# Bracing large wethers?



## crazygoatlady_inthemaking (Apr 25, 2014)

I am a very experienced in bracing but we have these two 6 month old wethers that are already 80 lbs and show season hasn't even officially started.. Their first show is in a week and i need help bracing them. Im only 100 lbs so they can push me around easily..

Ive slacked on my two wethers only practicing bracing on my smaller does(because they have already went to 2 shows) and now its biting me on the butt..

Any tricks to help me get them to brace so im not using all my energy to pick them off the ground? Thats the only way i can successfully get them to brace even tho thats not the correct way to brace.








(2 weeks ago) Me not picking Boomer off the ground.. Love my look of disapproval 







(Today) me picking him off the ground. He is so stubborn! Because im not bracing correctly he bulges his back.. But his muscle looks 10x better in this picture than the one from two weeks ago.








My second wether Rocky also two weeks ago and i have the same problem as the first wether where all im doing is pulling him into me and him not pushing against my leg unless i pick him up. I didn't get a recent picture of him today but i will try to get one tomorrow.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Nice wethers! So sorry you are having issues, I totally understand and will curious to see what advice you get. My kids have the same problem, I have 3 kids ages 16, 14 & 8, and all 3 have wethers that are 100lbs! We bred a month later this year to get smaller wethers, and they grew too fast, faster than last years wethers! :hair:

My daughter can generally get her 101lb. wether to brace, but she has trouble with the back arching. If she lifts his head, and pulls him to her, she can get him to look okay. 
My son is having issues with his wether, he is a super lazy goat and doesn't want to push or push for very long, or he'll try to stand with legs out of place to brace. My son doesn't work with him nearly enough, or long enough.
My youngest daughter can't brace her wether, he is 40lbs. heavier than her, and he is long/thin.
These are all end of January kids. Next year we plan to aim for late Feb kids, that's as young as we can go.


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## crazygoatlady_inthemaking (Apr 25, 2014)

HoosierShadow said:


> Nice wethers! So sorry you are having issues, I totally understand and will curious to see what advice you get. My kids have the same problem, I have 3 kids ages 16, 14 & 8, and all 3 have wethers that are 100lbs! We bred a month later this year to get smaller wethers, and they grew too fast, faster than last years wethers! :hair:
> 
> My daughter can generally get her 101lb. wether to brace, but she has trouble with the back arching. If she lifts his head, and pulls him to her, she can get him to look okay.
> My son is having issues with his wether, he is a super lazy goat and doesn't want to push or push for very long, or he'll try to stand with legs out of place to brace. My son doesn't work with him nearly enough, or long enough.
> ...


Thank you! I hope someone comments soon.. We are in the same boat we bred our does for early Feb. Kids this year and they were born the last week of January and they are twice as big as my kids were last season which were born in the beginning or January!


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## crazygoatlady_inthemaking (Apr 25, 2014)

UPDATE:

Since i never got any suggestions I've just been trying new thing to see what works.

First thing I've done is every evening i go out and put the two wethers on the stands for 30 mins-ish and then one at a time lift them off the ground and just bull them around until they push. Bulling them around is how we train the young kids. They are VERY stubborn so I've been doing it until they get the idea and they love on them and then they get dinner.
















I'll let y'all know if anything changes. Ive seen that putting them on the stand helps a little but i just need to keep at it.


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