There is a wild animal


in every gentle one and a gentle one in every wild one.


all predators, including human be- ings. We need to teach them to trust


us and to yield in a calm way to pressure we apply. This pressure closely resembles the way cattle rank each other in establishing the herd hierarchy. It is a limited form I call “prey-like pressure,” one that builds slowly and ends quickly at the slightest sign of yielding. Here, the handler’s pressure becomes their motivation to move, and the release becomes their reward once they yield. Cattle must learn several things


we might call their responsibilities. They are not allowed to charge us and must move away from any spot when asked to. The critical moment is usually when we fi rst enter the pen and pressure them to move. At this point we must bring


about the “yielding of their feet to our feet.” Without this we cannot gain their respect or achieve author- ity over them. Likewise, we begin to earn their trust when we release them from this pressure. Another major consideration for


70 The Cattleman September 2013


handling cattle on foot is the qual- ity and layout of the pens. Before barbed wire fencing was developed in the late 19th century, restrain- ing cattle for doctoring or branding used to be a matter of roping and subduing them. Since the early 20th century invention of the head gate, many arrangements of pens and al- leyways have been constructed to bring about the necessary restraint. Today, thanks mainly to the


work of Temple Grandin and the late Bud Williams, work pens have generally evolved along 2 lines. Williams stressed the psychology of cattle and showing them body language that can move them in a calm way. Although he did develop what is known as the “Bud Box” for moving cattle into a narrow chute, his emphasis was primarily on using correct body language in a way visible to cattle, and making do with whatever pen arrangement was at hand. Likewise, Grandin stresses the


importance of understanding bo- vine psychology and using proper body language, but her major con-


tribution has been in developing facilities that not only protect cattle from the sight of improper body lan- guage but also move them along to a truck or squeeze chute in a calm and unhurried way. Today, there are many clinics


and demonstrations teaching correct body language for working cattle. There are also many designers of pen layouts who base their work on the principles put forward by both these seminal individuals. In addi- tion, the value of this non-coercive approach continues to be substan- tiated by research at many of our agricultural universities.


Gentle fi rst, work later In my program, it takes me about


20 hours spread out over 2 weeks to gentle weaned calves. If you pur- chase cattle at an auction, or have them shipped from a long distance, the time it takes to gentle them will vary signifi cantly, depending on the individual life experiences of the cattle. The chances are good they will arrive in a state of confusion and


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