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Doctoring a few

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flyingS said:
Katrina, I would if I knew your Number :lol: By the way I'll consider buying some mineral from you if you will let me buy some calves for you :twisted: :twisted:
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BR659 is my number...... Now back to the mineral.... You have to buy from fasters and me together... Course you know we both want the best for you soooooo 250 a ton will not even cover a phone call..... Pay up little buddy... :twisted: :twisted:
 
flyingS said:
RyanSept11128.jpg
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I've been wondering about this procedure. I've never roped and doctored anything in the pasture before. My only roping has been heeling at brandings. But I would like to learn how to do this. Any tips for a beginner? Do they lay over on their own when the rope gets tight enough? I'm not exactly sure how my horse will respond to being tied on to a big critter. It will likely be a learning experience for both of us. Also, how long a rope would you recommend for this job?
 
LCP said:
flyingS said:
RyanSept11128.jpg
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I've been wondering about this procedure. I've never roped and doctored anything in the pasture before. My only roping has been heeling at brandings. But I would like to learn how to do this. Any tips for a beginner? Do they lay over on their own when the rope gets tight enough? I'm not exactly sure how my horse will respond to being tied on to a big critter. It will likely be a learning experience for both of us. Also, how long a rope would you recommend for this job?
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That cow would be easy to handle. She is dead. But to answer your question, if you can get Flyin S to come visit for a couple days, he can show you how to do it, and make it look easy. I have finally been able to lay one down a couple times, by myself.
We went to a "class" strictly on pasture roping, a few years back. At the time, I was riding a 4 year old that had NO roping experience. Between Ryan, and a couple other guys, they showed both me and the horse what, and how to do it.
This spring I layed a cow down, by myself, with a 5 year old, that had only been pasture roped off of 1 other time, and I think Soap, may have had pictures of that time. Flyin S might be able to tell you how on here, but it wouldn't be real safe.
 
It is not complicated, the concept is simple, your skill level both as a roper and horse person is the key. Stockmanship is very important as well, the quieter you can handle your cattle to get them caught the better. Once you have a critter roped you have to get them to stand. Once standing walk around it 450 ° so that you end in the 3 o'clock position if there head is 12 o'clock. As you walk around be sure to lay your rope above the hocks, it will keep you from loosing the back legs. Now you give some slack and move your critter off easy and let it step over your rope with their front feet. Once the step over dally and tighten your rope, don't jerk them down, just ride off and you will draw their hind legs to their head and lie them down easily. If your critter takes off just keep your dally and set your horse they will pull their hind feet out from under themselves and it will fold their head around as it comes tight laying them over on their side. Ride up and dally short, holding the tale of your rope, instead of tying off, when you step off so you can loosen your dally in the event you need to let the critter go if it gets up on you. When you are ready to take your rope off slip some rope through your dallies and pull enough slack to get it off the head. It will be much easier to remove your rope if you can lie the critter down with your rope on the top side, if it ends on the bottom it can be difficult to pull slack through. Just a note, it is much easier to do the whole process if you use something besides rubber to wrap your horn, I use the strands out of a nylon rope, being able to quickly and easily slide rope is a big advantage. You can always tie one down if you are able, it is probably much safer and reduces the possibility of a wreck. It will take a few tries to get the hang of it, then it becomes simple on all sizes off cattle. It is probably easier on everything involved to doctor big cattle this way compared to heading and healing them. Sorry if there are a bunch off typos I am on my cell phone and don't use it very well.
 
The way Flyin S does it, is just exactly how he explained it. He recommends no rubber, I would also add that you use a LONG rope. It keeps the critter calmer, as you don't have to ride up close to them, when you make your circle. By taking the tail of your rope with you, you can keep your horse facing towards you, as well as being able to shake the tail at your horse to get them to backup.
 
Thanks for the explainations and pointers. Sounds like I should probably try it a time or two before I have $450 bottle of Zuprevo in the saddlebags. Our cattle handle pretty easy. I think getting the rope on would probably be the easy part. Its everything that happens after that which I'm nervous about. But it sounds like a skill definitely worth learning.

LazyWP, when you say a long rope, what's that mean? 50 or 60'?
 
LCP said:
Thanks for the explainations and pointers. Sounds like I should probably try it a time or two before I have $450 bottle of Zuprevo in the saddlebags. Our cattle handle pretty easy. I think getting the rope on would probably be the easy part. Its everything that happens after that which I'm nervous about. But it sounds like a skill definitely worth learning.

LazyWP, when you say a long rope, what's that mean? 50 or 60'?
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I am carrying a 55 footer now. Just got it a month ago. I used to use a 45 footer, and it worked fine. Biggest deal when roping big critters, is to not jerk horse around a bunch. Makes the horse pretty sour quickly when you do that. When I was watching/learning how to lay a critter down, Flyin S would never jerk on them. Just start slowing your horse and shut the wind off. By doing it that way, you don't need a big horse, nor is there a lot of stress on anything.

Other thing is calves are next to impossible to do this with. Just as soon as you give them some air, when you go to ride around them, they will most likely will take off running again. If you do like Flyin S, you head em with 1 rope, dally off, and heal them with another rope. Some how he ends up with them sorta stretched out.
 
flyingS said:
I have to doctor a foot rot cow in the next day or two, I'll get a video and try to post it or post a link to it if you would like.
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You doctoring anything close? I'll come help, and either do the commentary or the tieing. You may have to rope her though. My great roping skills haven't been used much this year. I have a cow up by you that needs doctored also, just don't want to do it in the heat.
 
flyingS said:
It is not complicated, the concept is simple, your skill level both as a roper and horse person is the key. Stockmanship is very important as well, the quieter you can handle your cattle to get them caught the better. Once you have a critter roped you have to get them to stand. Once standing walk around it 450 ° so that you end in the 3 o'clock position if there head is 12 o'clock. As you walk around be sure to lay your rope above the hocks, it will keep you from loosing the back legs. Now you give some slack and move your critter off easy and let it step over your rope with their front feet. Once the step over dally and tighten your rope, don't jerk them down, just ride off and you will draw their hind legs to their head and lie them down easily. If your critter takes off just keep your dally and set your horse they will pull their hind feet out from under themselves and it will fold their head around as it comes tight laying them over on their side. Ride up and dally short, holding the tale of your rope, instead of tying off, when you step off so you can loosen your dally in the event you need to let the critter go if it gets up on you. When you are ready to take your rope off slip some rope through your dallies and pull enough slack to get it off the head. It will be much easier to remove your rope if you can lie the critter down with your rope on the top side, if it ends on the bottom it can be difficult to pull slack through. Just a note, it is much easier to do the whole process if you use something besides rubber to wrap your horn, I use the strands out of a nylon rope, being able to quickly and easily slide rope is a big advantage. You can always tie one down if you are able, it is probably much safer and reduces the possibility of a wreck. It will take a few tries to get the hang of it, then it becomes simple on all sizes off cattle. It is probably easier on everything involved to doctor big cattle this way compared to heading and healing them. Sorry if there are a bunch off typos I am on my cell phone and don't use it very well.
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The only thing I do different is I carry two soft cotton piggin strings and tie the front legs together and the back legs together then put my rope on the front feet and have my horse hold them tight. When I am done doctoring I just pull the slip knots on the piggin strings and then get on my horse and give the critter slack. After the critter has moved off I gather up my piggin strings and head for the next one
 
I bought a dart gun last year shoot them with some go to sleep juice and doctoring has never been so easy.
 
Cowboyup, by them time I mess around and tie her down I would be done doctoring her. I carry my medicine on me so that I don't have to fool around getting something back at my horse. I don't ever worry about one getting up, I believe the only time I have had trouble was getting my rope off once.
LCP, I have a video if you would like to see it. I don't know how to go about putting it on here. I could send it to you or if other people want to see it I would send it to someone who could post it.
Denny, I know several people that have dart guns and seem to like them. They make me nervous, I would hate to waste a bunch of medicine because of my poor shooting ability. I am far more accurate with a rope than a rifle. The other day when we went out, I lanced three abscesses. I could have use a tranquilizer I suppose in a gun, I'm not sure how long it takes that stuff to kick in. It sure didn't take long to rope them and lance them.
 
The times vary last year we had alot of pinkeye. I would shoot 4 calves then start doctoring on them an occasional one might take a little longer. I did have one get loopey and wander out in the middle of a pond and fall asleep. I stripped down to my tighty whities and went and retieved him before he drowned.Good thing I was off the road a ways not a sight for the meek I'm sure. It worked out in the end but this year I have yet to fire a shot which is much better for me.

I'm not the best roper so by the time I line up some help a minor problem could be an outbreak not to mention the fence that gets destroyed by cows and COWBOYS.
 
FlyingS, you sound as if you are pretty slick doctoring! I would love to see a video of you laying one down. In my experience sometimes it goes easy and then I think I'm pretty smart and then the next one is kind of tough and I don't feel quite so good. Anyway I would love to see what you do. Unfortunately I can not offer to post a video as I'm not too techy
 
Denny, Id say if they are runnin cattle through fences, they aren't cowboys. I doctor a lot by myself, and with my kids helpin me rope. I do it just like flyin s says, or my kids and I head and heel em. the only way to make good horses is to use em.
 
The video quality is pretty poor, it was recorded with a smart phone. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfkCnDe4fPw&feature=youtu.be
It is not my best work but not everything is pretty every time nor does it always go perfect. It is hard to rope a cow standing in this herd of cows and this cow didn't appreciate me roping her much. Most of the time it is not near so quick paced.
 
I apologize, I have never uploaded a video on youtube before. It asked if I wanted to edit it to improve the video and it made it worse. I canceled the edit and the video is back to it's original form. It's still not the greatest quality but it is much better than what you saw before.
 
You still need to let your wife ride her own horse. :D Amazing what that little mare can do. I hope everyone notices how calm all 3 of them stayed. The horse, the cow, and the rider.
New question, how much harder is it in the tall grass we have this year?
 

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