Stockmanship is the art of working with animals so they respond with minimal stress. Livestock handling expert Curt Pate hosted stockmanship demonstrations during CattleCon. “Try to keep them on the thinking side of their brain rather than reacting and get them to do what we ask them to do without fear and anxiety.” Applying pressure to the cattle at the right place, at the right time, and at the right angle becomes a positive experience. Crew culture was part of the workshop. Slow, calm movement is best for the workers and the cattle. Pate says it all begins with attitude. “Anger is always a real challenge, especially for the leader of a family operation,” said Pate. “We’ll say things to family we’d never say to anyone else; we’ve got to learn to control our emotions.” One common mistake is pushing too many animals through the chute at the same time. By cutting numbers in half, Pate said it makes it easier and more precise to apply pressure. Listen to the Curt Pate interview.
