The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: SallyintNorth on August 03, 2011, 11:07:19 pm
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Having just been given some tuition in using 'pressure and release' on horses, the first opportunity I had to try it turned out to be my 8-month old Jersey heifer calf! She's already ok about having a rope halter put on but I'd never asked her to come along with me using it before. It took about 5 minutes to get her coming to me if I tug gently on the rope. Well impressed! ;D
Now, to try it on those Fells... :D
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I used the same technoques on my heifers as I do on my ponies and it worked a treat.
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Here it is done in a huge area with a truck. Chasing horses in a car explaining pressure and release - Rick Gore Horsemanship (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXe1jLQjfvg#)
I've been doing this with Bobby and now if I push too far he throws himself onto his back. But he watches me now, I have the focus I need.
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That is how I have trained all my show cows to walk on the halter :)
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Works for sheep too.
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Hi, this sounds very interesting, probably just what I need. Where can I find more info on this method. I have two young Dexter calves (3 months old) I am just starting to halter break. I have head collars on them and catch them up every day in a corralle and tie them up and make a fuss of them. They are quite happy to be brushed and fussed but pull back on the rope not liking being tied up. I am hoping to get them walking on a leading rein but not sure where to go from here. Any help greatly appreciated.
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Well I've only just started with this myself - but sometimes the best person to describe a new technique is someone who has just learned it, so I will share how I see it - but this is not an expert's view!
The basis of 'pressure and release' is to teach the animal to give in to pressure by rewarding it with release. This means that, for instance, you pull steadily but gently on the lead rope and as soon as the animal makes even the tiniest move towards you - even just a twitch of a leg, a slight stretch of the neck - you instantly release the pressure. After a short while you ask again - and maybe you get just a little bit more of a move towards you this time. Again, release the pressure. Then ask again. And so on.
Very quickly the animal learns that it need not fear pressure and that the way to reduce the pressure is to give in to it.
Some of the keys to success include never ever shouting or hitting, never raising your voice, always ask the same in the same voice with the same steady pressure. Always always always release the pressure as soon as the animal moves in the direction you want.
There are loads of practitioners who can help, loads of books you can read, several different names for the techniques.
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We had an american lady on our lambing course a few years ago who had used this approach with cattle for a number of years. She offered to show us how it worked. We picked a particularly recalcitrant tup who had never had a halter on before. In a stageringly short time he was following her around like a dog!
She was an expert at it and most people wouldnt get such a good result in that time frame, but the beauty of this method is that you effectively end up with an animal that follows you on a slack rope rather than one that you have to lead.
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I have used this method on my youngest dog. I now have ONE Brittany in four that walks nicely on a lead - the others pull as soon as the slip lead goes around their necks. I erally MUST find time to do it with the others! ::)
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Well I wouldn't have believed it but it's also working on one of our goats! :goat:
I thought nothing worked on goats :)
Dave
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Anyone ever tried it on a pig? (I just use a bucket of nuts, she'll follow you anywhere for that!)
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I've always been wary of haltering a pig (or any form of leading tbh) the fact that my young Kune boar can lift me clean off the ground when I'm standing on the gate and he sticks his snout under it, (you've seen me Sally - I'm not a small person ;)) makes me doubt I could ever keep hold of any of them if they decided to go runaround.........and I don't much fancy getting dragged through the muck :o ;D
If you decide you're game for a go, wait til Meg's not in-pig and get your BH to video it, would love to see what happens :D :D :D
Karen :wave:
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i don't see much difference betwean a pig and cattle leading a 500kilo bullock as opposed to a250kilo pig only difference is the hight still drag you about if you don't let go like to see the video as well :farmer:
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If you decide you're game for a go, wait til Meg's not in-pig and get your BH to video it, would love to see what happens :D :D :D
Laughed out loud, sadly BH and technology work only if I press the buttons ... but I'm sure I can find a volunteer to fly the camera...
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Cheers SallyinTNorth for your helpful reply. Felt much more confident today that I was doing the right things. Just need to perserve and be patient, they are certainly much calmer than when I first started and dont seem frightened by me just the pressure on the rope. No rush so will let you know in time how things go. Thanks Anne