Testimonials:

Low Stress Stockmanship: Disbelief to Fanatic

 

I have had the fortunate opportunity to assess grazing management and associated conditions on several thousands of miles of streams as former ecologist and grazing management specialist for the National Riparian Service Team.  I am now a private range and riparian consultant.  A decade or so ago I was convinced that trying to keep cattle off riparian areas for any length of time was impossible by riding alone.  In fact I had often said that a ranch of any size couldn’t have enough riders or horses to do it.  I’ve chased cows from hell to breakfast off riparian areas only to have them return as soon as I was out of sight.  Tim Westfall and others however persisted in the notion that it could be done if low stress stockmanship and placement techniques were used.  Convinced that they must be dealing with some very unique situations, I remained doubtful.  I would not include stockmanship techniques in a Grazing Management for Riparian Areas Course I help instruct for several years.  I was finally convinced to take a stockmanship course and then judge for myself.

 

I couldn’t have been more wrong in my initial perceptions.  Since taking the course I have had many opportunities to use low stress stockmanship techniques and help clients in their application.  I have become such an advocate that I am some time accused of being fanatic in its use.  So be it.  The popular livestock journals and papers are full of articles on the negative affects of stress on animal health and productivity.  Low stress stockmanship techniques alleviate this stress.  In addition low stress techniques help any existing grazing strategy work better.  Stock are easier to find, move and place in different pastures.  They don’t hide so pastures can be cleaned of animals easily and they don’t want to go back.  And finally, yes, they can be placed on upland sites with a reasonable expectation that they will return there after going to a stream for water thus minimizing use in riparian areas and often extending the effective grazing season.

 

This past season alone (2004) one client was facing a fifty percent reduction in grazing use because he was not able to meet residual vegetation requirements along streams in a public land allotment.  By using a combination of low stress stockmanship and low moisture block supplements on the uplands, residual vegetation more than doubled the agency requirement at the end of the grazing season and no reduction was necessary.  Weaning weights remained 600+ lbs.  Another client exceeded the agency requirements for residual vegetation for the first time along streams in her allotment and reported over 70 lbs. higher weaning weights than ever before in that allotment even though cattle were moved nearly every day at times.

 

It is not easy.  It takes more patience and dedication than most of us are used to these days.  However the pay off can be worth it.  The future of grazing on some public land allotments may depend on it in my opinion.  There are economic benefits but it simply makes life with cattle a lot easier for me - which is hard to put a price tag on.

 

                                    Steve Leonard, Certified Range Management Consultant

                                    Cowdance Consulting, 2364 Valley Road, Midvale, ID 83645

 

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I highly recommend that anyone interested in connecting with horses on a deeper 
level spend some time with Tim.  

My horse, Dandy, had been trained and used for cutting so would turn on

a dime and want to accelerate from 0-60 as fast as possible and as 

often as possible. While he was very responsive, I wanted him for trail 

riding and not cutting which was quite a different challenge. Tim Westfall did

a superb job of taking a wonderful horse and making him even better. 

Tim is an exceptionally talented teacher of both horses and men.

With best wishes, 
James Adams

Chairman

Vortx Inc.

Ashland, OR

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I have worked cattle with Tim Westfall since 2000. He has come helped me with putting on The California Grazing Academy / Low-Stress Livestock Handling Schools in California. I consider Tim one of the best livestock handlers in the United States who use low-stress principles advocated by Bud Williams. Tim learned these techniques through personal experience and by attending a handling school in Canada taught by Bud Williams. After attending the school, Tim worked with 1500 head on a range allotment in Idaho. He taught the 1500 head to stay “placed” in an area without the aid of fences. This enabled permitees to continue to use their allotment and increase numbers.

 

Tim has been an invaluable instructor during the Low-Stress Handling School. Tim works easily with both animals and humans in teaching low-stress techniques. He is able to demonstrate first-hand to participants how you place animals. This powerful demonstration reinforces the importance each technique plays in getting animals to what you want without forcing them. I would highly recommend Tim for any one-on-one consulting or teaching a handling school. You will learn a wealth of information and techniques. Tim is also very knowledgeable in range management and monitoring and can assist in these areas as well. Tim is a great asset to the livestock industry and can help you see improved results on your ranch in a short period of time. I consider myself lucky to have had Tim’s help and assistance over the last five years. 

Roger Ingram
UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor – Placer and Nevada Counties

 

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Handling stock so they gain better with less sickness, requires an understanding of why animals become calm. Handling stock so they want to do what we want, whenever we want, requires a handler that demands nothing from the animal. Riders that have overcome their instincts and respond according to how the animals show them they need to, can get just about everything they want, whenever they want, from every animal. Tim has demonstrated the most useful aspect of the nature of livestock is that high control requires that we control ourselves. This is a facet of handling we must all acquire and perfect to make livestock handling more profitable and enjoyable. 

 

Steve Cote –Stockmanship Instructor and Author of “Stockmanship A Powerful Tool for Grazing Lands Management”

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