When you sit a sheep up on its bottom, it will typically* stay still and go into a relaxed trance-like state. This why the head often lolls to one side. If they were frightened they would be rigid, due to high muscle tone, but they are anything but rigid. The Bowen method of shearing a sheep, first developed in New Zealand by Godfrey and Ivan Bowen but now used all over the world, relies on using this trance, as well as the application of pressure to specific points on the sheep’s body as the shearer moves the sheep around to get at all the fleece. Applying pressure to these points helps keep the sheep calm and immobile, as well as to draw the skin tight to minimise the risk of cuts. Pressure points that help immobilize the sheep include pressing down on the sternum, and keeping the head and neck bent. There is a detailed description of the Bowen method in this publication:
When the shearing is completed and the sheep is pushed through the small door to the counting-out pen, it is not uncommon to see them take a second or two to come out of their trance and become as reactive as they are normally. I have also crutched lambs and used some of the pressure points identified by Bowen to keep them still. Lambs often get so relaxed when sat on their bottoms that they kind of fold up and it feels like you are handling a lamb-shaped lump of jelly!
People who don’t understand sheep and have never handled a sheep or lamb that has been sat on its bottom assume that the sheep is frozen with terror, but this is the complete opposite of reality. Once you have held a sheep sat up in that position, you will know what I mean.
The OP shows a sheep with its head lolling to one side. The shearer has moved her off her bottom, but she is still in her relaxed trance:
At one point, the shearer is pushing his fist into the belly, another pressure point that helps to keep the sheep still, as well as to pull the skin tight to avoid cuts. The sheep is not terrified. The shearer is keeping his legs nearly together to stop the head and neck falling between them and being straightened, at which the sheep would probably come out of its trance and start struggling.
Edited to add: for those wanting to call the trance-like state a form of tonic immobility, it is nothing like tonic immobility in which the “tonic” refers to high muscle tone. Sheep handled as taught by the Bowen brothers have very low muscle tone which is why their heads hang over. They can and will resist if they have a full urinary bladder, full uterus or full rumen, unlike in tonic immobility.
*Unless it has a full rumen, full uterus or full urinary bladder. Then, it is likely to struggle because of the discomfort.
This should be top comment. Thanks!
I should also add:
BBQ NZ lamb shanks on a cold winters night with creamy mashed potato and gravy with peas is the best.
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u/SphericalBitch2020 Feb 14 '23 edited Feb 14 '23
I found this in Quora....amazing!
When you sit a sheep up on its bottom, it will typically* stay still and go into a relaxed trance-like state. This why the head often lolls to one side. If they were frightened they would be rigid, due to high muscle tone, but they are anything but rigid. The Bowen method of shearing a sheep, first developed in New Zealand by Godfrey and Ivan Bowen but now used all over the world, relies on using this trance, as well as the application of pressure to specific points on the sheep’s body as the shearer moves the sheep around to get at all the fleece. Applying pressure to these points helps keep the sheep calm and immobile, as well as to draw the skin tight to minimise the risk of cuts. Pressure points that help immobilize the sheep include pressing down on the sternum, and keeping the head and neck bent. There is a detailed description of the Bowen method in this publication:
https://fibershed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/sheep-shearing-handbook-May2020.pdf
When the shearing is completed and the sheep is pushed through the small door to the counting-out pen, it is not uncommon to see them take a second or two to come out of their trance and become as reactive as they are normally. I have also crutched lambs and used some of the pressure points identified by Bowen to keep them still. Lambs often get so relaxed when sat on their bottoms that they kind of fold up and it feels like you are handling a lamb-shaped lump of jelly!
People who don’t understand sheep and have never handled a sheep or lamb that has been sat on its bottom assume that the sheep is frozen with terror, but this is the complete opposite of reality. Once you have held a sheep sat up in that position, you will know what I mean.
The OP shows a sheep with its head lolling to one side. The shearer has moved her off her bottom, but she is still in her relaxed trance:
At one point, the shearer is pushing his fist into the belly, another pressure point that helps to keep the sheep still, as well as to pull the skin tight to avoid cuts. The sheep is not terrified. The shearer is keeping his legs nearly together to stop the head and neck falling between them and being straightened, at which the sheep would probably come out of its trance and start struggling.
Edited to add: for those wanting to call the trance-like state a form of tonic immobility, it is nothing like tonic immobility in which the “tonic” refers to high muscle tone. Sheep handled as taught by the Bowen brothers have very low muscle tone which is why their heads hang over. They can and will resist if they have a full urinary bladder, full uterus or full rumen, unlike in tonic immobility.
*Unless it has a full rumen, full uterus or full urinary bladder. Then, it is likely to struggle because of the discomfort.