How to Ride a Steer
Train your steer to let you ride it., Find an extra wide saddle., Steer cattle with a nose bit., Show off your steer at community events., Trail ride your steer.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Train your steer to let you ride it.
Not all cattle will be willing to let you ride them without training.
You will likely need to “break” a steer in order to ride it, in much the same way that horse trainers break horses.
While most steer are good-natured and mild-mannered, they have to get used to the concept of allowing a human to sit on them.
If possible, begin training a steer when they are a calf.Make the steer comfortable with you by spending time with it and petting it.
Over time, gradually place more and more pressure on their back.
Once they’re comfortable with you leaning most of your weight on their back, they will likely allow you to sit on them.
Start by getting the steer comfortable with having weighted items on its back.
Start with a blanket, then try two.
When the steer is used to the blankets, add a saddle.
If you do not have experience breaking animals to be ridden, consider seeking the help of a professional to help you do so.
However you got about breaking your steer, take extreme caution when doing so.
As an alternative, you could send your steer to a trainer, who will break them and send them back fully trained.
Note that rodeo bulls are not trained to let people ride them.
Quite the opposite; rodeo bulls are often antagonized by electric prods in the shoot, and spurs worn by bull riders.
Information on riding a bull is included in the following section. -
Step 2: Find an extra wide saddle.
Since riding steers is not quite as common as riding horses, it can be hard to find the right equipment.
Still, you can likely find either a western or dressage saddle that will fit your cattle.
Look for saddles designed to be worn by draft horses.Similarly, you’ll also need to adjust a horse bridle to fit on your steer’s head.
Since the dimensions of cattle heads are different from horses, you’ll likely need to shorten or lengthen certain parts of a halter, so get one that’s adjustable. , While horses are steered with a mouth bit attached bridle, a saddled steer is steered with a different type of tack.
Most commonly, a nose bit – usually just a straight metal bar – is used to pierce a steer’s septum.
This provides a method of steering similar to the nose rings used with oxen.
The bar is attached to a bridle on the cow's head, which is also attached to the reins you’ll hold while riding in the saddle.Steering with reins is especially intuitive.
In order to go left, pull on the left side of the reins, attached to the left side of the steer’s bridle, and vice versa.
To slow down, pull back on both sides of the reins. , Saddled steers are a big hit at local parades.
Since not everyone has seen a human ride a steer, you’re sure to get some laughs and cheers.
Even better, ride your steer to a friend’s birthday party or to your neighborhood senior center.Consider riding your steer at a riding show.
Ask others in the cattle and horse community in your area about shows they’ve attended that allowed cattle to be shown.
Contact venues that host equestrian events to see if they host events where you could show your steer. , Steers are especially good animals to ride in the wild.
For one, it takes a lot more to spook a steer than a horse.
Further, when a steer is spooked, it tends to simply hold its ground and wait out whatever scared it.
Compared to horse, you may actually be safer riding a steer in an area with wild animals! -
Step 3: Steer cattle with a nose bit.
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Step 4: Show off your steer at community events.
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Step 5: Trail ride your steer.
Detailed Guide
Not all cattle will be willing to let you ride them without training.
You will likely need to “break” a steer in order to ride it, in much the same way that horse trainers break horses.
While most steer are good-natured and mild-mannered, they have to get used to the concept of allowing a human to sit on them.
If possible, begin training a steer when they are a calf.Make the steer comfortable with you by spending time with it and petting it.
Over time, gradually place more and more pressure on their back.
Once they’re comfortable with you leaning most of your weight on their back, they will likely allow you to sit on them.
Start by getting the steer comfortable with having weighted items on its back.
Start with a blanket, then try two.
When the steer is used to the blankets, add a saddle.
If you do not have experience breaking animals to be ridden, consider seeking the help of a professional to help you do so.
However you got about breaking your steer, take extreme caution when doing so.
As an alternative, you could send your steer to a trainer, who will break them and send them back fully trained.
Note that rodeo bulls are not trained to let people ride them.
Quite the opposite; rodeo bulls are often antagonized by electric prods in the shoot, and spurs worn by bull riders.
Information on riding a bull is included in the following section.
Since riding steers is not quite as common as riding horses, it can be hard to find the right equipment.
Still, you can likely find either a western or dressage saddle that will fit your cattle.
Look for saddles designed to be worn by draft horses.Similarly, you’ll also need to adjust a horse bridle to fit on your steer’s head.
Since the dimensions of cattle heads are different from horses, you’ll likely need to shorten or lengthen certain parts of a halter, so get one that’s adjustable. , While horses are steered with a mouth bit attached bridle, a saddled steer is steered with a different type of tack.
Most commonly, a nose bit – usually just a straight metal bar – is used to pierce a steer’s septum.
This provides a method of steering similar to the nose rings used with oxen.
The bar is attached to a bridle on the cow's head, which is also attached to the reins you’ll hold while riding in the saddle.Steering with reins is especially intuitive.
In order to go left, pull on the left side of the reins, attached to the left side of the steer’s bridle, and vice versa.
To slow down, pull back on both sides of the reins. , Saddled steers are a big hit at local parades.
Since not everyone has seen a human ride a steer, you’re sure to get some laughs and cheers.
Even better, ride your steer to a friend’s birthday party or to your neighborhood senior center.Consider riding your steer at a riding show.
Ask others in the cattle and horse community in your area about shows they’ve attended that allowed cattle to be shown.
Contact venues that host equestrian events to see if they host events where you could show your steer. , Steers are especially good animals to ride in the wild.
For one, it takes a lot more to spook a steer than a horse.
Further, when a steer is spooked, it tends to simply hold its ground and wait out whatever scared it.
Compared to horse, you may actually be safer riding a steer in an area with wild animals!
About the Author
Justin Stevens
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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