The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-15
GROOMING SHOW CATTLE.
What an Authority in Such Matters Ha!
to Say on this Subject.

What an Authority in Such Matters Has
to Say this Subject.
William Watson, the champion feeder
of show stock, claims that grooming is
necessary with show cattle as with
horses, and where it is neglected front
ranks will not be gained. He says:
In the case of cattle, grooming need
not be commenced until within three
months of the date of show. The cat
tie, it is presumed, have for several
months previous been well fed and kept
clean. In this condition to begin with,
three months thorough grooming should
put them IN form. Cattle, it is true,
come into the show yard with all kinds of
coats, some with long hair, others with
short, and, worst of all, some with hair
partly off. Half the game in showing cat
tie is to have them good in their coats, and
stock owners who fail to handle their
animals so as to make them look their
very best need not expect to win against
those who do. When the show happens
to be about midsummer the shedding of
the coat will save the trouble of hav-
ing to take it off by other means, but
when the exhibition takes place late or
early in the year, then we adopt meas
ures to cause the hair to shed, and the
new hair to be again well up. Provide
warm rug the same as are used for
horse clothing, and about three months
previous to the show put one on each
side of the animals to be prepared; if
one is not sufficient, take two. Unless
the weather is very cold the blankets do
not require to be on all the time; they
can be taken off during the night, or
when at exercise. If the blankets are
kept on fourteen hours daily, they will
soon do their work in taking the old
hair off.
If the weather is not frosty, good
washing with carbolic soap and tepid
water should be given at the commence
ment of the sheeting period; this will
help to lessen the dandruff in the hide;
if the bedding be well looked after, once
month will be often enough to wash.
There is a great difference in the skins
of cattle for being easily cleaned. Some
ttlC lOuu anu oO lNLll OIlSie ~
needs special means to get them into
good condition. Extra washing and
heavier blanketing will help to smooth
them down, and with little oil rubbed
in will soon raise all thescurf off the skin.
Until the scurf be thoroughly got rid OF
great deal of rubbing and brushing to
put on the last polish; without it you
cannot win. A dandy brush, a thorough,
good, soft brush, a chamois skin, or
piece of thick flannel are the tools for
putting on thu polish. The skin becomes
soft under this treatment, and q curry
comb should never be used but for the
purpose of combing down the hind parts
when necessary, as the comb, except
when very lightly applied, is certain to
scratch and irritate the skin. In rub
bing with the cloth it must be done
quickly.
1t takes an enormous amount of rub
bling to make the skins of cattle shine,
but nothing else will do it. For putting
on the final touch, no brush or cloth can
equal the bare hand; it makes the best
of all polishing paste; hand rubbing will
also remove the old coat quicker than
either comb or brush. Some fancy
they can with one washing and few
times grooming do all that can be done,
but it is mistake. There is the great
est difference imaginable between the one
that has been prepared by months Of
labor and the other hastily got up. The
one article is genuine and will last; the
other will fade between the stall and the
ring.