Grooming a Cow by Hand

The stakes are high when you show cattle at fairs and livestock shows. Breeders may pay $50,000 to $75,000 for a prize animal. Grooming a cow is done to emphasize strong features, minimize or hide imperfections and present the cow in the best possible way. You will find vendors at livestock shows offering a wide range of cattle grooming tools and products. As you gain experience grooming cattle, you might want to add some of thee to your routine. The items mentioned here are the basics a beginner needs.

Things You'll Need

  • Clippers
  • Sheep shears
  • Hose
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Curry comb
  • Blow-dryer
  • Rice root brush
  • Scotch comb
  • Spray adhesive
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clip the cow̵7;s hair about a week to 10 days before you show it. This is referred to as a ̶0;rough cut̶1; and serves to shape the cow̵7;s hair in preparation for grooming at the show. Start at the clump of hair on top of the cow̵7;s head (called the poll) and clip the hair on the face and then work down the neck. From there, work backward and down. Use sheep shears for heavy clumps of hair. Clip the back so that it looks flat. Shape the hair so that the shoulders and hindquarters are square and the hips appear level. The legs should look rectangular. Don̵7;t forget to trim the tail. Repeat this step as needed at the show site to put the finishing touches on the clipping.

    • 2

      Wash your cow thoroughly once you arrive at the show site. Use a hose to wet the cow down. Apply a cattle shampoo and conditioner to clean the hair and remove dirt. Once you apply the shampoo, scrub the cow using a curry comb. Be careful to scrub all the way to the skin to remove skin flakes and loose hair. When you're done, rinse the cow until all of the shampoo is removed.

    • 3

      Dry the cow with a blow-dryer. Start with the head and work back and down. Hold the blow-dryer at a 45-degree angle as you work. Make sure that you dry the head, tail and legs.

    • 4

      Comb the cow̵7;s hair using a rice root brush. Use the brush to remove any remaining loose hair. Comb the hair forward at a 30-degree upward angle. Livestock shows often last several days, so you need to repeat the combing each day until the show is over.

    • 5

      Put the finishing touches on grooming your cow just before it's shown. Use a scotch comb to pull the hair out and forward as you did in Step 4. However, to keep the hair in place, use a spray adhesive designed for cattle (essentially, this is hair spray for cows). Don̵7;t overuse the spray or it may leave clumps of adhesive on the hair. Take the scotch comb with you in a sheath when you show your cow. Use the scotch comb to touch up the hair if it becomes mussed during the show.