Goat tying???? Have to vent!

naturewoman · #61 08/10/07, 03:40 AM

I have a goat that is so skittish that it doesn't take much to make her bolt in panic. A loud unexpected noise...a quick movement. When we go for walks, if she gets nervous she walks right in front of me, or right next to me, and actually leans against my legs for security. If she were used for something like tying, it would only take a couple of throws to make her a complete basket case who would no longer be tame and trusting and loving. I can't imagine ever doing this to a goat. I think they are more intelligent than cattle, so are more sensitive to handling. There is absolutely no way a goat would consider this fun...it's not like they are head butting...that is fun, not being thrown to the ground. My horse accidentally stepped on one of my goats and broke it's leg. If horses sometimes run across the goats, no matter how careful they are, I can only assume that sometimes they get hurt.

I also don't care for rodeos. The only part of a rodeo where the animal seems to be enjoying itself is barrel racing or other horse races or agility courses.

MayLOC · #62 08/10/07, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chamoisee

Actually Mayloc, I have worked on such a ranch (sheep ranch). It was a huge place with thousands of animals. They *did* use portable corral panels to pen and move the sheep when we did the tail docking, castrating, marking, etc etc. The animals were herded to the site by horseback (and they were fairly calm when they got there so I assume they weren't upset about it) and then we herded them into the corral (on foot with border collies) and worked them.

Besides, we're goat breeders here, not cattlemen. As Tink commented, we do get attached to our animals, because they have *personality*. I've never seen any goat breeder rope a goat or slam it to the ground, much less run it down with a horse and do so. It's absurd and unnecessary and hard on the goat. Can you imagine what would happen if we did that to a pregnant doe? She'd probably miscarry, not very productive or useful.

===================================
Sorry Chamoisee, but I was replying strictly to the last comment SOgal made, and it was referencing cattle ranches, not sheep or goat or...

I am very aware that most here maybe "goat breeders, not cattlemen", so that is why I felt compelled to possibly enlighten and hopefully educate a few about the usefullness of the skill of roping.

I have goats also and no, we do not rope them. But again, I was referencing the comment made about cattle ranching/roping, so your entire explanation/comment about goats/sheep wasn't necessary.

I stand by the statement I made and for those who wish to argue I would invite you to visit a large ranch like ours, a lot of it rough country, to see the usefullness and benefits of roping before making a judgement against it.

tinknal · #63 08/10/07, 09:13 AM

I've worked on ranches and have roped hundreds of animals. During a severe outbreak of e. coli. in a wet spring I roped dozens of calves a day to treat them. Every day. It would have taken me all week to get a days work done if I were to erect corrals to doctor a single calf. On a registered Hereford outfit I worked on we tagged, tatooed, and weighed every single calf, spread out over 40,000 acres. Again, roping was the only way to do it. I have also roped and trocarized bloats in remote locations where the animal would have certainly died if I had not been able to rope them.

Ever had a bull that refused to be moved and needed to be treated to save his life? I have. Anyone stupid enough to say that an animal never needs to be roped is displaying an abysmal level of ignorance.

MOgal · #64 08/10/07, 10:30 AM

"Any" is too broad a brush to use in this case. My apologies. I stand corrected. And I've owned cattle as well as goats and horses. They can be just as tame and gentle as the situation allows but I'm sure that doesn't apply to range cattle who seldom see humans. As I said, I stand corrected.

MayLOC · #65 08/10/07, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOgal

"Any" is too broad a brush to use in this case. My apologies. I stand corrected. And I've owned cattle as well as goats and horses. They can be just as tame and gentle as the situation allows but I'm sure that doesn't apply to range cattle who seldom see humans. As I said, I stand corrected.

=====================
Thanks for the response MOgal. Not sure what "any" you are referencing, but that's ok.

I am proud to say that many, many ranchers own fairly calm cattle for being range cattle. Our cows see somebody horseback checking on them so often that they seldom stop grazing when a single rider rides through them to check them. And we run about 750 cattle. It is to the rancher's benefit to check his cattle and keep them in good health. thanks for your open mind.

Oat Bucket Farm · #66 08/10/07, 11:15 AM

Like I said, roping animals to vet them or provide other nessicary care is one thing. Its a whole other thing to chase them down and rope them in an arena just so you can win a prize. For me, that applies to cows as well as goats.

In the rodeo, it's like putting an unwilling person in an enclosed area and allowing a football team to tackle them just so the team can practice.

Emilea · #67 08/10/07, 11:37 AM

Ok I don't think "goat tying" is something I would watch HOWEVER i did sing my son up for the "muttin busting" (i think i'm saying it right) for the rodeo they do it like bull riding but with sheep for small kids... i don't see anything wrong with that... or the rodeo for that matter, The rodeo in NWA does not have nor had in the last years i have been going goat tying... so i don't think all rodeos can be spoke badly of as a whole.. the one in NWA was very good to the animals... I walked around back there and no physical wounds didn't even seem really jumpy.

Feral Nature · #68 08/10/07, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MayLOC

Posted by: MOgal: Any ranch these days can easily and safely move portable working chutes to a site where the cattle are gathered.

-------------------------------------------------------
Ok, I had no need to comment on anything said on this thread, until I saw this comment. Sorry but I have never seen anything so untrue. There are many, many ranches still out there that are very large scale and make this idea riduculous and very impractical. On these ranches, roping is not a skill of fun or sport, it is a skill of necescity in order to care for livestock. We ranch 36,000 acres in S. CO and a good deal of it is rough country that you can only get to horseback. In order to doctor livestock we often have to rope and treat calves, cows, bulls and yearlings and will continue to use this very valuable skill as long as we ranch. A good roper puts much less stress on an animal by quickly and expertly roping and treating than they would to have to gather them and run them into a portable chute set up who knows how far away

We also would not be able to look after all of our cattle and be able to check on them nearly as often if we had to haul around portable chutes (and panels of course) to every pasture we checked! Maybe give it a little thought.

[/QUOTE] <---posted by MayLOC

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ok FN post, (the quote mechanism failed)
We sold out of the cattle business last year after the drought, cattle had been in this family and on this ranch since 1940.

We used cowboys to get our cattle to the auction. They would come out here and rope and tie the calves and culled cows and put them in the stock trailers. They were quick and good at their jobs. Their horses were well trained and these cowboys do this for a living. The cattle would not be stressed out as they did it so well and in a low-key manner. Using portable chutes would have been a big ordeal. The cowboys were quick, cheap and easy. They live on my road and a simple phone call and a few dollars and the job was done.

LFmenagerie · #69 08/10/07, 07:12 PM

I'll start by admitting that I know nothing!

After reading these posts it sounds like cows and calves have a different mentality and they are just plain tougher than goats and the roping works on them. But goats are to fragile, mentally and physically for roping and throwing.
Agreed?

I have to admit that I have put a goat on her side occasionally when I've had no choice, but definately did not stake and tie then chase her, drop her, tie her, and put my knee into her.

Pam