Tips for wild show calf

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Badbarr34

Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Messages
8
We bought a calf that was completely broke. The seller haltered him walked him on his trailer and went down the road with him to meet us. When we met to get him on our trailer he went nuts. Had to back the trailers to each other and run him on. If he would see us he would start running himself into the trailer once he was loaded on ours. I mean he was wild. We drove him 16 hours home. We got him home and in his pen and he still went nuts. We thought for sure he wasnt even broke. He was ready to KILL. Threw another calf in with him and in a couple of days we were able to halter him and walk him around and acts like he is show broke. Big teddy bear. It's been a couple weeks now and now when I walk into the pen he acts like he is going to charge after me. Everytime we halter him I have to get a rope around his neck to hold him still to get the halter on him but once he is haltered he is fine. Will let you pet him when tied up and will lead like a perfect show calf but when the halter is off and I am in his pen he keeps acting like he is going to kill me and charge after me but once he is haltered he is fine. Does anyone have any tips to help him get calmed down. Like I said once the halter is on he is a baby but if hes not he is like a wild bull. Any help or tips would be appreciated. Thanks.
 

knabe

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
13,639
Location
Hollister, CA
Put him in a pen. Get a friend or two, and just stand next to the pen. Start talking but do noting to steer..  if he pays attention to you in a positive way, scratch him with show stick. When he leaves, just ignore him. Repeat.  Get him so he’s curious about being with you. Have no intention of even haltering him. Progress to getting in the pen, but still ignoring  keep him away from you if he’s not giving you good feedback.


Not having a halter on their head more quickly reveals behaviors to humans that cattle are having and gets humans to see things earlier.
 

Badbarr34

Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Messages
8
Yes. He is doing great now. Has stopped his aggressiveness. I'd say he is just a little more nervous natured than most but he is doing good. I have been getting him out and walking him and working with him and he does great with me. Walks fine. The girl that is showing him is having some issues now. When she walks him he has gotten away from her several times and now when she gets him out and begins to walk him first thing he does is lower his head and and gets away from her. He doesnt do that with me because he knows he cant get away.  He walks perfect for me but as soon as she gets him he gets away from her. Any suggestions on fixing that issue? I was thinking about getting one of the clip in nose rings for her to have to pull on when he tries to get away. Do you think that would help.
 

knabe

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Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
13,639
Location
Hollister, CA
For now, have your daughter not worry about holding his head up for posing or anything else other than thinking ahead before steer puts his head down and lead him off, pull him to the side, steer will prob shake his head or some other thing until he figures out your daughter has outsmarted him

She needs to think ahead, simply say up, or side to keep the steer from bracing and sticking his head down. Scratch hi when his head is up. The faster she thinks ahead of him just about to do something, the better.  It into a game of cards where you have to anticipate what your opponent is going to lay down and react.

Get to the point of thinking of doing things ahead of time.

Loosen the lead, get a longer lead so he can’t get away. use the long lead to remind him he's still on the lead (along with a smaller pen so that the lead is the diameter of the pen). make sure not to roll up the lead so your daughter doesn't get her hand caught in the coils if he gets away.

Simply outsmart him.
 

CAB

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 5, 2007
Messages
5,607
Location
Corning,Iowa
Like Knabe said outsmart him. Small pen, lead him counter clockwise around the pen so he's on the fence. when she anticipates that he's going to try to take off actually take her body towards the fence so he has nowhere to go but into the fence.
 
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