the end of the rope. And eventually she will learn it's not worth it
 

erbarrett12

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Joined
Dec 13, 2015
Messages
47
I know that some people don't like this method, but it works for me. I use it when I can't break a calf through tieing. Tie them to a tractor, and drive slowly. It gets them out of the habit of breaking away. Or, get a person who is very strong and capable of handling a calf, and let him/her lead your heifer.
 
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