show steer will not lead

[oklahomafarmboy]

My son has a steer that is halter broke, he can wash him, brush him,and blow dry him, but we can not get him to lead. Does anybody have any suggestions? My son is getting frustrated with him please help.

 

[okiegirl]

Find someone with a donkey.  We had a heifer that was the same way.  One day with the donkey and it's like a new calf.

 

[mark tenenbaum]

You got that right-a donkey can work wonders O0

 

[oklahomafarmboy]

Does anybody know somebody that has a donkey that does this in central Oklahoma?

 

[Wyobeefshower]

How old is your son? I always walk mine in tight dizzying circles by pulling them sideways instead of forwards until they will walk straight, but a young kid won't be able to do that. It may sound cruel, but you could also walk them behind a four wheeler at a slow jog for a bit, but make sure your son is still holding the rope so the steer thinks it is him.

 

[knabe]

hold and release.  reward the smallest effort.

rome wasn't built in a day.

the end product is the calf knowing the difference between a pull to move their feet or just tilt their head by your positioning, consistency and love.

 

[knabe]

it may seem strange, but you can release faster than a fence post.

this builds quicker understanding and trust than anything else.

this doesn't mean you let the steer run off.

there's at least two ways to deal with that.  one is take a single dally around a fence post, the other is a lead longer than the diameter of a pen.  when the steer is running, it's too late and ineffective to try and man handle the steer to a stop.  just let it stop.

too often, we can't let things happen.  be johnny carson and let the animal be the star instead of ourselves.

 

[AAOK]

Take Knabe's advice. An easy reward is water or feed at 2 steps. Slow and easy are your friends.

 

[Davis Shorthorns]

Usually I use the take things very slowly approach, but have had a heifer that just didn't want to lead.  I used a horse with a very long lead like 30' or so and tied that to the halter.  I would then have someone ride the horse to command it to pull and when to stop while I held the halter like I was pulling. After a very short time of this the heifer would walk just find with just me on the halter.  Also with this technique you can stop and release pressure just like you would by yourself.

 

[oklahomafarmboy]

My son is 10, he can halter the calf anywhere and pet him he has been giving him cubes when tied up, but as soon as we try to walk him he just locks his feet & wont move. We trying pulling him with a four wheeler & all that does is nothing. I am now looking for somebody to help us with him.

 

[AAOK]

My son is 10, he can halter the calf anywhere and pet him he has been giving him cubes when tied up, but as soon as we try to walk him he just locks his feet & wont move. We trying pulling him with a four wheeler & all that does is nothing. I am now looking for somebody to help us with him.

You must start over with everything you do.  You lost his trust by pulling him with the Four Wheeler!  Tie him up, tie him down, over & over.  Tie him close to water, tie him close to feed, but not close enough to reach.  Try to get him that short distance with an easy Pull & release.  Once he is satisfied you will reward him, tie a little further away.  Increase a very little each day he meets the goal.  Eventually put feed at one end of the pen, and water at the other; lead to each with easy pull and release

A lot of rubbing, scratching and talking will also help regain his trust. 

 

[Cattle Cards]

It depends on the age.  When young, the pull and release works great.  Older, like weaning age, a donkey can work.  But if they're bigger you sometime just have to overpower 'em.  TRACTOR. 

 

[flacowman]

I agree with those that say to go slow and reward small steps.  There is no telling how many calves have been ruined with calves and tractors because it wasn't done right.  Yes, it can work, but it's an admission that you don't know what you're doing frankly.  If you start with a step, you'll have a great calf that will have bonded with your son and most likely if he gets spooked at a show will simply move closer to him. 

I saw a heifer that had been broke with a four-wheeler and she was terrified of them.  At a show where they delivered extra bedding with one, she went absolutely crazy and broke her tie ring and didn't stop until she got to the perimeter fence of the facility, and she bounced off of the chain link once or twice as well.

 

[FriedgesCharolais]

I really like the slide ring halters that sullivans has when breaking calves. I have made my own by putting a quick link chain link in there instead of the ring because I do not believe those rings hold up the best. It works great to teach the calf that if there is pressure on their nose they need to move forward and the pressure will be released. You just have to be careful because once they get the hang of the halters they will learn that if they give enough slack they can get the halter off.

 

[simba]

Tie him to the halter of a big old show cow/bull and lead them around together for half an hour every day. They learn pretty quickly, and the cow/bull will have way more strength than you or your son, but won't cause the stress that the tractor will cause.