Calm movement is the clear goal of
low-stress handling.
their minds. Why? Because he is then controlling their major means of survival without hurting them. This action of assuming leadership of a herd and
not acting like a predator builds trust and respect in cattle, so that they can relax and want to be in the presence of the handler. In short, this kind of leader- ship grows out of not acting like a predator. This in turn allows cattle not to have to act like prey being pursued. There are 3 major considerations that the handler
must deal with in order to bring about this change of attitude in cattle.
Calm persistence First is the attitude of the handler. This must be
one of calm persistence, because in seeking to gentle cattle we are asking for something that is quite un- natural to them. “Natural” is for predators to pursue and attempt to subdue their prey. It comes easy for us to proceed in a direct line in pursuit of our goal, and it is natural for prey to want to avoid us. To change this, so that the cattle will allow us to
approach them, we need to adopt prey-like behavior, based on that of the herd. This becomes the basis of a cooperative relationship that emerges from the new way the animal perceives the handler. An animal is not really tamed in the sense of losing
his natural instinct for self-preservation. He merely acquires a new set of options when confronted by a human. As a result, the handler must always be aware that it is possible for the animal to revert to instinc- tual behavior if it feels threatened. He must always
92 The Cattleman April 2015
remain non-punitive and emotionally neutral until the animal asks for contact and affection. He must not behave deferentially or seek coopera-
tion through the use of treats. This approach encour- ages the development of an animal that, while no longer afraid, has no respect for you or your space. Control must always develop out of the ability of the handler to have cattle yield their space to his pressure.
Use the fl ight zone The second major concern for the handler is that
he must learn to respect and use the fl ight zone of cattle to teach them that he means no harm. When he has some physical control over their fl ight,
as in the work pens, he must move back and forth across the line of their fl ight zone to teach them that he is not chasing them but only asking for movement off his pressure, in the same manner as a dominant herd member would. The concept of a fl ight zone operates at all levels of
contact with cattle, as well as with other prey animals. Those that are wild and running loose will fl ee
once you approach a point where they feel they are in danger. This distance, however, continues to change as their comfort level with the handler grows or di- minishes. In the pens, a fl ight zone can also be located when
you touch an animal in a certain spot and he reacts with evasion. In this case, the handler should focus on the spot and gradually, through back and forth movement, help the animal become comfortable with his touch.
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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