How to Fit a Beef Heifer for Show

Everyone has their own opinion about how to halter-break a heifer, and to be honest, one way does not work on every animal. First it's important to remember safety for all people and animals involved, and you want the animal to experience as little stress as possible through the process.  I think you need to take each animal's behavior into consideration and you should remember that an adult should be doing most if not all the work at first, especially if you have young children.
If this is your first time to halter-break a calf, it's best to take the time and prepare a stall area before a halter is placed on the animal. We like to have a solid wall with a tie rings attached, not a gate or wall with horizontal boards which allows an area for the heifer to get legs or head caught. It's also a good idea to have an area for halter breaking near the working chute, so you don't have to lead the heifer a long distance. Be sure to bed the area well with shavings or straw, both for the comfort of the animal and to help keep the area clean.

Poly rope halter with slide ring

Poly rope halter



Rice Root Brush

Items needed to begin are a poly rope halter and a rice root brush. A poly rope halter is commonly used for breaking, and we've found that one with a slide ring works well at this time because it easily releases the pressure on the calf when the calf relaxes. A good quality rice root brush is a good way to train the hair, which is another post itself, and it helps both the animal and the child to get acquainted, comfortable, and trusting of the other. Time spent both morning and afternoon brushing will pay off in the end. You can purchase these items at your local livestock feed/supply store or go to https://www.facebook.com/ChampionShowSupplyKY/ and order by calling Champion Show Supply, the Kentucky dealer for Sullivan Supply. As a disclosure, this company is owned by my son, but offers the quality products that our family has used for decades.
Keep in mind that most beef cattle don't like to be alone so if you have only one calf to halter-break it may be a great idea to have other cows or calves in sight in a nearby shed or stall to ease the stress level. Of course this may not be possible and many heifers will be content to be alone.
If you have a squeeze chute, it's best to walk the heifer into the chute, catching the head. Carefully place the halter on the calf, making sure it is on correctly with the lead rope on the calf's left side. Be sure the nose strap is placed high enough and that the side straps are not too close to the eyes.



Halter placement on this heifer is good, however, it could probably be positioned further from the eye. Also, this photograph was taken at a county fair, and the heifer was halter-broke well. Do not tie a calf to a gate when beginning the process.

Make this time in the chute pleasant, moving slowly and talking softly. Allow the calf to relax before opening the chute and leading the calf to the stall to be tied. This is where the fun begins! Some heifers will begin fighting the halter immediately, while others will be more stubborn and plant their feet determined not to move. Patience is the most important tool to have with you in the barn at this time. Take your time in coaxing and leading the heifer to the stall.  Tie the heifer with a slip knot, with just enough slack so the heifer can lay down. Never tie a a calf with a double knot because you want to be able to release the heifer quickly if needed. Give the heifer feed or hay to further make the halter a good experience. If you have a fan at the barn, now's a good time to have it on behind the heifer, either hanging or on a stand. I've not seen a beef animal yet that didn't enjoy standing in front of a fan. Of course, if the temperature is 30 degrees, you might want to forget the fan and turn on a radio!
Don't leave the heifer during this early breaking period. Plan to work on other barn chores so that you are near but not sitting with the animal. You never know what might frighten the heifer and it's good to be nearby. It takes experience and natural instinct to read an animals disposition and determine if the animal is ready to have a brush pulled across their topline or side. You want to be wary of being kicked, but at the same time a heifer can often sense the confidence level of the person approaching. Talking quietly to the animal as you approach the lead side, it's best to take a brush to their shoulder, topline or side, staying clear of the back legs for a few days.
Have you ever heard the saying, "You can lead a horse to water......?" Well, it's time to lead a calf to water! Having a water tub or tank near the stall area gives a great opportunity for leading the calf. Odds are the calf will be ready to drink after a while so getting the heifer to lead to the water tank may not be as difficult as just leading around in a lot or in the barn. This is an excellent way to take short, productive walks with the heifer. You will find that it is probably more difficult leading the heifer back to the stall! It's often good to have a person to help coax the heifer into walking while another person leads with the halter.Again, it just depends on the animal.
After several days of haltering, tying, brushing, and leading to water and eventually outside, a heifer will begin to lead much easier with little or no resistance. Soon, catching the heifer in the morning will be as simple as having the feed pan filled in the stall before opening the door, then while the heifer eats you can easily slip the halter on and tie.
I hope this information is helpful to beginners, just remember that common sense works best when dealing with animals and always be safe.

Photographs of halters and brush, used with permission,

granberrythaniorefore1998.blogspot.com

Source: https://barnscoop.blogspot.com/2012/01/halter-breaking-beef-heifer.html