Showing Preperation - Showing Preperation Help!

[tinkerbell]

I started with Dexters in August and started with 1 cow and calf now have 1 breeding cow and 2 breeding heifers. I am wanting to show this summer and have some shows lined up.
I was wondering if anyone could help with the following questions?! (sorry to be a pain!)
???
How do i get my heifers to walk to the halter show standard? She walks with me but has a tendency to try to run off with me!!

What preperation should I do for shows coming up?

Many thanks
Kim
xxx

[Mark Bowles]

Wow Kim, it seems such a simple question, one i have asked myself many times, especially how do you get them to stand like a statue in the show lineup. Trouble is i am not sure i have the asnwer. I think a lot depends on the nature of the animal, some take to it really easy and some will not take take to a halter at all. I think maybe you have to be harder than i am but i find it difficult.
Where is your nearest group, they are always worth joining, some do showing workshops especially this time of the year ready for the shows. You could always look in the membership list and contact a breeder that shows, i am sure they would give you a few tips or even an invitation to their farm, dexter people are very giving of their time, well most are.

[Louisa Gidney]

How indeed does one get heifers to be so well-behaved! No quick fix that I'm aware of. The only way I have done it in the past was to take calves to shows with their mothers as young as possible, so they get the idea that it's a fun day out and not at all scary. Having been out of showing for the best part of 10 years, it's a struggle each year just to train the heifers for sale. I take them to one show before sale day.
As to preparation, get them used to being handled by the judge, particularly udders, having feet cleaned and tails combed out. Give them a good bath before the first show, gets engrained grime out so not such hard work on show day. Get them used to walking round in circles, so they don't get bored with proceedings in the show ring.

[Saffy]

Interesting answer Louisa.

We are thinking of showing a couple of youngsters this year, one of the mums will lead but she is 13 years old! :laugh: I don't think she would do to well in a show class these days although she is in great condition for her age. It is a pity given that Dexters are so long lived and it is such a plus side of keeping dexters that there isn't ever a class for a veteran dexter - it could perhaps be open to male or female. There must be lots of people with a nice old timer that would like a class for them maybe 12 years and over - just a thought?

The only dexter we have ever shown before was the bull and he was very well behaved at his first shows which was a great relief!

Stephanie

[Louisa Gidney]

Saffy, I take "Grandma" out purely to steady the youngsters. Someone has got to come last in a class so it might as well be me. Time was when Zanfara & Butterbox would squabble over who would come last!
It depends what you are showing for. I'm not trying to win but to give the youngstock the experience. I've dried off older cows who were Jan/Feb calvers in Aug for the dry cow classes at local shows in Sept and they've done OK, not class winners but placed.

[Saffy]

Good point Louisa. Mind you although this cow leads I'm not sure she has ever been to a show!

However I still think that it might be good for the breed to show off our old dears in a show class, just for them once in a while, the way it is going with other breeds they seem to have trouble to find anything over 3 lactations that looks tidy and yet dexters can still look fabulous in their teens. I don't think its something that many breeds could beat us at do you? It would be a good selling point.

Stephanie

[Jac]

You do not mention what sort of halter you are using Tinkerbell. I have found that leather ones with a chain underneath the chin aids control with some persistant pullers - working on the Barbara Woodhouse idea of a couple a sharp jerks when they attempt to make a run for it.

[tinkerbell]

Heya All,
Thankyou very much for your comments, they have been usefull!! I was using a rope halter which I found didnt loosen when she wasnt pulling so i changes halters to one that loosenes and it works really well!!

I went to my first show Monday at North Somerset and was very pleased on how she was in the ring and throughout the day, although i didnt win anything it was nice getting to know people and the experiance of it all! I have many shows lined up this year!

Many Thanks

Kim
xxx

[Denise]

Good luck with the showing.
In Aussie we must have nose rings or nose clips in ALL show stock - so bulls over 6 months get rings, heifers n cows get trained (and many hate it) to wear a noseclip with lead as well as their halter. Makes for much better control - believe it was because of insurance and public safety reasons Austr went this way - I mean could u imagine one of those huge bos indicus cows pulling away and "running amok" !!! eek doesnt bear thinking about today in this litigious world.!!

[tinkerbell]

Thanks, I have another show coming up in a couple weeks time, and im now taking two, the heifer I shown at North Somerset and a newly nearly trained heifer (I have a little bit of work to do in these next couple weeks beleive me!!)

I have toyed with the idea of using a bulldog (nose clip) however I find that the more calm aproach is best for mine as they are quite chilled anyway but take a little bit of pulling along!!

[davidw]

I halter train our cattle on our driveway. Its about half a mile long with fences both sides. I lead them a little further every day until we get to the end and then I have confidence that they will go a little further. Beet pulp nuts are a good bribe to get them started. A few old stockmen I have known used to spend hours walking their show cattle for miles until they were comfortable and calm.
Hold the animal tightly, as close to the head as you can, then you can control their heads, don't allow them a long lead rope. If the lead rope is too long, they can jerk their heads and take control of you.

[LarryMag]

Just on the subject of Halter Training, I was in conversation the other day with an experienced cattle person (including Dexters) and I enquired as to how you would halter train for milking more than showing. He said to tie the heifer to an old Donkey (special halter required) and let the donkey do the work and train her for 2 or 3 days.

I thought he was pulling my leg but on further investigsation it seems to be true!!!

[natmadaboutdexters]

Now where do we get a donkey from?

Natasha

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Donkeys are surprisingly plentiful, we have quite a few on the Isle of Bute. we castrated one just last week.

The tricky bit is if you keep horns on the cow, you need to find a donkey with horns too.

Duncan

[Louisa Gidney]

Duncan, what a wonderful idea. This could solve the problem of how to keep Frances mule exercised and halter train a heifer in one fell swoop!