Adolescent prankster working steers?

[Victoria Reck Barlow]

Is there a developmental stage when working steers become complete monkey boys?

My little darlings, now 20 months old, suddenly seem to have forgotten their training when yoked. Singly, in halter, they behave flawlessly. Together, off they go, disregarding my commands when they chose.

Yesterday, while I was scooping manure in the vicinity, they took off like two puppies in wild chase, running full-speed laps around the pond, trading turns chasing each other, galloping up to me breathless and snorting, and then pushing each other around, as close to me as possible — as if all this was much more fun to do with an audience.

I am taking them back to square one, with a stout stick rather than gentle touches of my lash. Still, I would feel better if I knew this was a case of the “terrible twos”!

And I would feel even better than that if you all have specific recommendations for training at this stage, if it is indeed a stage. They are pushing 1,000 lbs each, and I can’t hold back the team with a halter.

If it matters, they are Milking Shorthorns.

many thanks!

[Tim Harrigan]

Yes, when they are about 2 they get to be big and strong and they begin to develop a sense of independence. They will begin to challenge you, not necessarily in a malicious way, but will probe the limits of what you will accept as appropriate behavior. This is harder than training calves because calves are usually pretty compliant, 2 year old steers will push back. In one sense you just have to work through this with patience. But you also have to be very clear and consistent in your expectations. You have to think through age appropriate expectations and age appropriate enforcement. 1000 lb steers are quite a bit different than 100 lb calves.

[Vicki]

My little angel-calves became naughty devil-steers for a few months during during year two. Others told me it was normal terrible two’s. I kept on with a firm hand, had to be right on them at all times, and soon they settled into reliable and trustworthy working cattle.

During this feisty period, the number two steer took dominance over the original number one steer, which also shook things up for a couple months.

At nine and a half years old, they still often get snorty playful–but never threatening– like you describe, especially at dusk, which I actually find endearing.

[CharlyBonifaz]

really must be a heck of a time development wise…..
was the one and only time, mine actually turned against me……out of the blue…..
as an afterthought:
I didn’t have a clue what was going on: a lot of things had changed in his environment
– he was part of a horse herd, whose mamas had come down with foals, so the herd structure changed ( he was pushed away where he was being welcomed before)
– a week prior he had an accident with a car, which really wasn’t his mistake, but of course shook him up
– he started to loose his front milk teeth that week
– I wore a red blouse that day, to which in fact he had been used to
– the books said 😉 that around this time they will challenge their position in the herd one more time, before they settle in their ranks…..reread the books only afterwards 🙁

since I wasn’t prepared for it at all, I actually had the phone in my hand after the incident, to call the abattoir; what saved his neck was a holiday and 2 guys that told me, to get my ass off the ground and show him who the boss was 😎
we never have worked so hard ever since…..
and he has come to be a most amiable ox…..

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Lots of people I’ve spoken to tell me about this – Angus got a bit shirty at around a year – started mucking around when I was trying to work him and being a bit pushy in the field/being led. He seems to have naturally calmed down a lot in the last 2months, I didn’t really change anything except to make sure I was really tough on him about things like not barging or pushing me.

[Paul T. Ferrari]

My first piece of advice is that you should lose the halters. In your thread you said “I can’t hold back the team with a halter.” In my opinion you can ruin a team of calves with halters. It can become a crutch that usurps the place of a proper working relationship with your cattle. I eschew halters throughout the whole first year of training. I use collars and ropes both individually and when I’m working them as a team. It’s harder to guide a team with collars. I only use the ropes as an emergency break to prevent run a ways. With that said, you might be in trouble now. If your cattle are still running away at >1,000 lbs. you will need halters to stop them from running off. The command whoa is completely non-negotiable. If your going to go back to basics, go back to whoa. Do nothing but drill the command whoa for a month. You’ll drive all three of you crazy but you’ll never have a run off again. Whoa is the foundation of all other commands. Don’t move on to anything else if whoa isn’t understood and complied with 100 percent, at all times, with no exception what-so-ever. Spare the rod, ruin the team.

You want to have your team psychologically a tune to your commands and subordinate to your leadership. And if they get out of line, you need to immediately correct them with your whip or goad. By correct, I mean that you use the goad as a physical means to reinforce you psychological dominance. Most cattle will readily submit to a singular crack of the whip. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that a whip is anything more than an extension of your role as leader in the psyche of your two steers. At 1,000 lbs. a smack with a goad is still just a mere suggestion to them that they stop kidding around because they’re working. A well placed smack with the goad can help you reinforce your dominance or make them comply with a command. However, use your goad judiciously. Differentiate between taps and signals when driving (communication) and using your whip as a tool to assert dominance when they’re testing you.

As for the first part of your question, yes they do get more rowdy at that age. They’re getting big and powerful and every steer at his genetic core is a bull. They just want to do bull stuff like fight, wrestle, and mate. It can be fun to watch from outside the fence, but if you’re on the other side of the gate it can feel a little bit like a disaster waiting to happen. My advice is to not play along. Don’t chase them if you’re trying to capture them. It’s too much fun for them to run away from you. If they’re acting like that in the yoke, make sure that you’re in control by drilling the command whoa. It’s a great tool when the team gets out of hand. Make them concentrate and pay attention to you. Then you can go to work. Good luck!

[Tim Harrigan]

Victoria: Think of this as a great opportunity to hone your ox training skills. This is his gift to you. You just need to live up to your part of the bargain. The spice of life for those of us who enjoy working with cattle. An opportunity to examine your skill and understanding. 😉

[Victoria Reck Barlow]

Paul said: “If you’re going to go back to basics, go back to whoa. Do nothing but drill the command whoa for a month.”

Paul, and others, what does this look like? Would you give me some specific examples of how you would drill “whoa”? I want to do this, and need fresh ideas.

And everyone, thank you for the reassurance, and for all the good advice.

It puzzles me that each steer is so compliant when we practice commands one-on-one, and given to spurts of naughtiness when we do the exact same things with them yoked.

(Actually, I think it is the nigh steer who is naughtiest, and the ringleader. His brother is much more contemplative, and I think would be happy to follow directions. Should I increase the time I spend working with the nigh steer, even though he is pretty near perfect when he is by himself? I think he is the boss boy — the off steer lets him eat first. If I want to bring them in from far away, I halter the off steer and naughty boy will follow close behind, so as not to miss a thing. If I halter the naughty boy and walk away, the off steer doesn’t care if we leave the area.)

Our back-to-basics work has taken place only within the pasture — I’m not trusting them in the woods or on the road. It’s when we’re near those pasture exits that they get excitable and forget “whoa.”

To my eye, they have a mighty nice space, with plenty of feed, shade, a pond, nooks and crannies, close proximity to the house in one area — what more could a steer want? Are they bored? Should I do the woods work anyway? It’s a big patch of forest.

Is it possible that they’re homesick for their buddies? They spend the fall and winter at another location, several miles distant, with a mixed 60-head herd of cows, babies, teenagers — during the deep winter months they’re inside part of each day, with the 6-12 barn cows.

I’ve liked this arrangement, so far, for the summer convenience and because they do get the herd time for part of the year, and learn bovine manners, and then have only themselves the rest of the time, to strengthen their attachment to each other and to me.

Plus, my parrot now says “come up” and “whoa” and “hey boys” and, as of today, he also moos. All of this, I assure you, is self-taught. Maybe there is a place for working parrots?

Again, I really appreciate the help. They are lovely boys, and I know they are redeemable. “Whoa” sounds like a great place to focus. Tips?

[Tim Harrigan]

First of all, you want to be a team so take them out as a team. Forget about working single until they can work together. This does not have to be complicated. Take them out and practice stops and starts, and make them start and stop together. Start, go 30 feet, and stop. Do it 20 or 30 times every day, maybe more. They can not read your mind, but they should be able to stop within one second of your whoa command. Give them a tap on the nose with the goad if necessary. When you are pleased with their response, take them to the areas you mentioned where they get jumpy. Everytime they start to speed up, make them stop and stand for a moment. Same procedure, start-stop right out in to the woods. It may take a few days, and no need to hurry taking them outside the pasture. You will have a sense of whether or not they will behave when you take them out. Repitition, clear expectations, predictable and regrettable enforcement. Like a hot knife through butter. Three or four hundred pounds on a stoneboat will help them stay focused.

[Vicki]

This is good and clear advice from Tim.

It will require you to stay right on them at all times, meaning you rivet all attention on them and watch for the tiniest indication of goofing off, distraction, fear, excitement, noncompliance, etc. then address it immediately. This taught me to really focus on and observe my cattle, by which I learned to read and anticipate their behavior. I had had a tendency to be too casual and daydreaming so that they had already gotten off track by the time I noticed, requiring me to correct, rather than maintaining more even control by heading off problems. This was a case of me needing to train MYSELF.

After that, work sessions became more even and stayed more relaxed for all three of us.

I also found that when we went into an unfamiliar environment, they behaved better and focused more intently on my cues because they depended on my leadership more than when they thought they knew their way around. Don’t rush it, but when you are confident that they will stop and that they are responsive to you and that you can read them, go on an unfamiliar trail in the woods or to a new area on the property, or go by a new route. They will probably be very attentive and responsive.

[Vicki]

Paul, you give good counsel. I really appreciate the way you describe the use of the goad. It took me a year or more to come to that understanding. It’s not explicitly stated in the materials I’ve seen, and unless you’re a natural intuitive cattle trainer–not me!–it’s the cattle that teach you this.

Victoria, if you see it coming, you may need merely a word or a touch or calling the ox’s name to let him know you’re watching in order to correct or refocus him.

[Paul T. Ferrari]

All of the trainers who responded to this post have given really solid advise that I would whole-heartedly second. The one thing I would add, is that you need to set specific training objectives and create a plan for how these objectives will fit together. I’ll elaborate.

-Every time you arrange a training session set a clear attainable goal that will challenge both you and your team. You will have to discern what is both attainable and challenging.

-Create a specific plan that will help you reach the above goal by asking the questions:

*What do I want to accomplish (e.g. pulling a stone boat to the top of the hill with 300 lbs of rock on it; turning around haw; going back to the barn with no running or goofing off; in other words you want them to be perfect gentlemen while they’re accomplishing this task)?

*How are you going to accomplish this task (e.g. I’m going to yoke them, fit their chain, and take them out of barn; Then I’ll give them a little walk and practice whoa and some turns for a five minute warm up; then I’m going to hitch them to the stoneboat; take them half way up the hill and give them a rest, etc.)?

*What are the hazards, distractions, and difficulties I may encounter, and how can I avoid or minimize these hazards, difficulties, and distractions. (e.g. There’s a big ditch on the right side of the trail my team can fall into; someone left a big sharp piece of tin roofing on the ground where I’m going to need to turn around; there’s a pasture full of heifers next to the road I’ll be using, which my team would like to get to know better. Therefore, I’ll pick up the roofing before I take my team out, I’ll walk the team well to the left past the ditch, and I’ll make my team whoa when we come next the heifers and be extra careful to keep them focused on me by having them turn gee and haw in as they walk up the road so they don’t lose focus.

-Stick to your plan and accomplish your goals no matter what. Never allow your team to get out of accomplishing the goal you have set for them. Absolute compliance with your commands is the only way they can get back to the barn for food, water, and relaxation. Any bad behavior is met with more work, corrections with the whip, and long walks away from the barn with an unrelenting, obstinate teamster with a goal oriented iron will).

*This is why your goals must be attainable. However, if they’re too easy your team will not mature.

*Accomplish your goal no matter what. Even if you have to repeat the exercise again and again, do it until you get exactly what you want from them (e.g. a calm focused team that is working together with each other and with you.)

*Avoid the inclination to feel sorry for them or to think that you’re being too hard on them by making them do what you want. If they’re improperly trained and uncontrollable, they’re dangerous. Uncontrollable teams get shipped to feed lots or directly to the slaughter house to be shot in the head, cut up, and eaten. If they’re well trained, they will live out there natural lives as handsome and useful denizens of your farm and community. A well trained working animal is valuable, beautiful, and useful… alive. An untrained, unruly or dangerous steer is only useful if he’s dead… unfortunately.

-The above goals and techniques are short-term goals. Come up with a master plan so you can lay out a years worth of training, and set up daily goals that will help you attain your next larger goal. (e.g. I want to have them master their basic commands; them move onto cart work so I can move compost to my garden in the spring; then I want to train them to pull with a stone boat; the culmination of their pulling training will be plowing under cornstalks in the fall; we can them move onto logging in the winter; then we can work with the scoot in the late winter so they can collect sap in the spring.)

*There’s a lot of forethought that has to go into the long-term plan. You need to have your equipment in working order when the next phase is ready to begin. You also need to have the appropriate yokes sizes so that you don’t have to stop your training to build or find a yoke that will fit your team.

This is the way I train my teams and I’ve found that it works well. With all of this talk of planning and forethought I should mention that stuff comes, wrecks happen, equipment breaks, and plans need to be broken or changed. The most important thing is that you’re calm, confident, and in control or your own emotions and thoughts. Your animals will respect calm confident leadership that keeps them safe, in good conditions, and in good challenging work. They should look forward to working, being in the yoke, and having discipline and structure in their lives off the pasture. Go into every session with a calm, confident attitude and your animals will take on that same attitude. Good luck!

[ivy]

Paul, I like your specific plan outline. I printed it out and put it in my “steer” folder. Thank you all for the good advice and thanks for asking, Victoria, questions help everyone.

I wanted to say that my steer, (who is only 10 months old, so I’m sure my turn is coming) after follow Tim’s advice for learning “woah” now stops at my voice even going back to the barn. So I think it can be done.

ivy

[Paul T. Ferrari]

Ivy,

I think you’ll find the fact that your steer stops on vioce command alone very useful. This means that you can start to drive from the front, the back, and remotely. This also means that you’ve ascerted your will over your steer. He is yeilding to your commands, not because he fears being hit (may be a little), but because he trusts you and knows that you’re not to be crossed.

Just keep trying new and challenging activities with your steer. Keep your training intresting and methodical. You’ll be amazed at what you both will be able to do a year from now.

[Victoria Reck Barlow]

Here is a progress report, in the hopes that some of this may be useful to others with teenage steers . . .

The other day Tiger, a teamster friend, gave me two useful pictures/tools to carry in my head. First, I had been thinking of the boys’ behavior as that of “the terrible twos” — as a mom, I get that. It’s more helpful, however, for me to think of them as teenagers — testing their big strong bodies, seeking independence, yet also secretly wanting limits. As the mom of a teenager, I really get that!

I made a round pen, of sorts, out of some sheep netting, and once in a while we go around and around and around in it. The team relaxes, as if to say “this is all we can do, so let’s just do it.” The real value of the exercise, I think, is for me to see how they do prefer to have their human in control — despite all their big talk to the contrary. I have ramped up my patience, and locked in my strong will. So much of this is about training me . . .

The other tool Tiger shared was the idea of “timing.” This is old hat to most of you, I bet, and I know Tiger has said it to me before, but this time I finally get what he means. Now that they are brawny teenagers, I absolutely have to be one step ahead of them at all times, reading their minds and bodies so that I can be there before I have to be. Tiger talks about being there before the steer even has a chance to formulate the idea — my job, to read the steer’s body and the situation to catch him that far in advance. It’s a completely absorbing challenge, and I love every minute of it.

And we’re REALLY working on “whoa.” My goal is to have Ivy’s total voice control!

Everyone’s comments have been so helpful — please keep the thoughts and ideas coming. Tiger says this stage can last as long as two years. I need every bit of your wisdom!

[Author]

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