Nose ring (animals)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A nose ring is the stainless steel or brass ring installed in the septum of a bull of the bovine species. Bulls are powerful and dangerous animals which, if uncontrolled, can kill or severely injure their handlers. The nasal area of a bull is sensitive, however. The nose ring enables the handler to control a powerful and aggressive animal with minimal risk of injury or disruption by exerting stress on one of the most sensitive parts of the animal.
The recommended process for installing the ring is to have a veterinarian pierce the septum and install the ring. Self-installing rings (with sharp ends designed to be pressed through the septum and then pulled together with a screw by the farmer) have been available for many years, and are commonly used in Pakistan, but are not a recommended practice in the United States.
Utilizing a specially designed staff or pole locked or hooked to the ring, the handler can force a powerful and aggressive bull to move from pen to pen in the barn or out to pasture. A bull may be led by a rope tied through the ring, although it is recommended that a halter also be used so as not to rely unduly on the nose ring for control. Alternately, a rope could be attached to the halter through the ring with a firm knot and the other end of the rope attached to a wagon or tractor which provides both protection and tractive power to lead the animal with safety C. Dalton, Noseringing a Bull. A variant of this technique includes a rope or cord tied between the nose ring and the testicles at the base of the scrotum, and is known as the Geier Hitch.
