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Cutting Studs

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Tap

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Last evening I went to a friend and neighbors ranch to help cut and brand 6 studs, and brand several fillies. We traded off heading and heeling the horses, and you might think that sounds kind of rough, but if done right it is the safest way for the horse. There is very little chance of stifling one with them stretched straight out. All but two of these studs were 2, or 3 yrs. old, and the 2 head were yearlings.

How does anyone else cut studs?

Which brings to mind one more thought about this. An oldtime rancher in this country had a gal that started living with him in his later years. She was not ranch raised, but was very interested in what went on with the ranch. This fella tells her to get her stuff gathered up as they are going to another ranch to cut some studs. She says to him, "sounds like fun, what are we building"? :lol: :lol:
 
Round corral.

Hang a loop of lariat on a baling wire loop about 3 feet off the ground on the fence.

Jog the horse around.

He runs through the loop with the front feet.

Be quick now.

Pull up the slack just enough to begin to put pressure on his legs.


He'll start to lunge forward with both front feet in the air at the same time, like jumping a creeek.

NOW!!!!

When he does that, just pull up all the slack, and pull his front feet right out from under him. Have to pull hard enough to do it, don't be a wimp. He'll land with a flop on his side, as you pulled his legs out from under him sideways, as he was moving forward.

Have another guy jump on his head. Throw a jacket over it first, if you want to.

You keep tight on the rope pulling the front legs.

Take a piece of 1 to 11/2 inch soft rope and snag his hind legs from a safe position, draw up the rope and tie his back legs forward to his front.

Cut him, and let him go.

Next day or two, make sure you go out and walk them if it looks like they are sealing shut, and not draining.

My Grandpa use to have a set of sticks, actually about a 1 inch round oak stick about 1 foot long, split in half lengthwise, then wired shut on one end. He would slide the cord into the stick, then pinch the stick shut. Then he would take a hot iron and burn through the cord, running the iron down the stick, sealing it off. I don't know where he picked that up, as he was an immigrant from Luxembourg. Maybe that is how they did it over there.

Badlands
 
I've seen and been in on both kinds, and yes, they used the split stick, deal.

We've tied horses to a fence and uses a scotch hobble on both hind legs and puylled them up at the same time and they just set down and then you tie them.

I like to get the vet and do it know. Just give them the shot and down they go. They wake up and walk off and there are no problems.

I've cut thousands of calves and yearlings and don't mind it, but to me, a horse is different and I don't like to see them suffer if there is a way to keep them from it.

And I think maybe the animal rights people would have a heyday with this posting. :shock: :eek:
 
I've seen all of the above however I prefer the one where the vet drugs them they fall over and wake up not knowing what happened!! Then again we don't cut a lot so it's not expensive If you have a bunch then do it yourself.
 
My vet cuts 100's of PMU colts a year so he's pretty handy at it-but we just run them in the alley give them their shots and cut them as they are asleep oin the grass-you can get a perfect freeze brand on them at the same time. Doc Ismay in Sturgis S.D. has a pretty neat recoverry ropo he does his in-padded walls and a nice deep floor-they get a little trippy when they wake up some times.
 
I like to get the vet and do it know. Just give them the shot and down they go. They wake up and walk off and there are no problems.
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My thoughts as well. Maybe if we had a lot more horses to cut that the $50 a head was getting pricey, I might have a different tune. But as is, as often as we don't need it done, the vet is my choice.
 
Yeap ours just gives em a shot, out they go down on the grass, and he does his job. Takes him all of about 10 minutes maybe. Takes longer for the shot to take affect, and the horse to come out of it, than it does for him to cut em.
 
Years ago all the old guys could front feet the studs and tie them and didn't want anyone in the corral with them untill they had them tied.They didn't snare them either.
I have cut quite a few and learned to front foot them but always had help to tie them.
One year my Wife thoughtv we had to have the vet do it.The first one went fine but the second went crazy when the drugs hit him.It took three of us to get him tied :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Our old vet in W. Montana tied their front feet and then put a rope on their back feet and had someone hold the rope horseback. He liked
the fact the horse that was cut could get right up. He always said
it was important that they could stand immediately.

I was never there to see the whole operation done, but saw the rope
on the hind feet and his wife on a horse holding the rope tight many
times.
 
Has anyone heard the old wives tale to cut stallions in the months with an r? My vet cuts them standing up... Gives them a shot and some penicillian and whaaa laaa their done. Says to turn them out on some pature and excersice is good.
 
For loose/wild/nonhalter broke horses I think heading/heeling works fine as long as the hands roping are seasoned ropers. I've never seen one stifled this way but have heard it can happen if the colts are younger and over streched. When jobs done everything can be turned loose in a hurry. This seems the most cowboy way to me doing as much of the job horseback as possible. :cboy: :D

Also front footing works good in a round pen or smaller corral this takes some practice and talent, a couple misses and they get pretty sneaky.I've helped a friend/rodeo stock contractor cut lots of studs and we first neck them on foot and then front foot them and then pull the two ropes opposite ways to trip them. Usally takes two men to hold leg rope tight. Gotta pay attention and stay clear of ropes :!:
When they hit the ground somebody gets on the head and pulls it up and holds it with out getting bit or kicked :eek: Front feet are tied together and top back leg pulled up aginst belly and tied then time to operate. Takes time to undo all this though. The person on the head is last to let go. Sometimes if not held up a horse will rake its head along ground and injure eye when laying flat fighting.

Anybody who can single handly front foot and trip and tie down a 750+ lbs. wild stud horse I like to meet and shake their hand :shock: not saying it can't be done.

Also have run horses in bucking chute haltered horse put a real light hair brand on the horse while its standing upright,so brand can be burned in straight in the right spot after it go's out gate. Dos'nt smear the brand leaving the gate this way. Then the vet gives the shot waits a certain amount of time and then the gates pulled horse walks out slowly falls down and goes out. Take the halter lead rope around the top hind leg pull up as far as possible then take a couple half hitches cut and brand. No need to hold head with no fighting. Undo lead rope and spook up horse when vet says ready. horse walks off simple as that.

Also can sandwich horse between corral gates and do this but be careful of gates :!: Unhealthy to get ironed out by a gate :(
The vet and drug way also works good for any halter broke horse that will stand for shot. I think a horse savvy vet goes a long way when it comes to drugs and horses. We use Dr. Boyd Porch out of Kadoka SD

Could also scotch hobble halterbroke horse and tip them over then tie up with out drugs. Have a outfitter friend who puts whats called a running w on to get a unruly horse pulled down and restrained for shoeing, triming whatever.

I think its good to cut and brand all at once, get this tramatic deal over with. I only hot brand, freeze brands look snazy and make for good advertiseing but are harder to apply and can be tampered with and don't prove ownership legaly in SD.

Ranch Hand and Faster horses are right the sooner they get up and turned out on clean ground and exercise the better. Also vet says don't cut when still cold out.

HMW probably right if you have a pile of them to cut probably best to do yourself save $ Guess it all depends on your facilites and expertise.

Just some of my experiences and rambling thoughts as I'm no expert hope I don't bore as this took me three beers and a hour to type :oops:
 
And I think maybe the animal rights people would have a heyday with this posting.
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Jinglebob, I would guess you have been around when horses were cut like I mentioned. I don't really don't see it as any sort of cruelty to the studs. We were as easy as could be on them, and while I agree the drugs might have been better, the risk of stifling one was removed.

It was exciting though. :wink: :lol: Catching the hind feet sure requires you to be a good heeler. I was thankful for my good grey horse under me.
 
Tap said:
And I think maybe the animal rights people would have a heyday with this posting.
Click to expand...

Jinglebob, I would guess you have been around when horses were cut like I mentioned. I don't really don't see it as any sort of cruelty to the studs. We were as easy as could be on them, and while I agree the drugs might have been better, the risk of stifling one was removed.

It was exciting though. :wink: :lol: Catching the hind feet sure requires you to be a good heeler. I was thankful for my good grey horse under me.
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Yup, I've cut one that way and it sure works if you've got good hands on horseback.

I agree with K_ranch that a "horsey" vet is good too.

I like to let the vet knock them out. So far we haven't had any problems.

As far as cost goes using a vet, when west nile first came around a friend who has about 50 or 60 mares was telling me that he was vaccinating all of them. I said that at $30 a crack, that was kind of expensive. He replied, " Well, there ain't a one of them that ain't worth more than $30 to me. "

Kind of like my geldings. They all are worth a lot more to me than what the vet charges.

I should mention that I don't like to cut a stud until he is at least 2 years old. Seems like that way they have more confidence and grow out a little better. Might just be my imagination and I've had people explain that it is better to cut them younger, but I'm kind of hard headed and like my geldings that were cut at 2 better than the ones that were cut as yearlings. Kind of like me not wanting a horse rode hard until he's at leat 5. Seems like they last longer that way. In my experience.

Them old timers covered lots of miles and were horseback all the time and they never broke one until he was big enpough to pack him all day. I kind of admire and like the way them oldtimers did things. Seems to me that they all made a livin' doin' it their way. :wink:
 

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