White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-10-23
How to Pose an Animal
For Showing Explained
BY Don G. Magruder, Dairy Specialist,
State College.

BY Don G. Masruder, Dairy Specialist,
State College.
Posing animals properly Is one Of
the important things in show ring
success. A show halter should have
one strap over the nose and another
over the neck, with strap having a
foot and one-half of chain on the end
that Is passed through the ring on
the left side and snapped dnto the
one on the right. This makes the lead
come on the left side which is the
proper side of the animal on which
to walk.
Whenever the animal stops or does
not walk beside you as fast as it
should, strike 1t lightly on the rear
legs with a whip which you carry In
the left hand. 1t Is best to walk
rather fast as 1t gives the animal a
better carriage.
A good pose for the animal is to
and the rear foot on the same side
have the fore foot on the side toward
the Judge advanced about three inches
set back about four inches. The ami
NAL can be posed by stopping 1t sud
denly just as 1t starts to take step
with the hind foot toward the Judge.
In the show ring the animal should
be posed with Its head little uphill
IL possible. 1t should not stand still
too long as 1t Is likely to tire and 10
down In the back. A heifer should
stand with her hind feet fairly wide
apart ito show her udder.
A weak and low backed animal
should be posed with one front foot
well back and one hind foot well for
ward. The head should be held low
and the nose should be held toward
the chest. Some animals will not
show weak back If they are kept
walking with their heads held low.
An animal with sloping rump should
be posed standing squarely on its
front feet with It's hind feet six or
eight inches further back than nor
NAL. The head should be held as
high as the strength of the back will
permit.
Such faults as open shoulders,
hollow behind the shoulders and lack
Of crest in a bull may be partly COW
cred by adjusting the height of the
animals head. The best results are
usually obtained by holding the head
extremely high.
An animal with a deficient heart
girth should be posed with the front
foot toward the Judge about four
inches back instead OF forward. It
may not be advisable to give such an
animal a very heavy I'LL.
The preparation of the horns for
show consists Of cutting them down
and giving them a polish. Rasp the
end OF the horn off until blood is
reached, then repoint the horns and
take as much off of the outside shell
as Is necessary to obtain desirable
shape and SIZE Be careful not to get
into the sensitive portion and draw
blood.
The horns should next be gone over
with fine file to remove the rough
surface. Then 1t should be further
smoothed with piece OF emery pa.
per. The day before showing the
horns should be carefully scraped
with sharp piece Of glass or with a
piece Of sharp edged steel 30 that it
| will polish well.
Polish should be thoroughly rubbed
into the surface Of the horn with the
hands and shine should be put on
with a strip of cloth or chamois. Pull
1t rapidly back and forth over tho
horn.
The night before the show the tail
should be carefully washed and braid.
ed while wet into four or five different
braids. These braids should not be
let down until just before entering
the show ring