a warning to all

Oh bless you, it must have been horrific. How bizarre that it perceived your daughter as a threat but not you, I can only imagine how frantic you must have been :(
Hope you both have a swift recovery
 
That sounds horrifying!

We have a watermeadows near us that used to have a permissive footpath running through it. Last summer there were 2 people attacked by the cows, and the estate decided to close the footpath. I would never go through when the cows were in there anyway, but i do miss it in the winter (no cows and it still isn't open :(). However, i do believe the decision to shut it was the best decision to make. Hopefully something can be done about the footpath near you (fenced off maybe?).

I hope your girl recovers quickly.
Trina x
 
How terrifying! You just don't really realise until you hear stories like this, I keep my horse on a cattle farm and only this morning a cow with two calves was being herded through the farm and it didn't even occur to me it might turn, I just stood against my car and watched them go!

Can't be deemed your fault if you didn't know they were in there, well done being so brave and looking after your little un- that cow learnt that its not only bovines who'll do anything for their babies :) Hope yours recovers well, poor mite.
 
OMG! How terrifying! Utmost praise to you,mommy,for being so brave and fearless in the face of that attack-you undoubtedly saved your little girl's life,you should be so proud of yourself:) I sincerely hope your little girl heals quickly&that you do too:) As the other poster said,cows aren't the only ones with an indefatigable protective mummy instinct! X
 
healing thoughts for you and your little girl, such a terrifying ordeal but you fought for her ((((0)))). Agree you are both lucky to be alive, I have nursed people injured by cattle !

I never ever go into a field where I see cows with calves because they , like us will fight to potect their young if they perceive a threat ( and that varies from cow to cow as well as differrent scenarios).

I remember when I was young accidentally getting into a situation being in a small place with a ewe and her lambs.... and def felt her rage in protecting her lambs :eek:.


It is a difficult situation with regard to responibility regarding footpaths through farming land where any animals are grazing because anyone who uses the path has to have an awareness that they may encounter livestock when they cross the style / gate .... and assess the risk , then if they proceed they do indeed do it at their own risk. We all do it all of the time and its no criticism.

Yet that decision may be altered depending on what is in the field and that information may not be evident ......... hard one to call because I think that apart from warning re bulls I dont think its the farmers legal responsibility to inform walkers / riders. Sometimes we dont see anything when we enter then come across the livestock round a corner.



The breed of cow I would def never ever go near are dexters.despite their small size .... at a previous livery there were some shared the field with the horses and were fine as long as you gave them a wide berth. Try to do anything at all near them they just switched to little devils on speed :eek: :eek: :eek:


speedy recover to you both again.
 
Landowners with a public footpath on their hand have duty of care. They are not allowed to put an animal that may be regarded as 'dangerous' loose on a piece of land which holds a public right of way.
Any farmer knows that cattle with young can be more unpredictable then the norm, the owner is held liable for any injury caused by an unprovoked attack by a animal on a public right of way.
Imo their should of been a sign warning peoplem. If there was then maybe you and your little girl would have been spared this horrific ordeal.
 
Thank god she is okay!!
I totally know how frightening it can be, November 09 my daughter was attacked by 3 of our pigs, they escaped out the fencing, trampled her and where mauling at her on the ground, managed to pick her up and put her in the trailer. She got off lightly with a dislocated elbow which was broken in 2 places, and a fractured wrist and a nasty bite.

Needless to say, we ate the pigs and never have had them since!!

Hope your daughter recovers well. Its good that you have brought it to peoples attention just how dangerous some farm animals can be.

(hugs) i know how traumatic it is xxx
 
OMG what a scary situation for you to be in, and how brave you were, glad you have both come out of it with what injuries that can be fixed.
I have had my horses on cattle farms and regulary rode through the fields with cows and calves and when the bull was out, but even so i always gave them a huge wide birth, and when they were at the horse my poor dog used to get chased everywhere, and a few times they ran at myself when going through their field to check the horses, but my arms flapping and waving must of done something as they used to look and think i was mad
 
3Beasties said:
OMG That sounds terrifying! Sounds like you were both incredibly lucky to come off so lightly! Hope your daughter makes a quick and full recovery!

Not that it would be much use now but I'm sure I heard somewhere that a cows nose is the most sensitive part of their body and that is where you should aim for in self defence, anyone know if that's right?
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i just grabbed the first thing which was its ear and twisted it and hung off it. cldnt get at its nose and the cow was opening its mouth trying to bite her! my poor daughter just kept saying why was it trying to bite me mummy? - what do you say to that?!

brighteyes said:
I have to say I think you are both lucky to be alive. Was it a continental cow? IME they are far worse than Fresians, but Jerseys can be also very protective.
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it was a copper coloured cow so not sure except it was very big and very angry. apparently there was a bull in the field as well and the police wanted to know if it was the bull that attacked us but i told them no it was a cow

BoolavogueDC said:
Can't be deemed your fault if you didn't know they were in there, well done being so brave and looking after your little un- that cow learnt that its not only bovines who'll do anything for their babies :) Hope yours recovers well, poor mite.
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yes i hope the cow has a sore ear and neck this morning and maybe think twice - or not as i wouldnt - its surreal when instinct takes over in a situation like that

cob&onion said:
Thank god she is okay!!
I totally know how frightening it can be, November 09 my daughter was attacked by 3 of our pigs, they escaped out the fencing, trampled her and where mauling at her on the ground, managed to pick her up and put her in the trailer. She got off lightly with a dislocated elbow which was broken in 2 places, and a fractured wrist and a nasty bite.

Needless to say, we ate the pigs and never have had them since!!

Hope your daughter recovers well. Its good that you have brought it to peoples attention just how dangerous some farm animals can be.

(hugs) i know how traumatic it is xxx
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poor baby its just like nothing youve ever seen in your life isnt it?, thank you its nice to know that you know what i went thro as id just never believe it myself if someone wrote it. to see your child being attacked is the most terrifing thing ever

thank you for all your well wishes, our bruises are colouring up nicely!
 
i livery on a beef farm and walk and ride past the cows and calves regularly, never had a problem with them as we're extra careful to keep our distance. the only problems i have had this year was with a group of young steers that had just been turned out, they came halfway across the field to 'see' us then wouldn't back off, farm hand had to come out on his motorbike to see them off eventually. never known a cow to try and bite anyone, they don't have teeth at the top front!

i don't doubt it was very frightening and i know you may not think so seeing she has a broken leg but your daughter was very lucky not to have been killed:(
 
OP, it must have been terribly frightening experience and I hope you and your little girl are on the mend soon.

A copper coloured beef cow will most likely be a Limousan, which is continental breed.
 
Ibblebibble said:
never known a cow to try and bite anyone, they don't have teeth at the top front!

i don't doubt it was very frightening and i know you may not think so seeing she has a broken leg but your daughter was very lucky not to have been killed:(
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the cow had its mouth open i guess in sheer anger but to my little girl who was under the cows hooves on the floor being mauled it looked like it was trying to bite her - shes being very good about it and saying 'mummy the cow must have been really grumpy!' so shes taking it very well but i guess thats because she doesnt know what might have been. i honestly thought the cow was going to kill her
 
martlin said:
OP, it must have been terribly frightening experience and I hope you and your little girl are on the mend soon.

A copper coloured beef cow will most likely be a Limousan, which is continental breed.
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Or a Simmental (the clue to their nature is in the name!) Basically never trust a brown or cream cow (except an Ayrshire who don't seem any different from our docile Fresians) and the beautiful looking butter doesn't melt in my mouth Jersey is also to be avoided, especially their bulls.

Meant to add, yes, noses are very sensitive, far more so than ears.
 
I have to say this has really worried me, I live near a common and they are due to have cows on soon, we tend to ride across the common and have been restricted enough by the added gates and fences to get past, I was told the cows won't bother the horses and we will be safe to go on there once the cattle is there, this how ever has frightened me, my horse is scared of cattle already and seems to pass them at speed but I generally thought cows were tame and my horse would eventually get used to them, do you think that it would be unsafe to do this now?
Also I wish your daughter a full recovery what a brave person you are for acting so quickly xxx
 
caitlin95uk said:
I have to say this has really worried me, I live near a common and they are due to have cows on soon, we tend to ride across the common and have been restricted enough by the added gates and fences to get past, I was told the cows won't bother the horses and we will be safe to go on there once the cattle is there, this how ever has frightened me, my horse is scared of cattle already and seems to pass them at speed but I generally thought cows were tame and my horse would eventually get used to them, do you think that it would be unsafe to do this now?
Also I wish your daughter a full recovery what a brave person you are for acting so quickly xxx
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You are safer on horseback than on foot, as they don't tend to perceive a horse as a danger to them
 
My god, that must have been horrendous. You were literally fighting for her life! Poor little mite.

My view is that the farmer should have put a warning sign at both ends of the footpath. If there is no law stating that they should do this then there should be - especially if people have been killed by cows. Better still, put them in another field!

Goodness, you even have to put up warnings about electric fencing if adjacent to a footpath!

Do farmers have insurance for this sort of thing?
 
My parents told me I was ''tossed into the air'' by a horned cow as a small child I dont remember so hope this child also forgets.

There is no doubt whatever newly calved cows are dangerous, any new mother will defend her offspring if necessary or what she considers necessary.

It may be this footpath needs to be closed temporarily or the local authority need to change the line, or fence the path, if the farmer has nowhere else to put his newly calved cows close to the farm while under observation.
 
AFAIK, the law says that you can't have generally bulls in a field with a footpath on it (although I think in some circumstances you can, if they are beef bulls? Something to do with dairy bulls being more dangerous, I think).

Under the Animals Act 1971, all animal owners have strict liability for anything their animals do, if they are behaving in a way that is expected for the animal - so for example, if a horse was to bolt and injure someone the owner would be liable as it is known that horses are flight animals. This would apply even if precautions had been taken, again AFAIK as there were moves to make some change to this, introducing the possibility of a legal defence. I am sure someone who is a bit more up-to-date in their knowledge will be able to confirm or correct this. However - basically you'd be daft to have any animal that you take out in public without also having public liability insurance as there's a good chance you could end up sued if anything happens. So I would imagine most farmers would have insurance, though I wouldn't think this is a legal requirement tbh.

Putting up a warning sign could be seen as admitting liability under the law (it's a grey area) because the farmer would be admitting that they have knowingly put animals into a field with a footpath that might injure someone. The NFU did produce signs that have been worded in such a way as not to admit liability though. I would have also thought it would make sense to stick a sign up simply saying that there are animals in the field (without any danger warnings) if the whole field is not visible from the point of entrance, but I guess you wouldn't necessarily think of doing that if you were the farmer.
 
BLINKIN HECK - I hope you both recover soon, makes me feel sick just thinking about ot. I had my hip dislocated on our farm by a marauding heiffer
 
Spudlet said:
AFAIK, the law says that you can't have generally bulls in a field with a footpath on it (although I think in some circumstances you can, if they are beef bulls? Something to do with dairy bulls being more dangerous, I think).
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You can have a bull of beef breed in a field with footpath/bridlepath, providing that female cows are with him (7 to be precise)
 
berry said:
Landowners with a public footpath on their hand have duty of care. They are not allowed to put an animal that may be regarded as 'dangerous' loose on a piece of land which holds a public right of way.
Any farmer knows that cattle with young can be more unpredictable then the norm, the owner is held liable for any injury caused by an unprovoked attack by a animal on a public right of way.
Imo their should of been a sign warning peoplem. If there was then maybe you and your little girl would have been spared this horrific ordeal.
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Trouble with that is animals can be so unpredictable! What could be a cow that has had several calves and never batted an eyelash at people mooching through her field, could turn for reasons only known to herself.
All the fields around us have notices stating "The cows in this field may contain calves and a bull" along with advice on not approaching them if you are going to use the footpath.
I hope your daughter is feeling better soon Mole and that her ordeal has not left her fearful in any way, poor mite, it must have been terrifying for you both.
 
I have a 3 year old and we have cows and I am sick to the stomach after reading about this horrific incident!
Your poor poor little girl! I am so happy to hear that she is on the mend.

Most of the cows calve inside up until March and some of them can be very protective, particularly the Angus's, by the time they go out they have settled.
However I will be sending this link on to my OH to reinforce the need for caution when it is so easy to become complacent.

The very best of wishes to you and your little girl, wishing her a speedie recovery.
 
Given the choice of going in with a bull or a cow and calf I'd take the bull any day of the week. Cows are lighter built and can run a damn sight faster and are far more protective than a bull. Many years ago a woman told me how she was forced to throw her baby over a hedge when she was charged by a cow with a calf - and she was the farmers wife!
 
How awful :(
I live in a rural area and about 6 weeks ago a man was killed by his own heard of cows because there were calves in the field. He was crushed against the gate, he wasn't quick enough to get out :(
I hope you and your daughter recover physically and mentally!!
 
Hope you and your Daughter recover quickly. I was chased by a herd of cows once. It wasn't much fun, but I did manage to escape.
 
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