Description The “Branding Buddy” (similar to the “Nordfork“) or the “Nord fork” as its trade named, is a device that fits behind the head of a calf, to hold it while the ground crew works (vaccinates, castrates, brands, etc.) the calf. To use a Branding Buddy a mounted rider ropes a calf by the heels then drags the calf past the ground crew. As the calf goes by, one of the ground crew members slips the Branding Buddy behind the calf’s head. As the heeler continues to drag the calf a rope and inner tube tied to the Branding Buddy and staked into the ground tighten. When the rope and inner tube are tight, the heeler quits dragging. The heeler continues to hold the heel rope as the calf is worked, and the Branding Buddy holds the front end.
