How to correct a steer that charges

[SlickTxMaine]

My son's steer is 1325 pounds and 2 wks. from the show.  He has recently started charging us when we are in the pen.  Usually when we go in and reach for his halter, he will jerk his head away and then comes towards us with his head down.... not full speed, but we move out of his way!!  He has made contact several times, sat me  back in the water trough once and has pushed my son around.  Is there anything we can do to correct this?  He will be shown and sold in two weeks, but I don't want anyone hurt. 

 

[red]

please be careful. No project is worth you or your child hurt.

Red

 

[common sense]

Well, that is a bad problem.  It has a lot to do with dominance and fear/defense.  You have to get control of the situation immediately or this will only become worse.  I would recommend getting a halter on him in a small pen.  Then try to make him do it again when you are trying to take ahold of the halter.  The minute he makes a lunge for you gently but with purpose slap him across the end of his nose. His immediate response will be to stop or back off.  Let him back off to the end of the rope but don't let him out of your control.  If he steps up and tries it again face him head on and step towards him and smack him again. Use body language and make him know that YOU are dominant.  The minute he shows good behavior, reward him with positive response.  Scratch him, loosen up on the rope.  Don't get so aggressive with him that he feels the need to become more defensive.  When you think you have gained some headway have another adult try the same thing...on another day.  That way he will know that he is never dominant over people.  This is a terrible habit and if you don't break them of it you will most likely end up having somebody get hurt.  Just keep in mind that the reason they do this is in response to fear.  There is something about what you are doing when you catch him that makes him scared and subsequently defensive.  Try to figure out what that is.  Then try a new approach that he is comfortable with.  I would guess that he just doesn't like being "cornered".  Try to teach him in a small pen to let you catch him without cornering him.  Good luck...and be careful!  I hope this helps.

 

[knabe]

you could get one of those non-electric cow chargers that are essentially a plastic board, similar in technique to how people move pigs around.  sometimes, if you hit them too hard in the snout, which no one is advocating, it can do some damage.  i just put these things in their field of vision, and use my hands for the same thing to stop this.

 

[SlickTxMaine]

He wears a halter all the time, and will let us walk right up to him.  You can pet him, but when you try to reach for the halter,that's when he tries to get you.  Also when you turn and walk away from you, he will come up behind you.  My son says he's playing, but at over 1300 lbs, I don't want to play!!

 

[box6rranch]

Having a halter on him all of the time could be part of the problem. Also if the only time you approach him is to catch him he knows and will react.
We touch and talk to our cows a minimum of twice daily without haltering them so they know that everytime you touch or go near them you're not trying to catch them. We halter to tie up wash, comb etc only when we are doing whatever we need to do. They can be boogers about it but it you persevere they eventually wear down and let you halter them. We make sure that they get touched, scratched etc on their head and neck so they don't put their heads down everytime you try to go near them.
We have had a couple of calves that playfully charge at us too. We pop them on the snout and tell them to back up. Also if you anticipate it and tell them in a stearn voice to stay back they are pretty smart.
I don't know if it's too late with this guy now or not but the advice you got from Juli is good advice.

 

[farmboy]

i'll get bashed for saying this but i would hit him as hard as i can with a stick or something.

 

[chambero]

Do not ever leave a halter on a calf all the time.  Do people leave horses saddled and bridled?  The calf has to know that when the halter is on its time to go to work.  When its off, he's "off-duty".

You are so late in the game on this one you aren't going to correct much.  When you get a hold of him, does he still try it?  If not, your probably ok to get him to the finish line in a couple of weeks.  Otherwise, don't get your kid hurt and haul him to the sale barn.

One of our bulls is getting voted off the island this weekend because he decided to tree me last weekend when I went in the lot.  He's been a little high headed before and I knew to watch him, but he crossed a line.  Once a big animal does that, its time to go.

 

[chambero]

i'll get bashed for saying this but i would hit him as hard as i can with a stick or something.

I've used a 2x4 on one more than a few times, but this is a finished calf two weeks from the show.  It's a little late to get your bluff in on one I think.

 

[SlickTxMaine]

I don't see anything wrong with leaving a halter on all the time....people leave halters on horses all the time.  I don't on my horses, for safety reasons, as they are out on 86 acres.  The steer is in a confined area, with nothing to get hung up on.  As soon as you get your hand on the halter, he stops.  He leads fine, and my son placed 3rd in Showmanship at a practice show last month.  I have firmly told him "NO" in the past, and sometimes it works, and sometimes not.  I have also smacked him.  I will do so consistently....I really just think he may need a reminder of who is in charge!  Thanks for all of the replies!

 

[dori36]

I don't see anything wrong with leaving a halter on all the time....people leave halters on horses all the time.   I don't on my horses, for safety reasons, as they are out on 86 acres.  The steer is in a confined area, with nothing to get hung up on.  As soon as you get your hand on the halter, he stops.  He leads fine, and my son placed 3rd in Showmanship at a practice show last month.  I have firmly told him "NO" in the past, and sometimes it works, and sometimes not.  I have also smacked him.  I will do so consistently....I really just think he may need a reminder of who is in charge!  Thanks for all of the replies!

To each his/her own regarding the halter. But, if it is the typical rope/slip knot type, he could be tightening it every time he steps on it (and even though he's been wearing it for a long time, he probably still steps on it at times).  Throughout an extended period time,he could be tender at the pressure points of the halter - behind the ears and over the nose.  That's why I don't like to leave 'em on 24/7.  Those areas of the head need a "break" from the pressure of the halter on a regular basis.  If I can't easily get them haltered, I either stick them in the squeeze chute or behind a panel gate to get them haltered.  He's a pretty big boy now but I'd find a way to check underneath the halter to be sure it hasn't made pressure sores.  Another little glitch I and my fitter have seen is that for some show cattle, too much formal work can make them crabby.  With all the taming and all the petting/loving on, they are still cattle and at times just like to be left alone.  If you had more time, I'd suggest you put him up, halter off, and let him be a 'steer' for about a week.  You probable don't have time to do this now.  Have you considered adding a ciip-in nose ring/lead?  Don't leave it in all the time, but do put it in when you work him and use it carefully if he shows the aggression again.

 

[CM Cattle]

i'll get bashed for saying this but i would hit him as hard as i can with a stick or something.

I thought the same thing, Not man enough to say it though.

 

[thats funny]

im gonna have to agree with zach...he needs to learn whos boss, and having the halter on him all the time is a big problem.  Its just like wen a calf tries to run away with you wen they are big, hit them, teach them whos boss, thats what we do anyways...and i dont think it is animal abuse.

 

[farmboy]

or you could get one of those purse tazers. i wonder how that would work  (lol)

 

[Bawndoh]

Yes, get a good, solid, short stick of some kind and wrap him one on the end of his nose (snout) when he startes scheming.  And.....like the others said, get that darn halter off and let him be a steer. 
I know people leave their halters on their horses....but imagine how crabby a horse would get with a bit in its mouth 24/7?? 

 

[doubled]

I totally agree with everyone its gotta stop ASAP- bash the HE_____  out of his nose with a stick or something that will hurt- see Im not a man but Id sure as heck
do it- and hard- I even broke a finger once smacking a steer on the nose- you could also put a bull ring in his nose and grab it when he charges, that may
help- bad bad problem for a show steer especially for a kid- if hes not the best one in the lot or the only one you have to show unfortunatially if he were ours
hed be on a truck headed for the dog food factory, or my deep freeze for sure.  Its weird how some calves do that- one thing when my kids were showing and we
bought or even raised calves I always told them NEVER play or pat them on the head, instinct in them causes them to butt at whatever is there- always pat them
on the neck, never on the head.  Good Luck

 

[kanshow]

I agree with justamom, put a plug in or ring him. That will get his attention...    I'd probably be pretty liberal with a good hard whack on the nose too.    And get the halter off & let him be.      bad problem..hope you get it stopped.

 

[knabe]

another thing i've done is move at them directly at their eye so they have to move away from you with the flat of my hand.  as soon and i mean as soon as the relax, release the pressure.  by now, you should know the EARLY signs of him pushing into your space so move him away when he's even thinking about it, and release.  a kid won't be able to do this unless they have a lot of power, and i don't recommend it.

as far as hitting, i only saw one steer out of about 7-800 that didn't respond to getting whacked.  yes he was a curly haired ildeno.

 

[box6rranch]

I don't really see how putting a ring in his nose is going to help at this point and time. If he's putting his head down to charge you're not going to be able to grab him by the nose ring. It's fine to put a strap on once you've caught him but won't alleviate him charging at you.
I'd be careful how hard you hit him also. If you make him fearful everytime you bring a hand up to him he'll end up being impossible to show.
A good sound pop to the snout and a stearn word accomplishes a better reaction. Make sure to praise for good behavior and show him who's the boss.

 

[kanshow]

The idea behind plugging is that you would get ahold of him BEFORE he lowers his head to charge.  I don't think that putting a ring in 2 weeks before show time will do a thing except make him sore and crabbier.