halter breaking from the side

[knabe]

here's a few photos of beginning halter breaking.

release.  my hand just released from the rope from a turn of the head, notice slack. i was a little slow.

trying other eye.  here's the calf trying to get me on the other eye.  they can get so they don't like to look at things from the right eye.  it will always show up if you don't take care of it.

wrong way.  never do this, it's a waste of time.  all it does is make them sore with little understanding.  it's like trying to explain something to a kid when they are crying.

experiment.  here i and the calf are experimenting with tug, hold, calf putting slack in rope with me responding with more slack as soon as i get the slightest give.

dots on head is from horn paste.

by the way, the pictures demonstrate clearly why taking pictures of black things is difficult as the number of colors within black are limited compared to the rest of the palate especially the 3rd pic.  you can see blotchy patches.  i have pictures set on lowest possible res on my camera to save space.

 

[farmboy]

the only way to break calves.  <beer>

 

[cpubarn]

good pictures and learning ideas.

Have fun with your new toy!

 

[thebulllady]

You've got it made... good technique, and you're starting at the right age!

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

Wow Knabe! I thought you would be much older than you look in the picture! ;D <beer> RW

 

[knabe]

one thing i might ad is that the two pictures showing resistance, their tail is switching.  the other two, they are relaxed.  

i think it's almost training that teaches them to switch their tail as they never seem to meet understanding with human and have learned to respond to doubt with mistrust and resistance.

i personally wish more showmanship would emphasize how cattle get started which seems to be forgotten when compared to stopping and setting up.  i realize it's usually first in one's mind, and therefore fading.

i might also add, that at this point i am picking up all four feet (one at a time) and rubbing my hands all over their feet and bending them and looking underneath, just like a horse.  it really is easy after that to clean up their feet and take out the growth lines and round off the points, splay the toes a little for that fake big foot look, no trimming table required.

 

[knabe]

Wow Knabe! I thought you would be much older than you look in the picture! ;D <beer> RW

50 ain't old enough?

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

Wow Knabe! I thought you would be much older than you look in the picture! ;D <beer> RW

50 ain't old enough?

You carry it well my friend. I'm pushing around there myself. But 50 isn't as old as it used to be! RW

 

[Nasc]

thanks for posting this

 

[knabe]

here's another pic just after the calf was trying to switch to the left eye.  she stopped pulling, so i released the pressure on the lead rope and walked down her right side and scratched on her.

this pic is about as FAST as you can release after they are pulling and shows how much slack you need to put in the lead. about a second later, she looked relaxed with her tail down.  sorry i don't have a pic of that.  i usually go less around the side in the beginning, switching between eyes so their head does the switching (their eyes).  sometimes, you just have to get over their and have them go through it.

you can see how desperately she wants to use the other eye.  believe me, this is exactly what shows up in the show ring when their hind ends start drifting but just to a level most don't understand because we hide it.  what the calf's do in the ring is they want to look at something they haven't seen before or are uncomfortable with and want to look at it with their stronger eye and assess the situation.  they usually don't calm down and stop switching their tail till they are satisfied, and.... poof, it creates a bad picture, especially if you are right in the middle of being paired up by the judge.

next pic is plop.  if they plop, don't fight them, just pet and scratch them or leave them alone.  nothing like kicking a baby when it's down.

next two are hold, then THEY find the release. notice even in hold, i'm not PULLING.

last pic is for telos.  she's the wild turkey heifer out of the legacy plus backdraft cow.  needs to be more "freaky fronted" through her throat latch among other things.  still she's as deep as the pendleton calf.  skeletal wise, she's probably a little thicker than the pendleton, but the pendleton has more muscle, at least at this point.  this pic, she's still not filled out yet.  maybe she gets dr. who for her second calf.  never been a fan of just punting and saying dr. who, but in this case maybe.

 

[Nasc]

bump for breaking season

 

[Silver]

looks a lot easier to do it now, rather than when they're 700 lbs.

 

[kobo_ranch]

looks a lot easier to do it now, rather than when they're 700 lbs.

You got that right!  <beer>

 

[knabe]

looks a lot easier to do it now, rather than when they're 700 lbs.

in some ways, it's easier to do something 700 lbs as YOU have to do a better job and can't simply overpower them.

YOU will learn much faster with a larger animal.

 

[DRB]

looks a lot easier to do it now, rather than when they're 700 lbs.

in some ways, it's easier to do something 700 lbs as YOU have to do a better job and can't simply overpower them.

YOU will learn much faster with a larger animal.

Knabe, wanted to let you know that your pics and approach were extremely helpful - it's working like a charm    I was going to give up on this particular heifer, my standard approach wasn't working but she is really responding to your's.  I think it's the only way to go from now on.

I take it you work with one animal at a time?  My usual approach is to catch the ones I'm working with (from pasture), tie them to a post (with various levels of protestation) and then work with each individually, brush/walk etc.  Tying them to a post could work after they've been broke using your system, but to start with I assume I'd have to catch each one individually and work with them by themselves until they are broke.

Thanks again!