The Nord Fork is a very handy calf holder for branding

The Nord Fork (sometimes called a Nordfork) is a device that fits behind the head of a calf to help hold it still for branding. To use a Nord Fork, 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 slips the Nord Fork behind the calf’s head. The rider pulls the calf a little farther until the rope is tight. A rope and inner tube tied to the Nord Fork is already staked into the ground. When the rope and inner tube are tight, the heeler quits dragging.