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06/21/13, 12:10 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7
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Does anyone else ride their steer?...
Hi, I'm Carlyn, and I got a calf back in January for my birthday. He's now a 5 month old Holstein steer and is a great guy. He's my very first bovine, and he is NOT a freezer cow, he's the family lawn mower ;p
Since we can't get a horse, I really want to do riding with him. I'm wondering if anybody has ANY tips on training. Also, what age should I really work him? I can rest my arms/chest over his back now and sometimes I put both hands on his back while jumping up and down. I read one person who started sitting on their calf as soon as their feet came up off the ground... I know that would be a HUGE no-no with a horse, but what age CAN I try initially sitting on him?...
Any answer is a good answer for me, thanks for taking time to read and reply!
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06/21/13, 12:24 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7
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Sorry, my tablet won't let me post links or pics right now.
Last edited by cJeffer220; 06/21/13 at 01:57 PM.
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06/23/13, 03:14 PM
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hillbilly farmgirl
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: State of Jefferson
Posts: 42
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Yes, it can be done. When I was a kid I was brought a heifer to bottle raise...she was a twin and a freemartin so was eventually sold. During the years I had her, I would sit up on her back constantly. My mother even put a pony saddle on her one time!! I didn't do much formal training beyond halter training so it was hard to get her to move the way I wanted. I am pretty sure they can be trained to ride or as draft animals. Just keep in mind sitting on a cows back isnt like sitting behind a horse's withers...you do slant forward so have to compensate for the angles of the animal. Hope this helps, and thanks for the trip down Memory Lane!
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06/23/13, 03:45 PM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: VA
Posts: 1,706
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06/23/13, 04:18 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Montana
Posts: 391
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welcome to the group Carlyn, to answer your question no I have not, but I have seen people riding catte, look into books or people that you know that have trained oxen that would be a good start. First teach him good manners this boy will most likely reach over a ton when he is full grown maybe a lot more.
right now at 5 months, get him use to a lead and a blanket on his back and the feel of your hand on him and your voice. I think you will have a lot of fun him good luck and please keep us posted on his and your progress,
I just deleted some/a lot of what I posted, need to know have you ever broke/train a horse don't what to take the chance of getting you hurt.
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06/24/13, 12:55 AM
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hillbilly farmgirl
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: State of Jefferson
Posts: 42
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I would say that between 8-12 months should be safe to begin putting some amount of weight on his back. Its hard to give advice over the internet, but please be mindful of both you and your calf's size. I began by putting a little weight on my heifers back at a time. To do this I stood on a fence after i had thrown some alfalfa down for her and used the fence to support most of my weight, not the calf. Easier for a beginner, and easier to get the calf used to what you intend to train him for at the same time.
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06/24/13, 11:33 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 122
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We have some folks a ways south of us who train their steers to ride and drive. Here are a couple sites he sent me you might find interesting: http://www.premierlonghorns.com/RidingSteers2.html and http://www.longhornnetworks.com/steer3.html
I had a brown swiss/holstein cow I milked as the house cow all through school - I rode her and trained one of her calves to do tricks (play dead, shake hands, jump on gram's cement garden bench, bow, and sit) so you surely can train your boy to ride! Good luck!
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06/24/13, 01:14 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7
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Thanks everybody for the help! I've never trained or been around cows or horses. (Save a little bit of equestrian I did for a few months) and nobody "horsey" I know has time to help me.
Iggy is doing pretty well, he is learning stand, woah, back, and walk right now. The very first time I threw a towel on his back, he didn't budge an inch! He's not a fan of ANY weight though, haha! (Hopefully I can find a saddle pad soon to try on him though)
Any tips on getting him to pick up his feet?
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06/24/13, 01:42 PM
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hillbilly farmgirl
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: State of Jefferson
Posts: 42
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Glad you're making some progress!!! As to picking up the feet, I would train them the way you do a horse. A horse should pick up his feet when you lean into the shoulder or haunch you want lifted while running your hand down the leg from knee to fetlock. Some trainers also use a second person/rope attached to said fetlock to help the animal get the idea to lift that foot but I feel this is dangerous to do, especially to a horse. Their legs are much more delicate than a a steers would be.
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06/24/13, 05:28 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShannonR
Glad you're making some progress!!! As to picking up the feet, I would train them the way you do a horse. A horse should pick up his feet when you lean into the shoulder or haunch you want lifted while running your hand down the leg from knee to fetlock. Some trainers also use a second person/rope attached to said fetlock to help the animal get the idea to lift that foot but I feel this is dangerous to do, especially to a horse. Their legs are much more delicate than a a steers would be.
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He does ok with his front feet (well...not really, but he's getting much better, haha!) but there's still no hope with his hind legs...apply any pressure to those toes and the leg kicks like mad.
I saw a technique (it was used on a donkey) where they looped a rope around the front foot, then around the back, and finally pulled. Whenever the donkey kicked, it would make his front foot 'trip' also. After a couple minutes it calmed down and the farrier did his work.
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06/24/13, 05:34 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7
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Ahhhh! I found a site all about riding cows... http://ridingsteers.freeforums.org/holsteins-t1270.html only bummer, it's super inactive! I posted almost a week ago, but it still says "must be approved by a moderator first" and it says I haven't done enough "activity" on the site to message anyone about it. Grr!
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06/24/13, 05:37 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by montysky
welcome to the group Carlyn, to answer your question no I have not, but I have seen people riding catte, look into books or people that you know that have trained oxen that would be a good start. First teach him good manners this boy will most likely reach over a ton when he is full grown maybe a lot more.
right now at 5 months, get him use to a lead and a blanket on his back and the feel of your hand on him and your voice. I think you will have a lot of fun him good luck and please keep us posted on his and your progress,
I just deleted some/a lot of what I posted, need to know have you ever broke/train a horse don't what to take the chance of getting you hurt.
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Like I say, I have zero experience with cows... Very very very little with horses (only got once-a-week riding lessons for about two months before the instructor ditched me...) but I've trained 3 of my own dogs as well as a few neighbors' dogs :P
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06/24/13, 06:13 PM
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hillbilly farmgirl
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: State of Jefferson
Posts: 42
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The hind feet are a little trickier, the rope method can be of assistance though. I do believe the front feet were simply hobbled for horses while training to pick up the hind legs. It does help to pay attention to how the animal moves, and where, so you are picking up the leg in a manner thats comfortable to them. If you can lean in harder and apply more pressure so hes forced to shift his weight it should be easier for you
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06/24/13, 07:37 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Georgia
Posts: 596
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06/25/13, 05:46 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: New York bordering Ontario
Posts: 4,778
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ArmyDoc
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NO,NO, NO!!! Never train a cow to jump a fence!!! lol! I have a hard enough time keeping them in without teaching them how to get out! 
__________________
-Northern NYS
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06/25/13, 06:08 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Southwestern Ohio
Posts: 36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jennifer L.
NO,NO, NO!!! Never train a cow to jump a fence!!! lol! I have a hard enough time keeping them in without teaching them how to get out! |
I have no help for the OP other then to say that I know it CAN/has been done but I had to let Jennifer L know that I about spit water on my computer screen when I read her response to the photo  .... so awesome!
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06/27/13, 01:00 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7
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I doubt I'll ever get as far as jumping with him... Not even 6 months and he's super lazy, haha! I don't think I'd be concerned about them jumping the fence as long as they know the difference between a fence and a jump. (And if the fence has a string of hot-wire for the more bodacious ones....)
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07/01/13, 06:37 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2012
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07/03/13, 07:15 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SW Missouri
Posts: 68
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Our daughter would ride our mini milk cow... until she outgrew her. We didn't do anything special... She just climbed on one day and didn't get thrown off so we let her go. LOL!
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