The basis of all our training of our yaks begins with imprinting with the newborn calf.  In order to do this successfully, you must have cows are tame enough to allow you to work with their calf at about an hour or two old.  If the cow will not allow you to do this, then you are better off taking the calf away after a week or so and bottle feeding it.  Our cows are all tame and we begin the imprinting process with the mother in attendance. We have the mother and newborn calf in a small stall for the first week.   We put the calf down on its side (an hour old calf can be suprisingly strong) and with one hand hold its head back over it's side (like in the womb).  That position renders them helpless and you can easily hold them with one hand.  With the other hand, you start rubbing them all over... paying particular attention to their legs and feet.  Rub their head and neck a lot and put your fingers in their mouth.  Continue this until the calf relaxes and does not fight you (usually around 20 minutes).  We repeat this process about three times a day the first few days.  When this process becomes very easy, you can repeat it using a soft brush.  Take a small halter and rub the calf with the
rope.  Try fitting the halter on its head (but do not buckle).  Now is the time to introduce anything you think they might encounter....rattle buckets, have a stranger walk around them,  etc. holding them down with that one hand until they continue to stay relaxed.

After this imprinting perod, you should find the calf will let you walk in the pen and it will be coming up to you, allowing you to rub it, halter it up, brush it, and generally be calm while you are around it.  We do not attempt to work the calf in the halter at this point.  We turn the calf and cow out to pasture and continue to approach them daily (or as much as possible), rub them often, and later on,  start them eating from a hand-held bucket, until it is time to wean them.  If at any time, they attempt to hook you with their horns, we grab their horns with both hands, hold them solid, and say "NO".