Pressure-release: In discussions on handling cattle, people frequently refer to flight zone of an animal. It is useful to think about the flight zone in a conceptual manner. As you approach the flight zone of an animal, they will begin to feel pressure from your presence and respond. The exact response distance will constantly be changing depending on all the factors influencing the animal. By closely observing the response of the animal as you approach her, you will be able to see when you are exerting pressure. If you step back, you can release some or all of the pressure. The key point is that we can move animals by exerting pressure and varying the amount of pressure. The amount of pressure the animal feels depends on the distance and angle of the pressure. It is important not to over-pressure or to apply pressure in an unpredictable manner to the animal. The correct way to pressure depends on situation and properly reading the way the animal responds.

Understanding the basic instincts of cattle: This allows us to create, change and stop movement in cattle. Cattle want to move in the direction they are headed, they want to follow other animals, they want to see what is pressuring them, and they want to return in the direction they came from. Walking with cattle will tend to slow them down and/or stop them. Walking against cattle will tend to speed up their movement. Cattle have very little patience if we attempt to communicate with them improperly. If we are not effective in our communication they easily become confused by our actions. Skilled stockmanship actions take advantage of the basic, natural movement tendencies of cattle.

Walk straight: Cattle are a prey species and this fact controls how they perceive the world around them. Always walking and working cattle with straight lines allows our movements to be very predictable to the cow. Always have a purpose and pattern to your movements.

Create positive motion: Stockmanship is about working cattle in a positive way. We do this by creating and controlling motion. Cattle must learn to trust that the person can apply pressure to create motion, to stop motion, and to turn motion. The person must learn to trust that the cattle will be consistent in their response. Positive motion occurs with both the cattle and the people are engaged in effective two-way communication.

Every movement matters: On dairy operations cattle often are worked in confined areas. This results in the need to be aware that every movement you make has a significant impact on the animals. A confined area exerts pressure on animals in many different ways, so we must pay very close attention to our movements. When working livestock, every movement we make is talking to the animals. On a confined dairy operation, precision in your movements is very important.

Be consistent: Learn the right techniques and practice with the cattle. Consistently do the right things around cattle and work hard to avoid doing the wrong things. Remember, the cattle are always right, so it is the people that need to avoid doing the wrong things.

Don’t make excuses: Animals do not become afraid of gates or trailers or chutes. We have told them not to go there. Purchased heifers are not inherently impossible to work with. With good stockmanship skills we can get animals to want to do what we need them to do. Keep in mind that our human instincts are generally wrong about working livestock. We cannot choose to only adopt the cattle handling principles that suit our selves, remember that the cattle are always right. Be patient and do the right thing until it works.