Words of advice

[Clark Club Calves]

A few words of advice.  Don't hang you combs on the out side of the bull pen.  We like to keep a comb hand next to the bull pen so that we can comb the bulls.  We usually keep it in feed bin hanging on the wall.  The other day Dad was combing the bulls and he though he would just hang it up on the out side of the pen on the railway tie.  Well the comb is gone and the bull has a limp.  We picked him up today and pulled 8 comb teeth from his foot.  It will be a few weeks before he is up and around.  We can not find the comb yet I guess when the snow melts we will have to look for it.

 

[linnettejane]

ouch! 

 

[wowcows]

I had a heifer step on a comb years ago, this would be before the sharp ones that we know now! She did this in Kansas City, never limped or bothered her what so ever. She went to Louisville and then when we were trimming feet for Denver and sparks flew when the grinder hit her. You could see the little spots where they were embedded in her hoof but there was no pulling them out. Still no limp so we just blew it off and it never bothered her. Can't get much luckier than that.

 

[flacowman]

oooouuuuch .  the worst experience we've had with a comb was with a little 800 lb market heifer that decided to be satan herself when she came into heat at a show one time.  It was my senior year and I had had a few pretty rough steers for our county show but this little heifer beat me all over the ring.  I was setting her up for first in a corner before the judge "formally" pulled me out to win the class and she threw me into the wall and we proceeded to go to the center of the ring.  Well as soon as I turned to set her up a woman screamed, I had a sharp comp in my pocket and it had sank it's teeth into me and I was pouring blood but I was so mad with her and myself for letting her almost whoop me that I didn't notice the pain.  Now I have a nice line of dots across the top of my right cheek that I'll always have to remember her by.

 

[Bradenh]

I was at a friends trimmin feet and some folks had a cripple heifer and they wanted to see if he could fix it. Got down in the hoof a couple layers and come to find out there was multiple metal comb teeth in it. Pretty startling I have to say

 

[mainegirl]

oooouuuuch .  the worst experience we've had with a comb was with a little 800 lb market heifer that decided to be satan herself when she came into heat at a show one time.  It was my senior year and I had had a few pretty rough steers for our county show but this little heifer beat me all over the ring.  I was setting her up for first in a corner before the judge "formally" pulled me out to win the class and she threw me into the wall and we proceeded to go to the center of the ring.  Well as soon as I turned to set her up a woman screamed, I had a sharp comp in my pocket and it had sank it's teeth into me and I was pouring blood but I was so mad with her and myself for letting her almost whoop me that I didn't notice the pain.  Now I have a nice line of dots across the top of my right cheek that I'll always have to remember her by.

This brings me to ask everyone's opinion. I was told that in showmanship, a judge will look to see if your comb teeth are pointed out away from you. I got to the point that I just didn't take a comb in the ring with me. It always found that it would fall out of your pocket, or your calf or another exhibitor's claf could bump into ya. I always felt that whether the teeth are pointed towards you or away from you, you can still get injured. So what would be worse, having the teeth go into you or the teeth poking into the calf that bumps into you and just upsetting them more and then them causing you more injury? I've heard people say one way and others say the other way.

Sorry to hear about the bull. I'm hoping he'll have a speedy recovery!

 

[shortdawg]

Hope the bull gets along ok ! I stuck about 5 teeth about 1/2 inch into the palm of my hand last week.  On top of a comb is not a good place to put your hand when you are trying to get up ........just sayin

 

[KCK]

I spend most of my time on showday turning combs over so the teeth are down after I saw someone let a very high $$$ heifer step on her comb. I know, I know- dirt gets in the comb.... the amount of time most of these boys take these days, they can pencil in a few seconds to cheek their combs in my opinion.

 

[american honey]

Oh no, that is not good!! Best of luck!!

 

[justme]

oooouuuuch .  the worst experience we've had with a comb was with a little 800 lb market heifer that decided to be satan herself when she came into heat at a show one time.  It was my senior year and I had had a few pretty rough steers for our county show but this little heifer beat me all over the ring.  I was setting her up for first in a corner before the judge "formally" pulled me out to win the class and she threw me into the wall and we proceeded to go to the center of the ring.  Well as soon as I turned to set her up a woman screamed, I had a sharp comp in my pocket and it had sank it's teeth into me and I was pouring blood but I was so mad with her and myself for letting her almost whoop me that I didn't notice the pain.  Now I have a nice line of dots across the top of my right cheek that I'll always have to remember her by.

This brings me to ask everyone's opinion. I was told that in showmanship, a judge will look to see if your comb teeth are pointed out away from you. I got to the point that I just didn't take a comb in the ring with me. It always found that it would fall out of your pocket, or your calf or another exhibitor's claf could bump into ya. I always felt that whether the teeth are pointed towards you or away from you, you can still get injured. So what would be worse, having the teeth go into you or the teeth poking into the calf that bumps into you and just upsetting them more and then them causing you more injury? I've heard people say one way and others say the other way.

Sorry to hear about the bull. I'm hoping he'll have a speedy recovery!

I was taught the opposite.  I was taught to always keep the teeth towards you.  I'd rather catch myself with the teeth than my competitors.  I like having my kids use one of the plastic stimulator combs just because of that

 

[KCK]

oooouuuuch .  the worst experience we've had with a comb was with a little 800 lb market heifer that decided to be satan herself when she came into heat at a show one time.  It was my senior year and I had had a few pretty rough steers for our county show but this little heifer beat me all over the ring.  I was setting her up for first in a corner before the judge "formally" pulled me out to win the class and she threw me into the wall and we proceeded to go to the center of the ring.  Well as soon as I turned to set her up a woman screamed, I had a sharp comp in my pocket and it had sank it's teeth into me and I was pouring blood but I was so mad with her and myself for letting her almost whoop me that I didn't notice the pain.  Now I have a nice line of dots across the top of my right cheek that I'll always have to remember her by.

This brings me to ask everyone's opinion. I was told that in showmanship, a judge will look to see if your comb teeth are pointed out away from you. I got to the point that I just didn't take a comb in the ring with me. It always found that it would fall out of your pocket, or your calf or another exhibitor's claf could bump into ya. I always felt that whether the teeth are pointed towards you or away from you, you can still get injured. So what would be worse, having the teeth go into you or the teeth poking into the calf that bumps into you and just upsetting them more and then them causing you more injury? I've heard people say one way and others say the other way.

Sorry to hear about the bull. I'm hoping he'll have a speedy recovery!

I was taught the opposite.  I was taught to always keep the teeth towards you.  I'd rather catch myself with the teeth than my competitors.  I like having my kids use one of the plastic stimulator combs just because of that

I was always told that the teeth went in for a couple reasons: 1- Calf bumping the flat part of a comb won't startle it as bad as getting the teeth dug into it causing an adverse reaction like getting you kicked. My family always said to look out for the other people's calves b/c you never know how they would act. It would take a lot of pressure for it to go through a tucked in shirt and belt or denim, if a showman is dressed properly. 2- The teeth would get more tangled in a shirt than anything, making it harder for it to actually fall out of a pocket.

 

[gobigorgohome]

cattle stepping on combs is never good ive actually had one step on a sharp metal comb while washing as it fell out of someone elses pocket. so i never liked to put one in my back pocket while showing until i lost a showmanship because of it. so i never carry one until right before showmanship and i put a plastic comb in my pants. that way it wont hurt me and wont fall out if another calf bumps me. always a big concern to me.

 

[snoit]

We found some hammer holders that hook on your belt and are not expensive at all they are made of leather and a metal loop. Works great for your comb when showing you can face the teeth in and if it gets hit the teeth hit the leather part.