Things We Love...Weaver Breaking Halters

It's that time of year again.

The spring calves are being weaned and it is time to start getting them ready for the next show season.

Show season is just over a month away, so we have our work cut out for us.  

The first step in getting new calves ready for show season?

Halter breaking..  

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Our new favorite tool for breaking calves is the Weaver breaking halter.  ​

A Weaver breaking halter is identical to a regular rope halter except for one small feature.  

This little metal ring.

This ring allows the rope to slide easily as you release pressure.  

You can see the difference in this regular halter.  

When you pull on the rope halter it tightens up.  When you release that pressure the rope stays in the same position.  

So what is the big deal?

A calf needs to learn to give to the pressure of the halter.  When you pull, they learn that if they move into the pressure the pressure will stop.  

When first teaching the calf to walk, as soon as the calf takes a step, let up on the pressure.  This is the reward for doing what you have asked.  

The breaking halter adds to that immediate realease of pressure by allowing the rope to slide quickly and easily through the ring.

Another added benefit to the breaking halter is it helps to guard against abscesses that can form from the constant pressure of the halter.  

Not all cows are smart...at least at first.  

We have all had that one calf that thinks they can outlast the pressure from the halter.  They dig their feet in and just pull.  Their tongue is hanging out and they are panting, but still won't take that step to release the pressure on the halter.  

Those stubborn ones tend to be the ones that usually end up with a hard abscess under their chin a few days later.  The breaking halters help to prevent those abscesses and tender spots.  

We first learned about the Weaver breaking halters when we attended the Kirk Stierwalt clinic.  We bought one that day and haven't looked back.  

Just last night Daniel was looking all over the barn for one of the breaking halters (it almost jumped out and bit him) so that he could work on getting the new calves ready for Louisville.  

It is amazing how one simple change can make such a difference.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that at no cost to you, I may receive commissions from purchases made through links in the post.

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