Guest guest Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 For $5.00 I ordered the 4-H Working Steer Manual from BerryBrook. It's written by Mackenzie Chaucey, a University of New Hampshire student who is a self-designed major in Agriculture Journalism. I found the 44 page manual quite informative. I think I agree with Paramananda's and Balabhadra's methods of training more, but the Working Steer Manual, since it is meant for youth, has a much broader range of information. It has many interesting topics. I try not to be put off by their use of the word "steer" which has a slightly negative connotation for me compared to ox or bullock. But to the 4-H youth, steer simply means an ox under 2 years old. Here's the table of contents: Selecting project animals Management (housing and ventilation) Feeds and feeding Health Animal identification (ear tags, etc.) Behavior Training Cart/Obstacle course driving The course Cart driving commands ("step instep outback up stepeasy") Drag/pulling Fitting and showing Yoke making/fitting Teamster terminology Parts of a yoke Parts of a steer I found a lot of tips in the "Fitting and Showing" section which I thought might be useful to devotee teamsters when we bring the oxen out to pull the Deities or guests on festival days. ys hkdd ****** TACK BOX You will probably want to bring with you a box of cleaning supplies and equipment you may need at a show. This is called a tack box. Some things you may want to include in your box: Hard Brush Medium brush Soft brush Tail comb Scrub brush Soap Water pail Sandpaper Towels Hoof/Horn polish or oil HORNS Firm horn attachment varies by breed. You should be sure your steer's horns are firmly attached before you begin sanding them. [Animals without horns cannot be shown.] Remember that there is a blood supply just under the shell of the horns, so you must be careful if you use glass or a knife in the preliminary steps of smothing out the horns. First: Use rough sandpaper or carpenter's screen to get out any gouges or ripples in the horn. Use the sandpaper with the grain of the horn (sanding away from the horn base -- as opposed to against the grain, which would be a circular motion around the horn) as against-the-grain sanding could cause more scratches to remove than you started with. Second: Use medium sandpaper, sanding with the grain until the horn is smooth and without ripples. Third: Use a fine sandpaper against the grain of the horn to produce a very smooth horn. * TRICKS OF THE TRADE * PROBLEM: DANDRUFF ON THE NECK You will find after many months of training hard for a pulling class, the spot where the yoke rests on your teams' neck is white and flaky. Especially noticeable on black animals, dandruff (accumulated dead skin cells), is an undesirable trait during the Fitting and Showmanship class. A judge will often pully back a yoke to see if you have attempted to hide a dandruff problem. Other common dandruff areas are the back and end of the tail. TRICK (SOLUTION) Some teamsters have found the skin on animals' neck can be softened by baby or mineral oil. A small amount of oil can be worked into the skin of problem areas to soften and reduce dandruff. But oil will also give your animals' coat a greasy look, which will be frowned upon in the show ring. If you use oil, make sure you do it well ahead of a show so it will be worked out of the coat by show time. Another approach to dandruff problems is with ordinary white vinegar. After washing and thoroughly rinsing your steer, pour ample amounts of vinegar over the problem areas and do not rinse. Dandruff can be controlled by everyday brushing. Although these tricks may help, good ol' elbow greast is your best bet. [Note to non-North Americans - "elbow grease" is an expression for putting energy and effort into your work.] PROBLEM: STEER HORNS ARE DULL After sanding your steers' horns for hours on end, you may find they turn somewhat dull to look at. Judges like to see smooth horns and clean hooves, and some teamsters like to put a shine on their steers' horns. TRICK (SOLUTION) There are several ways to put a little spark to your team's horns. Many teamsters use baby or mineral oil to give horns and hooves a soft, clean and smooth appearance. Make sure you start with clean hooves and smooth horns. Dab a small amount of oil onto a clean cloth or paper towel. Rub moistened cloth onto horn and hoof, making sure not to get stepped on. Try not to get oil into the hair, as it will cause greasy appearance. It is helpful to apply oil to hooves while the animals are standing on dry, clean concrete or pavement and remain there until oil is dry and no dirt will stick to them. Before going into a show ring, make sure to remove any excess oil off the horns. A judge may touch the horns and will not be pleased by greasy hands. Other teamsters like to use polish, which is applied by a brush. Polish comes in clear and black and leaves hoof and horn with a shiny appearance. Horns should be clean and well-sanded before applying polish, as the hair will harden in the polish, too. It is not recommended to use black polish, as it is difficult to keep on white hair and can leave an unnatural appearance. [Maybe someone on this conference tell us something about painting hooves and horns gold or silver...] PROBLEM: DULL COAT There will be times, no matter how much you brush, you just won't seem to get any shine to your animals' coat. This can be especially bothersome in white or red animals. TRICK (SOLUTION) After washing your animals, it is possible to apply a conditioner to your team's coat, which can help to gain shine. There are many such conditioners on the market, but make sure to read the labels. Some conditioner must be rinsed or else dandruff will result, while others may be left on for super shine. For last minute shine, use a product like "Show Sheen" or "leave-in" conditioner and water in a spray bottle. After brusshing away any and all loose hare and dirt, spray a light mist over each animal and brush the product in for a high shine that will attract the judge's eye. Make certain you do not use too much of the product, as sticky clumping of hair may occur. PROBLEM: DIRTY EARS Cattle generally don't enjoy their ears being cleaned, but judges have been known to chekc ears with a napkin in the ring, so don't forget about them. TRICK (SOLUTION) For stubborn earwax, use baby wipes to clean out ears. You don't need to clean farther than your fingers can reach, but make sure the wipe comes out clean before you're done. Refrain from using Q-tips, as the sensitive eardrum may be damaged by sudden moves from the steer. PROBLEM: DIARRHEA Diarrhea may be caused by traveling, which can be stressful to animals, as can the change of water from their usual source. Diarrhea can also be very messy, so it is helpful to limit stress as much as possible. TRICK (SOLUTION) Keep a box of cornstarch in your tack box. You can mix a coup of cornstarch wth a couple cupfs of grain to try to harden your teams' stool. It is also advisable to provide clean, dry hay which the animals are used to eating. Also provide clean watering buckets. DO NOT share your animals' buckets with other animals. Even if they appear healthy, steers can carry diseases that may be passed through sharing buckets. To prevent taking home an unwanted ailment, keep your buckets to yourself, and don't forget to bring them home. If you're not sure about the water quality at the fair, it may be helpful to bring water from home. PROBLEM: TEAMSTER APPEARANCE The appearance of your team is not all that attracts a judge. As a teamster, you too must also be presentable. TRICK (SOLUTION) Get dressed into your show clothes *at least* half-hour before the show. Once you're dressed, put on a shirt over your white shirt. Last minute touch-ups to your teams sometimes stain a shirt, so this trick is not only advisable, but sometimes a lifesaver. You should bring with you enough clean show shirts for each day you will show, just in case. A teamster should look clean and presentable for each class he/she enters. (Tip: Don't forget to take off your cover shirt before entering the ring!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 Wow! That's gives a neat perspective. I had no idea that non-devotees got so into that sort of thing. I always thought it was sad that some non-devotees had their cows, (and more often their horses) in these beautiful padocks with painted board fences, and we had them in high-tensil, barbwire, or electric fence. I know its practical and usually a financial necessity, but it would be so nice to make it world-class! Thanks for sharing this. ys-Gopal In a message dated 1/4/2004 10:40:51 PM Central Standard Time, npetroff (AT) bowdoin (DOT) edu writes: For $5.00 I ordered the 4-H Working Steer Manual from BerryBrook. It's written by Mackenzie Chaucey, a University of New Hampshire student who is a self-designed major in Agriculture Journalism. I found the 44 page manual quite informative. I think I agree with Paramananda's and Balabhadra's methods of training more, but the Working Steer Manual, since it is meant for youth, has a much broader range of information. It has many interesting topics. I try not to be put off by their use of the word "steer" which has a slightly negative connotation for me compared to ox or bullock. But to the 4-H youth, steer simply means an ox under 2 years old. Here's the table of contents: Selecting project animals Management (housing and ventilation) Feeds and feeding Health Animal identification (ear tags, etc.) Behavior Training Cart/Obstacle course driving The course Cart driving commands ("step instep outback up stepeasy") Drag/pulling Fitting and showing Yoke making/fitting Teamster terminology Parts of a yoke Parts of a steer I found a lot of tips in the "Fitting and Showing" section which I thought might be useful to devotee teamsters when we bring the oxen out to pull the Deities or guests on festival days. ys hkdd ****** TACK BOX You will probably want to bring with you a box of cleaning supplies and equipment you may need at a show. This is called a tack box. Some things you may want to include in your box: Hard Brush Medium brush Soft brush Tail comb Scrub brush Soap Water pail Sandpaper Towels Hoof/Horn polish or oil HORNS Firm horn attachment varies by breed. You should be sure your steer's horns are firmly attached before you begin sanding them. [Animals without horns cannot be shown.] Remember that there is a blood supply just under the shell of the horns, so you must be careful if you use glass or a knife in the preliminary steps of smothing out the horns. First: Use rough sandpaper or carpenter's screen to get out any gouges or ripples in the horn. Use the sandpaper with the grain of the horn (sanding away from the horn base -- as opposed to against the grain, which would be a circular motion around the horn) as against-the-grain sanding could cause more scratches to remove than you started with. Second: Use medium sandpaper, sanding with the grain until the horn is smooth and without ripples. Third: Use a fine sandpaper against the grain of the horn to produce a very smooth horn. * TRICKS OF THE TRADE * PROBLEM: DANDRUFF ON THE NECK You will find after many months of training hard for a pulling class, the spot where the yoke rests on your teams' neck is white and flaky. Especially noticeable on black animals, dandruff (accumulated dead skin cells), is an undesirable trait during the Fitting and Showmanship class. A judge will often pully back a yoke to see if you have attempted to hide a dandruff problem. Other common dandruff areas are the back and end of the tail. TRICK (SOLUTION) Some teamsters have found the skin on animals' neck can be softened by baby or mineral oil. A small amount of oil can be worked into the skin of problem areas to soften and reduce dandruff. But oil will also give your animals' coat a greasy look, which will be frowned upon in the show ring. If you use oil, make sure you do it well ahead of a show so it will be worked out of the coat by show time. Another approach to dandruff problems is with ordinary white vinegar. After washing and thoroughly rinsing your steer, pour ample amounts of vinegar over the problem areas and do not rinse. Dandruff can be controlled by everyday brushing. Although these tricks may help, good ol' elbow greast is your best bet. [Note to non-North Americans - "elbow grease" is an expression for putting energy and effort into your work.] PROBLEM: STEER HORNS ARE DULL After sanding your steers' horns for hours on end, you may find they turn somewhat dull to look at. Judges like to see smooth horns and clean hooves, and some teamsters like to put a shine on their steers' horns. TRICK (SOLUTION) There are several ways to put a little spark to your team's horns. Many teamsters use baby or mineral oil to give horns and hooves a soft, clean and smooth appearance. Make sure you start with clean hooves and smooth horns. Dab a small amount of oil onto a clean cloth or paper towel. Rub moistened cloth onto horn and hoof, making sure not to get stepped on. Try not to get oil into the hair, as it will cause greasy appearance. It is helpful to apply oil to hooves while the animals are standing on dry, clean concrete or pavement and remain there until oil is dry and no dirt will stick to them. Before going into a show ring, make sure to remove any excess oil off the horns. A judge may touch the horns and will not be pleased by greasy hands. Other teamsters like to use polish, which is applied by a brush. Polish comes in clear and black and leaves hoof and horn with a shiny appearance. Horns should be clean and well-sanded before applying polish, as the hair will harden in the polish, too. It is not recommended to use black polish, as it is difficult to keep on white hair and can leave an unnatural appearance. [Maybe someone on this conference tell us something about painting hooves and horns gold or silver...] PROBLEM: DULL COAT There will be times, no matter how much you brush, you just won't seem to get any shine to your animals' coat. This can be especially bothersome in white or red animals. TRICK (SOLUTION) After washing your animals, it is possible to apply a conditioner to your team's coat, which can help to gain shine. There are many such conditioners on the market, but make sure to read the labels. Some conditioner must be rinsed or else dandruff will result, while others may be left on for super shine. For last minute shine, use a product like "Show Sheen" or "leave-in" conditioner and water in a spray bottle. After brusshing away any and all loose hare and dirt, spray a light mist over each animal and brush the product in for a high shine that will attract the judge's eye. Make certain you do not use too much of the product, as sticky clumping of hair may occur. PROBLEM: DIRTY EARS Cattle generally don't enjoy their ears being cleaned, but judges have been known to chekc ears with a napkin in the ring, so don't forget about them. TRICK (SOLUTION) For stubborn earwax, use baby wipes to clean out ears. You don't need to clean farther than your fingers can reach, but make sure the wipe comes out clean before you're done. Refrain from using Q-tips, as the sensitive eardrum may be damaged by sudden moves from the steer. PROBLEM: DIARRHEA Diarrhea may be caused by traveling, which can be stressful to animals, as can the change of water from their usual source. Diarrhea can also be very messy, so it is helpful to limit stress as much as possible. TRICK (SOLUTION) Keep a box of cornstarch in your tack box. You can mix a coup of cornstarch wth a couple cupfs of grain to try to harden your teams' stool. It is also advisable to provide clean, dry hay which the animals are used to eating. Also provide clean watering buckets. DO NOT share your animals' buckets with other animals. Even if they appear healthy, steers can carry diseases that may be passed through sharing buckets. To prevent taking home an unwanted ailment, keep your buckets to yourself, and don't forget to bring them home. If you're not sure about the water quality at the fair, it may be helpful to bring water from home. PROBLEM: TEAMSTER APPEARANCE The appearance of your team is not all that attracts a judge. As a teamster, you too must also be presentable. TRICK (SOLUTION) Get dressed into your show clothes *at least* half-hour before the show. Once you're dressed, put on a shirt over your white shirt. Last minute touch-ups to your teams sometimes stain a shirt, so this trick is not only advisable, but sometimes a lifesaver. You should bring with you enough clean show shirts for each day you will show, just in case. A teamster should look clean and presentable for each class he/she enters. (Tip: Don't forget to take off your cover shirt before entering the ring!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.