A cattle prod is a device commonly used to herd and control cattle and other livestock. Cattle prods are also a way for BDSM couples to incorporate erotic electrostimulation (e-stim) into their relationships. Dominants may use cattle prods to control, punish, and pleasure their submissive partners. As with anything that has the potential to hurt your partner, proper safety precautions must be followed.
A cattle prod is a stick or baton with pointed metal electrodes on one end. A high-voltage, low-current electric shock passes through the stick and electrodes to the animal or submissive. The agriculture industry began using cattle prods as early as 1917. Texas cattle tycoon Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. invented the first electric version in approximately 1930.
A cattle prod is a good way to vary e-stim points, including the thighs and buttocks. The dominant partner chooses the contact points they prefer. However, it is vital that those who use a cattle prod do so safely and keep their partner's limits in mind. Cattle prods deliver more intense e-stim than commercial e-stim sex toys, tasers, and violet wands. The lower the voltage, the less intense the charge. It’s a good idea to start with a low voltage cattle prod or an e-stim toy, then work your way up to more intense stimulation if you and your partner enjoy it.
Using a cattle prod in a BDSM relationship is a good way to reinforce the relationship’s power dynamics. A cattle prod gives the dominant power over their submissive. Submissives feel vulnerable when they're controlled by a cattle prod. They may feel like an animal, less than human, due to the choice of electrical device. These feelings can add to the submissive’s compliant mindset.
Many submissive people also enjoy the physical stimulation of electrical currents. Some submissives may experience orgasms through erotic electrostimulation with a cattle prod. Being stimulated with a cattle prod or delivering this stimulation may become a fetish for some people.
A cattle prod is sometimes called a hot stick or stock prod.