[AlaskaBoers]

Hi,
I have a fairly large boer buck that i am showing in 1 month. I have been walking, clipping, trimming, conditioning him for this show. but teaching him to pose is killing me :hair: ! - i get the collar right up uner his chin, and he so strong he just pulls his head down to pretend to "graze" in the gravel and dirt. how do i get this strong goat to stand with his head up? thank you in advance

 

[sweetgoats]

I know how hard it is. I have a few like that but you have to just keep working. What I tell my 4Hers is, work them about 15-20 minutes a day at LEAST once a day without fail. My daughter does it twice a day, in the morning and in the evening when it is cooler. If it is to hot both you and the goat are not going to want to do it and it will be more work them fun. If you do it more them the 15-20 minutes, again they get really board and tired and will not act right and the two of you will just butt heads.

 

[Shelly]

15 to 20 mins twice a day like sweetgoats is good. Do you have a halter? If so put that on him and tie him up to a fence with his head at the right level and keep his feet set-up for 10 min or so then work with him. Don't leave him alone while tie up. Always put him up while he be good and working with you not fighting you. You don't want him to get the idea if he bad he's done. You want him associate good behavior with being put away or a treat. Don't be afraid to use treat to start with and then wean him off. If you can get him set up and stand for a min give him a treat and let him rest then repeat till he will stand long each day before give a treat. Shelly

 

[FarmGirl18]

Lol, I totally know what you mean!! I got a whoppin guy as well and there is NO way I can keep a hold of him, I'm gonna have my brother show him. But, what kind of collar do you have? It's really helpful to have a prong collar, that way when they try to pull against it, it gives them some discomfort.

 

[AlaskaBoers]

okay, -yeah i use a thick dog collar, but he's so gentle when i'm leading him, its just the posing, he gets bored after like 2 seconds of standing! thanks i'll try that.

 

[FarmGirl18]

Well, the thing is you just do the best you can, whenever I go to shows there's always those goats that just don't like to stand, and they don't, but a good judge will look through the moving around.

The fact that you are working with them is great...I'm sure you will have a great experience showing.

 

[AlaskaBoers]

thanks for all the great tips! :greengrin:

 

[jBlaze]

When you say thick dog collar I am assuming the 1" or so nylon kind. Our goats wear those most of the time, but for show or setting up we use a chain 'choke' collar, we never use the choke part at all. Just the thinner metal gets their attention better than the wide soft nylon - of course your hand gets equal treatment, lol. When just teaching ours we leave the nylon collar on lower down. I have seen people show the bucks with the prong sort of chain dog trainers.
hth

 

[AlaskaBoers]

yeah. i had planned on him wearing a choke or prong, so he doesnt want to fight with the other bucks, he'd pretty competitve towards other goats

 

[all1965]

some of the Fainters breeders at shows use a spiked collar. It gets the bucks attention and makes him stand alert.

 

[badnewsboers]

I wouldn't recommend using a prong/pinch/spike collar. Steady pressure like used in a goat show on the collar can be damaging with a prong collar. The proper use of is is in quick jerks, just enough to put pressure on the skin. Except for the corrections, no pressure is put on the collar. I see people using them and it irritates me. It is not the proper use of the tool and injuries are sure to happen because of it.

I use a home made collar/handle setup. I bought two feet of chain and arpund part of it put a 4 inch length of tubing. THe chain is connected but a screw in clip. This is slipped over the goat's head. To prevent it from slipping back off I connect the chain again with a double ended snap at the top of the neck. Most people I know show using this now. The tubing part serves as a handle for you. It is more attractive than a chain and lead and gives you more control than just with a collar. Most people around here show with it. Its hard to describe but I can take a picture of it if you'd like.

How are you holding his head when you get him to set up? Just by the collar or do you hold his chin too? I hold by the collar and chin and it give me a good control over my animals.

 

[AlaskaBoers]

woudlnt the judges dislike you holding the animal's chin?, it interferes with the animal. usually you hold the collar under his jaw and leave your other hand next to you, or if you prefer, behind you back. It might work for training him though

 

[badnewsboers]

Interferes with the animal? I don't understand what you mean. All it does is help you keep the animal's head up. Also I set up front legs by lifting my goat off the ground and setting it back down so it makes that easier. And you don't hold it while you're walking or anything. Pretty much everyone shows that way here. I was looking through my pictures of my a last show and nearly everyone in the pictures would hold their goat's chin.

 

[AlaskaBoers]

oh, okay it must be different here then.

 

[Shelly]

Read your show rules because prong collar are usually not allow. Also like badnewsboer said if use over along time damage is done to the windpipe. I'm guessing this is a breed show? If so with sheep you are allowed two people when showing a ram one to hold and one to set feet and help keep the animal under control. Shelly

 

[FarmGirl18]

Here, at ABGA sanctioned shows, everybody shows with prong collars. As long as they are used humanely, I don't see a problem with them.

 

[AlaskaBoers]

This is a USBGA / IBGA show, i've never shown at one of these, i've only shown at the state fair. I went to their website and on the show champion results page, the pictures were of bucks with theprong collars. i think i might use a thin nylon, or a choke
One more question, i'm conditioning him this next few weeks, he's already packed on a ton, but what about fitting a buck? i shaved his belly hairs, and the backs of his legs, but should i shave his longer but hairs, and tail? thanks!

 

[FarmGirl18]

I shave both sides of their tails pretty short, and cut the top off straight. Don't generally do a whole lot to the rear, besides cleaning up on the insides of the legs, and just kind of evening things out. If there's really long hairs you can trim them a bit shorter, you just don't want to make his rear look too small. I also clip the front of the chest and neck as well.