EDMONTON – Young producers who want to show cattle don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive hair care products designed for livestock, says a seasoned cattle fitter.
A trip to the supermarket or their mother’s hair salon will give young cattle producers the hair products they need to win in the show ring, Scott Harvie told young producers and their parents at a cattle fitting clinic held during Farmfair International in Edmonton.
“Everything you need to get animals ready, I got at Wal-Mart,” Harvie said.
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He said training an animal’s hair before getting into the show ring is one of the biggest secrets to success. Using a simple brush, Harvie brushes the hair straight down and then forward toward the animal’s head.
“It’s an easy way to get hair going in one direction, especially if they have a bad cow lick.”
When the animal is washed, water from the hose is directed straight down and slicked off downward to train the hair.
“That’s the first thing you should do and do it religiously,” Harvie said.
Even blow drying the animal’s hair should be done in the same direction, with the hair going forward.
“The more you get the hair working, the less product is needed.”
Harvie encouraged young producers to experiment with different hair care products, clippers, brushes and combs. He recently bought a small dog comb for his cattle fitting.
He said the goal of clipping cattle is to make the hair as smooth as possible with clipping, combing and hair products.
“Take a few steps back and look at what you’re doing. If you look at the animal and see something you don’t like, don’t be afraid to keep working on the area.”
Harvie said new cattle producers should spend time at shows such as Farmfair watching as animals are washed, clipped and primped.
