Bull Blinds Keep Bull From Charging

Bull Blinds Keep Bull From Charging LIVESTOCK Beef 29-6-32 A common rule of thumb on the farm is to never trust a bull. You never know when one will suddenly decide to come after you. An Ohio harness maker decided to attack the problem with "Bull Blinds," that limit the animal's vision so he cannot see to charge at you. "When I was a young boy, we used to get a farm catalog that had bull blinds in it and I always wondered if they would work," says Alvin Martin of Shiloh, Ohio. As an adult, Martin had never seen an outlet for bull blinds, however, and after knowing people who had close calls with bulls, he wanted to see if they worked. "About 8 years ago, a friend of ours got hurt badly by a bull. Then soon after that, our daughter-in-law was charged by a bull. She crawled into the culvert under the driveway and had to wait for the bull to leave before she could get back to her children in the house," Martin explains. "After that, I decided it was time to do something. Angry bulls are a real danger and there have been many people killed by them." Martin learned that a man about 10 miles from where he lived had an old set of bull blinds hanging in his barn. They were essentially metal goggles with leather straps. Martin bought them from the man and tried them out. They worked, so he set about designing his own. The metal goggles form a bubble over each of the bull's eyes. They have slots in the bottom that allow the bull to see out, but only down over his nose. He can't see to charge, Martin says. "I found a local man to shape the goggles and he does a good job," he says. "They're held on by halter straps that go around the neck and nose. Instead of leather, I use bio-plastic strapping. Mine are easier to adjust than the old style and you can use the same ones for Holstein and Jersey bulls. They work great in the pasture or feedlot. If the bull puts his head down to charge, all he can see is the ground." Martin has been selling his Bull Blinds for 8 yrs. and occasionally puts an ad in some Amish papers. He has sold hundreds of them by word of mouth, he says. To fit the Bull Blinds, Martin says people either restrain the bull in a head gate, or use a tranquilizer from their veterinarian. "You just leave the Bull Blinds on him permanently, but as the bull grows, you will have to adjust the straps, otherwise they will cut into his skin," he explains. "It's really rare for a bull to rub them off, but once in a while there's a bull who will do it." Martin charges $88 each, plus $7 shipping in the U.S. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Martin's Harness Shop, Alvin Martin, 1446 Crum Rd., Shiloh, Ohio 44878 (ph 419 895-2344).

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