At some point in your career as a cowboy, you will no doubt be called upon to flank a calf. This may be the type of flanking you see ropers do at roundups, or it may be flanking a calf that has been drugged by the hind legs. There is an art to flanking a calf, and we will explore that art here.

The main factors in flanking are balance and timing. A powerlifter may have more trouble flanking a calf than a small person with balance and timing. However, with practice, the weightlifter can do it too. A large calf can be thrown to the ground with little force, if timing and balance work together.

A calf can be flanked without a rope, but for the sake of this article we’ll assume you have a calf tethered to you with a rope attached to your head or heels. Similar to calf lassoers, if the calf is caught by the head, it will run to the calf’s side and place one hand on the far hindquarters, grabbing the flank or the meaty part between the hind leg and the calf’s belly. If you are right handed, this would be your right hand. With the other hand, hold the rope near the calf’s head.

This is where balance and timing come in. If the calf is big, you have to work with its momentum. Wait until his feet leave the ground. They will usually be jumping and dripping against the rope. When your feet leave the floor, pick it up with both hands and fold it toward the floor. Grab his front paw and pull towards you. This will control him as you bring your knee up against his body to support him. You flanked a calf!

Doping calves by feet usually requires two people. This practice is used on most cattle ranches when marking and handling. With one person on each side of the rope, approach the calf, one person holding the tail, while the other holds the rope near the hind legs. Pulling in unison in opposite directions causes the calf to land on its side, at which point the person holding the rope usually runs to the front of the calf and pulls up on the top front leg, while the other person grabs the top. . hind leg and pull out, placing one foot against the other hind leg. Both people hold the calf while any necessary procedures are performed.

Some may feel this is inhumane, but the fact remains that most calf flanking is done for the good of the calf. If a medical procedure is needed, flanking is the most humane way to work with a calf, keeping him and the cowboy safe from harm.

I hope these tips for flanking a calf have helped you. With practice you will become proficient at flanking.