Tag Archives: animals

Stop the front feet!

Here are more thoughts on animal behavior and keeping them content and get the most out of environment and feed available for weight gain and reproduction. 

I look at having cattle that are right in the mind is to have animals that respond when pressured, and have their needs in mind when pressure is off. 

I have been real interested in getting the most out of my horses, but still getting them to relax and get still and content when my pressure comes off, but be ready to respond without over responding when asked. You can call this a part of feel. They feel my pressure, or read what I want. 

The way to achieve this is to separate the pressures so they understand how torespond to the pressures. When you ask animals to stop, if you teach them to stop the front feet instead of the whole body, this lets them think their way to a stop and that’s when animals learn, because they take the pressure of themselves. 

If you are working with a herd, stop the leaders front feet and then the next leaders and the herd will stop their front feet, then their body, then the whole bunch. 

When you are out in front to stop their front feet, then you are in a position to step in any direction to create movement in the direction you want to point them, you are in position to point the nose of the animal where you want it to go and the feet and body will follow. 

It doesn’t take long if you are consistent and get the response that the animal understand what you are asking or needing, and they learn to respond to it easier and more consistently. 

This is how you get animals good to handle and not getting in the habit of ignoring the human for feed or going with other animals. They know that you know how to be in control. Very important. 

When you get animals to understand your approach to them that is not asking them to leave, by using flat angles with low energy towards the animal they learn to wait for you, just like a horse that’s good to catch. 

This allows you to look at the animals in a normal state that they show the true state of health and contentment. Then you can position yourself to create movement and start the lead to where you want to go. 

It’s very good to see animals get up and stretch and look at you. If when you approach the animals run off you have to catch up to get direction, and they are in a mindset to get away rather than respond to your pressure. This is much different than animals that learn through pressure and proper release of it. 

The other side is animals that run you over and won’t stop. This is what happens when you take the fence down or offer a treat. They get out of balance and your presence and pressure have no meaning. This is when you stop their front feet and make them wait, then turn them away and drive them to learn about responding to pressure. 

These are all very rewarding things for me, and I think for you as well. First of all for safety and profit. Second, the training of animals to respond to you has been such a spot of pleasure for the human, mostly with dogs and horses, but it might as well happen with your grazing animals as well. 

Here are a couple clips that might give you some ideas on helping achieving this. 

Do your animals like to see you come or fear it?

An animals or humans environment is what creates quality of life and productivity in the whole big picture of the world we all share.

When you create something that hinders an animal or human from choosing their own environment, like a fence, then you are in control of that animals environment and it becomes your responsibility.

In the human world when we really need to control someone we put a fence around them and call it prison. That person is now under control of the system. Many movies and books have been made on the horrors of prison. The Worden and guards can make it a very bad place because of the pressure they can put on the inmates because they can’t escape it.

In the Human world we also have vacations like a cruise ship and all inclusive packages that you stay in one “fence” for a certain amount of time and someone else creates your environment.

We went to and was part of the system for years at the “Home Ranch” a wonderful all inclusive environment in the western dude ranch tradition. The crew were experts at creating quality of life for one week of the quests life. The best food, facilities and activities you can imagine, plus a real caring and friendly atmosphere that everyone had the chance to feel real special and cared for.

You could say that the Colorado state prison and the Home Ranch are similar in housing people week after week. They both provide care and an environment for the people that are in the care of the staff of each.

The biggest difference is that one you are forced to be there and can’t leave and one you choose to be there and can leave if you don’t like it.

Our livestock are basically in our prison or our guest ranch and we are the “Worden’s” of the care and quality of life for these animals. The people that help us care for them are the “guards” and care givers to the livestock.

Depending on the attitude and knowledge of those of us that are in the care of the livestock is what makes the difference of prison or Guest ranch.

Be honest with yourself. Do you have a prison or a guest ranch?