# riding your cow



## Lizi (May 21, 2006)

Yup, I have questions about...riding a cow. Out back I have two Jersey steers who are just one year old. Is this too old to try to halter break them? They were bottle babies, come RUNNING when I call them to me, but now the biggest is 550 lbs. according to the weight tape. Is it too late to go about trying this? Hmm. Lizi. Guess I have too much time on my hooves...


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## ChasingDreams (Apr 8, 2006)

I'd love to know if this is do-able! We are getting a jersey cow soon, and I know my girls would love it if they could take rides


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

I don't frequent this forum, but the title of your post got me here! )

Riding and driving cattle has been done forever. It wasn't just horses and mules driving the wagons west for the pioneers, oxen (trained cattle) did too.

A fella saddle trained his bull when the bull was 4 years old. The fella finds it easier to doctor the calves. They'd get all excited when the fella rode a horse in, but with the bull, they don't even care. No tossing the rope - just lay it over the calves neck. The bull holds the calves like any good Quarter horse.

I've seen groups of cattle riders in parades.

There's a fella jumping is dairy cow. Last time I looked, she was jumping 3 feet.

Here's me on my Dexter steer. 38 inches at the withers, 800 pounds. He also drove, alone and hitched with my miniature donkey:










The Texas Longhorn riding folks give you "10 way cool things to do with your riding cattle." They're a bit prejudice about their Longhorn cattle! -G-

1. Go Trail Riding with friends and give their horses horn envy.
- 
2. Enter parades and be the center of attention.

3. Teach him to pull a buggie and go for a lovely Sunday drive.

4. Instead of horseback, work your cattle herd more efficiently & quietly
steerback. We're all friends here! 

5. Load your riding steer in the trailer in front of horse people and watch
them grimace.

6. Teach him Dressage and go dancing together.

7. Take him to a cutting and show those Cutting Horses the real meaning of 
"Cow Savvy."-

8. Take him to an open Horse Show, enter a western pleasure class and know the real pleasure of owning a Texas Longhorn Riding Steer. 

9. Because he's so handsome and talented, teach him tricks and you'll be
taking the bow! 

10. Hug and pet him daily, tell him how beautiful he is and melt away all your stress!


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## darbyfamily (Mar 16, 2005)

Very cool... my little boys would love to at least SIT on the cow, but we've never had the nerve to try it.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

Farm critters are no different to train than companion critters. I had a Hampshire hog that hitched to a cart and took me for rides. The only reason I didn't saddle him was from watching his gait it looked like he would be dang uncomfortable! His back was 45 inches off the ground, he was 800 pounds, so with me being short my legs would have been far enough from the ground.

______________________________

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a73/deserthills123/NoNAISpiglaugh200.jpg


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

If he comes when you call him, it shouldn't be too hard to halter break him.

Just put the halter on him and leave it for a couple of days to give him a chance to get used to the feel of it.

Then call him to you and put a lead rope on the halter. Stand in front of him with a treat that you normally give him. Put a little pressure on the lead rope and call him toward you. As soon as he gives at all to the pressure, release the pressure and give him the treat. Keep going further and further distances and he'll soon be halter broken.

After you get him leading, you may then have to teach him where you want him to walk. He may try to get ahead of you and lead you! If he walks in front of where you want him to be, at first try tugging back on the halter, and release the pressure when he gets back where you want him. If that doesn't work, get a small whip and give a couple of light taps below the knees til he gets back in position. It takes patience and work, but you can do it.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

Since there's different ways of doing just about anything, we all find what works best for us. But I would never leave a halter on any critter un-supervised. It can be an accident waiting to happen....

....Unless you're using a donkey to train calves to halter. Many train the calves this way. A strap connects the two together and the calf has to follow the donkey. There's enough room between them but if the calf wants to go in the opposite direction, the donkey plants himself until the calf follows him.

______________________________

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a73/deserthills123/NoNAIShorse200.jpg


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

I have used donkeys to train calves, and it works great.

I don't normally leave a halter on anything either, but since the calf is already used to being touched and handled, I probably would for a day to get him used to the feel of the halter.

Another alternative would be to put the halter on before he's fed, then take it off to turn him loose again. You could do this for a few days in a row and then put the lead rope on.


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## Horns Bach (Mar 11, 2008)

I recently saddled my 6 month old bull calf and the horses absolutely freaked. They didn't know what to make of it.


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

How much can a bovine carry?
450lbs cow can carry what?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Mom had a cow that was halter broke for showing. When I was little Mom used to put me on the cow's back and lead the cow around the barn.


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## IMContrary (Sep 22, 2004)

A couple of links you might find interesting:

http://www.northlandjournal.com/stories23.html

http://www.ridingsteers1.netfirms.com/


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

THIS is interesting!


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

...so, you mean you can steer a steer? If you go trail riding and someone is in your way I suppose you ask them to; "moo-ve over" ? I guess during the gold rush, those bovine riders also steaked out their claim? 

<sorry> ...no, I'm not, really.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

You might do what the horse folks do with young stock - drive the bovine first. Like the horse, you can drive a bovine at a younger age than you can ride them.

I drove my Dexter steer for 2 years before I rode him. Did a lot of parades. The steer drove alone and with my miniature donkey. I have a miniature covered wagon, 4 feet wide, 6 feet long. The sign on the wagon says, 'Chuck Wagon For Small Appetites.' Waiting for one of the parades to start, I pulled up next to the Clydesdale stagecoach with the wagon. The driver dang near fell out of his seat laughing as he looked down at us! Both critters also drove an EZ Entry cart, alone and together. 

Jeez, all this talk makes we want to think about getting another riding/driving steer! )

______________________________

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a73/deserthills123/NoNAIShorse200.jpg


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## luvrulz (Feb 3, 2005)

great idea - don't know why you couldn't ride a cow!


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## Haggis (Mar 11, 2004)

When I was but a lad we would walk out morning and evening to fetch up my Grandfather's milch cattle; it was our habit to ride the herd's lead cow, an ancient Jersey, back to the barn. It was no bother to her and a great delight for us; the great bell around her neck rang joyously, her head bobbing, her large full udder tossing to and fro, and two or more laughing boys on her back each secretly trying to find a more comfortable means of sitting astride her sharp spine.

Here is a site dealing with the riding of saddle cattle for entertainment:
http://www.ridingsteers1.netfirms.com/


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== I recently saddled my 6 month old bull calf and the horses absolutely freaked. They didn't know what to make of it. ===


I took my steer to a team penning one night and talk about horses freaking!! Those horses who team penned cattle went nuts. Guess a human on the bovine is what did it.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

My daughter rides our calves...this guy is a 6m intact bull we are raising and he still gets a bottle! Tom is so sweet.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c395/mpillow/100_0039.jpg


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## Lizi (May 21, 2006)

Thank you all so much! This is certainly something I am going to work on; Cole comes when I call, is very social, we have that much going already! I am not an "animal trainer" per se, but we will see where this takes us. Thanks for not laughing too much, Slev! Lizi


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## cjb (May 2, 2006)

Hmmm... I would never try it bareback.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

For the last 15+ years I've been using the Natural Ride instead of a saddle. I have no desire to to back to saddles and I do long and tough mountain riding on my equine. I had started my steer with a saddle, but then got the NR. He did fine with it. The steer had a nice, round back and did great with the saddle pad that came with the NR. An equine with a more pronouced backbone needs a thicker saddle pad -- or I should say *I* do!

When I got the NR, I stripped everything off the fork and put on my own cinch, billets, stirrup leathers, stirrups. This is how it came:










Mounting the NR. I have a 200 pound friend who loves her NR and has no problem mounting/dismounting:










The NR isn't for everyone, 'specially those who need the security of a saddle.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I also prefer the NR, it is much more versatile than a saddle. It fits on animals w/ very different body shapes...including cattle I suppose. 

When I was younger...and braver...I used to swing up on one of the older Jersey cows and let her carry me, at liberty, up from the field when I brought the herd in to milk. 

After reading this thread, I am starting to look at the herd I currently milk with similar thoughts. I actually did climb up the holding pen rail and lower my weight (briefly) onto a girl the other day...it was worth it to see the surprised look on her face.


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## cjb (May 2, 2006)

Looking at my jersey, she just doesn't appear to be built to carry around an adult on her back. Maybe I'm wrong. Her spine is sharp and I, as a male, am not planning to ever get up there!


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## vulpinefarms (Apr 18, 2008)

I raised a bucket calf when I was in 4-H and kept her as a heifer (Angus x Holstein) and she was halter broke and would let me climb on and ride her as often as I wanted. She ws very tame and calm.


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## planecrazyusa (Apr 25, 2008)

my 9 month old insists on sitting on each of the calves and the Jersey cows whenever we are in the pasture, he especially likes it if they try to run and he gets a little "bump" up and down. Of course he is in the capable hands of Daddy.


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