P.S Jac what time do you get up? Looks like you fit a few halter training sessions in early in the day!
As soon as it is light.
I take it that this method is not for very tiny calves. Since I have two heifers with 'stable' temperaments we will do this scientifically and I will test your method out and record progress after each session.
How long is the animal tied up for during each session?
LISA wrote:O.K I am going to be bold and say it takes 30 minutes in man (or lady!) hours to halter train an animal. However this is based on 3 "tie up sessions", allowing 5 minutes to catch and tie up, and 5 minutes to untie and release x 3 sessions = 30 minutes.
Session 1 - do not even attempt to lead the animal.
session 2 - lead the animal maybe 5 meters and back to tie up position.
session 3 - walk the animal a little further and tie up again.
Always stay safe (ALWAYS two people to handle a bull), and make sure the animal is safe too, give the animal an edible treat during or after the session so it becomes enjoyable (handler too if it helps!).
This method works well for me when very pushed for time eg a show next week. If time was a luxury I would tie up and feed for several more sessions first. We do not have any "nutcase" animals in our herd, therefore the animals for training are good temperament anyway which does help.
Best Wishes Lisa Bell.
P.S Jac what time do you get up? Looks like you fit a few halter training sessions in early in the day!
I have just one question that I don't get about step 1 & not leading the animal - assuming they're not kept in a tiny pen at the time, do you just stand and hold them as you wouldn't be able to lead them to something solid?
I think the 30 mins depends on a lot of time that isn't accounted for beforehand & may not apply if you hadn't already put a lot of work (albeit it not 'hard' or continuous work, but taking time none-the-less) in and counted that too.
Certainly temperament plays a massive part and a hard culling policy is essential with trained stock to stay safe. I think there's a tendancy with Dexters for exhibitors to think, because they're smaller, that the cattle can be over powered if they start misbehaving.
Jac-After the crash course then yes, I would expect to go into field and put halter on. Rob can vouch for this as he's seen Twinkle caught in the field 6 months after she was trained for Wolsingham show with no halter work in between.
I would add that I always talk to my cattle by name, so they know their identity, get them to sniff hand and/or stand to have tail head scratched as part of normal routine.
As Lisa says, it can be managed in even shorter time. I had a young bull at Penrith show years ago and had trouble keeping a straight face when the commentator talked about the time that had gone into preparing all the cattle for show. He'd had the last minute panic training the night before but behaved perfectly on the day.
Louisa Gidney wrote:Jac-After the crash course then yes, I would expect to go into field and put halter on. Rob can vouch for this as he's seen Twinkle caught in the field 6 months after she was trained for Wolsingham show with no halter work in between.
I think there's a tendancy with Dexters for exhibitors to think, because they're smaller, that the cattle can be over powered if they start misbehaving.
Yes, these are not the ones with the muddy marks on their white coats having been dragged through the ropes head first.
My goodness - they think they can be easily overpowered, perhaps they have naturally polled dexters, mine are hard enough to hold still as calves for disbudding!
Saffy wrote:My goodness - they think they can be easily overpowered, perhaps they have naturally polled dexters, mine are hard enough to hold still as calves for disbudding!
Slightly off topic I know but I don't think you can say that this is anything to do with the breed itself just expectations.
Junior handler - worries me to death.
HSE There is no legal upper or lower age limit for cattle handling, as individuals’ capabilities vary widely, but children under 13 should not normally be allowed to enter cattle housing or handle cattle.
Last edited by Jac on Wed Oct 22, 2014 3:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I think there's a tendancy with Dexters for exhibitors to think, because they're smaller, that the cattle can be over powered if they start misbehaving.
Yes, these are not the ones with the muddy marks on their white coats having been dragged through the ropes head first.
....not me by the way.
The last two grand parades I have seen at shows with Dexters classes have had cattle playing up in them - both times it was the Dexters causing the fuss.
I'm sticking to my original answer (4-6 hours to the level you specified), divided into lots of little 10 minute (or longer, as time passes) 'sessions', not all of them involving a rope, btw.
Rob R wrote:I'm sticking to my original answer (4-6 hours to the level you specified), divided into lots of little 10 minute (or longer, as time passes) 'sessions', not all of them involving a rope, btw.
Right and Louise is saying an hour a day for a week 7 hrs
Lisa is saying 30 mins (although we are waiting for clarification).
Ann' has not yet put a hourly figure on.
Duncan was 10 mins once a week for 2 months 1 hr 10 mins
Me 12.83 hours per animal (based on last batch done). Looking forward to trying Lisa's method with older heifers for direct comparison.
hello everyone, I tie and keep eye on them then leave when stood quiet,then walk them gently, job done,they soon get the idea. my best cow will not be caught in a field, or anywhere, she,s too be trapped to get her halter on, but once on she will do almost anything, she was a lot olderwhen trained though jean
hi everyone
my halter training is fairly simple to be fair. start off when they are about 6 weeks old in a small area. just walking them round in circles. if they start pulling just stop and give the lead rope a little pull. then once they have calmed down set off walking again. at the end of each session if its a young calf then let it go with its mum but if its an older calf or animal tie it up for about half an hour then go back and untie the animal and walk it round abit longer. do this a couple of times a week and then do it once a week and then the animal will get used to being tied up and walked around which is pretty much what happens at a show.
I halter train quite a few of calves especially when they are younger but even when they are older it does take a bit more effort but it does work.
thanks and hope this helps
Aimee
Is it possible to begin halter training for the first time with a fairly 'lively' 2.5 year old? Or has the window of opportunity been missed by this age?
