The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: The_Hawthorne_Pack on June 28, 2018, 04:45:57 pm

Title: Halter training
Post by: The_Hawthorne_Pack on June 28, 2018, 04:45:57 pm
 :cow:
I have watched Rosemary's videos on halter training her calves. I noticed she uses rope halters.  I am just about to get a couple of Dexter x Angus heifers.  I already have a couple of horse/pony head collars does anyone else use these?  are they ok to use if properly adjusted?  What are your experiences? :thinking:
Title: Re: Halter training
Post by: Backinwellies on June 28, 2018, 05:32:31 pm
My Dexters came to he head collar trained so yes is fine.
Title: Re: Halter training
Post by: SallyintNorth on June 28, 2018, 06:22:03 pm
My adult Jersey will not tolerate a halter of any kind, and I could not make a pony head collar fit her no matter how I adjusted it.  You can get leather or nylon ones made specifically for cattle.  (She accepts a neck collar, to be tied up for milking, but wouldn't accept anything on her face.)

I've found it best to halter train the calves when they're too small to be able to pull away from you ;).  With a bit of 'pressure and release' at an early age, they seem to be happy to be haltered and led for the rest of their lives.  I've just used the simple rope halters thus far, though if leading by halter came to be something we did routinely, I would get the webbing head collar type.
Title: Re: Halter training
Post by: landroverroy on June 28, 2018, 08:58:36 pm
I've had pony halters on all my dexters that I halter trained. I also halter trained them by tying them up for an hour or so for a few days. Having the halter already on makes training a lot easier as all you have to do is attach the rope to it.