Halter Breaking

Looking at the calendar, there are not many available weekends before we head to the Ohio Beef Expo.  We have 2 babies that need to be halter broken and a bull that needs to be reminded of his manners.  

We haven't had a lot of snow this winter, but we are sure dealing with some nasty ice.  We will get a few inches of snow and then the weather warms up.  This is causing the top layer to melt and then re-freeze every couple of days.  We now have a very solid ice rink just about anywhere you step.  We are getting some fresh snow today, so it is providing a little bit of traction.  We are running out of time, so halter breaking will begin even if the weather isn't ideal.  

Everyone has their "proven" method for halter breaking, but this is a way that works well for us.  The first step is to put the halters on the calves and let them drag them around for a few days.  This gets them used to the feel of the halter and when the lead is stepped on, it trains them to give to the pressure.  We then follow up with tying them in the barn for about 30 minutes or so.  They fight like the dickens, but eventually learn to give to the halter.  We will repeat this process for several days. 

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