FINAL UPDATE FROM ROYAL Heifer difficult to setup and won't stand still in ring

[Sambosu]

My daughter is 13 and has always been able to get her heifers to show great in the ring. Currently she is showing a purebred Charolais heifer (showed her since last spring). This heifer has never acted well in the ring, no matter the size of the ring. All she wants to do is get out of the ring as soon as she can. She won't stand still once she gets her close to being set up. Another problem she has is sometimes you can't even get her close to being set up. My daughter will touch her leg with the show stick and she will immediately turn sideways. 

At home the heifer has some bad days but normally (if she has ate) she will stand still for my daughter until it's time to start walking again. I told her recently to just set her up and make her stand in place for 10-15 minutes, so she knows she must stand still once set up. This didn't seem to correct any of her bad behavior this past weekend at the county show. Her attitude in the ring was bad and she fought my daughter the whole time, making look like she miss stepped a few times in the ring. Judge commented about her not stepping correctly a couple times and docked her for it and chose her for reserve supreme heifer.

I think my daughter has a really special heifer (will be a donor cow for us) but until she can get her to show properly, they will struggle at the big shows. Any advice for what my daughter should do at home to get her to act well in the ring is appreciated.

 

[GoWyo]

I guess first question is whether she is being tied with her head up for a couple of hours per day - basically just lightly higher than you want her head for show pose.  If not, that will help.  It seems my kid could get them to hold their pose by working them until they would hold it for 5 minutes and then reward them by letting them go and feeding them.  Once they realize that they don't get fed in the evening until they hold it together for a few minutes they generally come around.  If they were really energetic after a day in the cooler, he would drive them around the big corral with a stock whip or longe whip for 10 minutes to take the sass out and then work them in halter.

 

[Sambosu]

GoWyo, we will try everything you said and let you know how she acts at her next show.

 

[vc]

Do you use a rope halter at home and a show halter on the road? Try working at home with the show halter and I assume the chain has been vet wrapped? If not try that or a lead without a chain. Also work on getting her to set up with out the show stick, walk her into it instead, along with that does she have a spot you can find with the show stick that makes her relax, the each one seems to have a spot that if you scratch they just relax. It can be the brisket, belly, sometimes the neck, if you can find it things can get easier in a hurry.

 

[Sambosu]

All good points VC. We do use a rope halter at home and a show halter with the chain wrapped. My daughter has been able to find that spot on her retired heifers loved being scratched but not on this one. Either she doesn't scratch one spot long enough or she hasn't found that spot yet. I will scratch her belly and brisket tonight and see if I can find that spot to scratch that changes the heifer's mood.  Lastly, regarding walking her into place. My daughter usually has had great success with getting her heifers to walk into place but this heifer won't stop when my daughter gives her the command to stop. Maybe one problem I haven't thought about is she is spoiled and doesn't respect my daughter. Not sure but she might need a little attitude adjustment. I have been told to try melatonin.

 

[vc]

Melatonin might help, try and find the dose at home that makes her mellow and then start a few days prior to the show and keep her on it until you get home, if she acts up at the show add a little more.

 

[Cyfarmer]

We have had heifers act like what you are describing, and all of the advice earlier is what I would start with. We have also had a couple heifers with I would almost relate to Attention Deficit Disorder, as in kids. We found a product called Focus from Sullivan Supply that takes the edge off. We use it for about 4-5 feedings before the show, and the day of the show. I have seen it take a heifer that likes to 'Dance' in the ring to one that acts perfectly. I feel it takes a little bit of the stress of the hauling, and show prep away. Think about what the heifer is going through show day - probably messing a little with her feed (to get her to have a full look), washing, grooming, etc. Kind of stressful for a creature of habit.
Best of Luck
Cyfarmer

 

[mainecattlemother]

One thing we have done as of late:  when we are working on them in the chute we try to make sure they are in their show stance as much as possible.  I do realize when you are working on legs this is always possible but it seems to help them get use to how they are suppose to be standing.  This may sound horrible but we have fed beer before the calves enter the show ring and we feel this helps as well.  They will get that nice belly and sometimes it actually settles them down.  Good luck.  Hard work is always the best cure and it sounds like you are doing that.

 

[Sambosu]

I totally forgot about the product called focus. We used it a couple years back and had okay results, one calf seemed to relax while on it and one calf didn't seem to be affected by it.  I got some grow and shine/liquid melatonin recently, and plan to start giving it to her the week prior to the Tulsa show.

I haven't thought about making the heifer stand in their show stance while being washed, blown out, combed, etc...  We will add that to our routine as well.

In regards to my daughter's heifer compared to a week ago, she seems to have improved. I am showing the heifer to make sure she knows the showman means business (doesn't think she can get away from me).  Also, I am not allowing her to eat until she stands in her show stance for a while in her pen. She acts the best when I get her to walk into place or with just her front left foot needing moved. If I keep scratching her belly and use my foot to move her front foot, she will move it into position. However, if I don't keep scratching her belling with the stick and use the stick to move her foot, she moves two of three legs.   

 

[Sambosu]

Well my daughter worked extremely hard over the past 30 days preparing for the Tulsa State Fair, trying to get her heifer to show better. We used some of the advice given above and the heifer showed a lot better, stood still in the ring. The one thing that the heifer needs to improve on before we go to the American Royale Show, is not walking fast when she is walking towards the exit side of the ring. She walked real smooth until she saw the exit and picked up speed. My daughter tried to slow her down, causing her to walk a little rough at times (after the show she was informed she needed to stay in front of her and pick up her pace so the heifer will continue to walk smoothly). The judge had us in the top two and made both heifers walk around the ring again before choosing the winner. We ended up in second in the class to the breed champion (our heifer is a different style than what I saw at Tulsa). Thanks for the advice and we look forward to heading to KC in a couple weeks. Here is a pic of her in the ring.

 

[GoWyo]

Good job.  (clapping)

 

[Okotoks]

Looking good! Congrats (thumbsup)

 

[CAB]

Nice heifer. Good work (clapping) <party> <beer>

 

[Gargan]

Really nice female!! Congrats!

 

[Sambosu]

Thank you for the responses. My daughter and the heifer are still learning to work together. I think The Charolais heifer is pretty cool and I love that she doesn't have any firewater bloodline. We have a lot of options to breed her to after she calves in April, if we don't sell her.

 

[cowboy_nyk]

That's quite a heifer.  Congrats on the hard work and success.  Sometimes it's even more rewarding when the heifer challenges you and you can still be at the top.  (clapping)

 

[mark tenenbaum]

From my little experience with them, Charolais can be inately pretty spooky sometimes-that being said she is a very high quality female and you've certainly done a great job getting her ready. O0

 

[dfm]

Your daughters heifer looks to be progressing nicely since the county fair. She looked really good that day also, but as you mentioned was sure interested in wanting to make her escape from the show arena. Your daughter handled her very well though and shall continue to do so. From the picture the heifer looks to have matured well over the past 30 days and the additional hair looks good on her.

 

[Sambosu]

Well we made it back from the American Royal and wanted to give my last update regarding how the heifer acted in the ring. The heifer acted great in the ring, heifer never tried to walk fast and escape the ring, she pretty much walked into her stance every time my daughter stopped her. It was a joy to see the hard work she put into getting her to show properly paid off. Thank you for the tips. For those that would like to know how they did, she was second in her junior class (1st place heifer was breed champion and another heifer in her division was reserve breed champion). They ended up 3rd in class in the open show and the two in front of her won division and reserve division.

 

[vc]

Great job on all accounts, heifer cooperating, and the placings.