nose ring or clamp

[Deleted]

I am thinking of showing a bull at our fair this year. They require a nose ring or clamp on bulls. I have no experience with ether. I dont think the clamps actually clamp all the way down on the inside of the nose but could be wrong about that. Which is best? I am thinking the clamp. 
Do I need to train them with it in when lead training? Does it help with lead training? I just started to work with him this weekend. Took me about an hour of coral work to get him haltered and trained to tie. I thought that was awfully good. No rodeo stuff here just working calmly at his own pace. He is not so much on the trying to lead but ties very well without fighting.

[lakeportfarms]

Mike, if your fair accepts clamps, and you don't intend to do a lot of showing, it might be a better option for you. I"m not familiar with clamps, but I am with nose rings. To put a ring in the bull, the area is numbed with lidocaine, and although nose rings are supposed to be self piercing, it is usually MUCH easier to use another instrument, like a trocar, to puncture the opening and then insert the nose ring.

It's not a really nice process...people complain about de-horning as being cruel, but I'd say a nose ring is as, if not more, of a ouch for the animal!!!

You don't want to grab the lead for the ring with the same amount of force as you would with a halter. Avoid it as much as possible. In fact we have a small nylon strap that is shorter and more slippery than a regular lead rope for ours. it takes little to no pressure on the ring to pull them where you want them to go.

[Deleted]

we will go with the clamp then. Do I use it with training or just train with a halter rope only. Like I said he mastered tying in one day with out fighting it. Now we just have to work on leading and I know that will take a while. 

[lakeportfarms]

I'd leave it out unless you're at the fair with him. You might want to put it in once in a while for short periods of time just to get him used to having one on. But if he's responding well without it leave it out.