Teaching them to lead - Best tips please!!!

strawberriesclint · Post by **strawberriesclint** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 10:38 am

I don't have any dexters with horns because it does make them a bit more difficult to handle in my opinion, but i know there are several people who do keep them with horns and have no problems, but it must make halter training them more difficult especially if like you they try and do it when they are a lot older. I know how difficult it is to train them at a year old, well done for giving it a go when they are 4 years old. Not sure what the ideal age is, last year i did one at 8months and she was much easier to train than the ones i am dealing with at the moment, but that could be just temperment, rather than age. I did manage yesterday to lead one of them so fingers crossed we are slowly gaining. Good luck with yours.

cyndy

Louisa Gidney · Post by **Louisa Gidney** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 12:21 pm

I must disagree here. All my Dexters have horns & it makes the job far easier for me. Once the halter is over the horns, they can't get it off & they don't choke, like lassoing round the neck.
So, head down in bucket, from the LHS approach from the tail. Quietly slip halter in big loop over horns. Head may come out of bucket to see what is happening. Be prepared with a big bottom loop for the bucket top, so as head goes back down into bucket, nose goes through loop. Gently pull halter tight round nose.
Some of mine are so greedy the head doesn't come up out of the bucket, so a certain amount of grovelling is necessary to get the loop round the nose.
Before attempting all this, get your cattle used to standing and being scratched while feeding from bucket. Work your way up from tail head to scratch between the horns. Don't try & put a halter on until they will stand still for this.

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:38 pm

has anyone tried the metal training halters as on Showtime?

strawberriesclint · Post by **strawberriesclint** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:47 pm

Hi

Do you mean the leather ones with chains on? If so i have tried them but my cows don't like the rattle of the chain, and yet i have seen a lot of people showing using them and the cows are quite happy, must just be my cows. I always use the white cotton halters but the leather ones do look nice.

cyndy

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:37 pm

No, they are all metal,they come in large or small- they have what I think is round metal peice that goes round their muzzle and a chain that appears to go round their head- supposed to cut training time by half

strawberriesclint · Post by **strawberriesclint** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:44 pm

It must work in principle like a choke chain, hadn't heard of this, maybe i will have a look.

cyndy

monica waltho · Post by **monica waltho** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:56 pm

The site is called Showtime-supplies.co.uk
Monica

maniutek · Post by **maniutek** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 10:04 pm

I have ordered something called control halter from USA, with chains under chin- do you know how it works? I think it must tighten when pulled or something... Does anyone is using it? USA market is quite good as it supplies all sizes- I wonder if a yearling size would fit a Dexter...

strawberriesclint · Post by **strawberriesclint** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 10:21 pm

I have one of the halters you have ordered and as i said before my cattle don't like the noise the chains make. I had a look at the chain halter, it looks a bit brutal, i've never used one, just a cotton halter and that seems to work.

I've never seen a chain halter before, nor have i heard of anyone using one.

cyndy