AShetlandBitMeOnce
Well-Known Member
I live along the coast about an hour, but I go to the New Forest (I assume that's where you are..) every week pretty much. The cows never fail to make me jump, they are crazy!
Bolting on hacks past cows....
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I live along the coast about an hour, but I go to the New Forest (I assume that's where you are..) every week pretty much. The cows never fail to make me jump, they are crazy!
npage123
Well-Known Member
Sometimes riding through a field with a large herd of inquisitive bullocks are now fun at all, even if horses are used to having them in a field next door...
Quite a while ago on a previous yard, we had permission at certain times of the year to go for a nice ride (and lovely gallop) in two adjoining fields which belonged to the yard owner's friend. However she did warn us that there would occasionally be bullocks in the fields...
One gorgeous summery day we were hacking past those fields and couldn't see any bullocks. One of the fields was sloping down towards the bottom end so we knew there was the risk of bullocks being right down at the bottom, but we decided to go for it. Our plan was to 'escape' into the second field if we spotted any scary beasts in the first field.
We started off by having an amazing ride in the second field, still not coming across any bullocks. However, upon going for a ride in the first field, we and our two horses spotted a great big herd of bullocks halfway down the slope... :O Oh dear! They came running up the hill as fast as they could to come and have a nice close look at the two funny looking horsies in their lush field... The field was big enough for us to turn around safely and try and make a controlled getaway. However, by the time that we came to the only gate which allowed us out of the fields and back onto the road, the bullocks had caught with us and we decided it was wiser to get out of that corner with the gate before we got cornered by the bullocks. Upon cantering away, they followed us again, and they made up their minds that they were going to carry on 'chasing' us. To our relief, they pretty soon got tired of all the running about and decided to come to a stop and just stand and look at us. However - they stood right at the gate and that's where they were going to stay.
Our solution - we called the yard owner's partner, who drove over to the field and chased them away from the gate so that we could finally escape. It took him a while to get them all away though. They didn't understand the concept of staying in a herd and moving away from a human waving their arms and shouting at them, trying to drive them away. And the horses were not happy at all about passing the scary beasts who have just been chasing them around. We did make it out there safely though, the horses calmed down eventually and we just couldn't stop laughing about what had happened.
So sorry, not offering advice to you OP, but just wanted to share our experience.
Quite a while ago on a previous yard, we had permission at certain times of the year to go for a nice ride (and lovely gallop) in two adjoining fields which belonged to the yard owner's friend. However she did warn us that there would occasionally be bullocks in the fields...
One gorgeous summery day we were hacking past those fields and couldn't see any bullocks. One of the fields was sloping down towards the bottom end so we knew there was the risk of bullocks being right down at the bottom, but we decided to go for it. Our plan was to 'escape' into the second field if we spotted any scary beasts in the first field.
We started off by having an amazing ride in the second field, still not coming across any bullocks. However, upon going for a ride in the first field, we and our two horses spotted a great big herd of bullocks halfway down the slope... :O Oh dear! They came running up the hill as fast as they could to come and have a nice close look at the two funny looking horsies in their lush field... The field was big enough for us to turn around safely and try and make a controlled getaway. However, by the time that we came to the only gate which allowed us out of the fields and back onto the road, the bullocks had caught with us and we decided it was wiser to get out of that corner with the gate before we got cornered by the bullocks. Upon cantering away, they followed us again, and they made up their minds that they were going to carry on 'chasing' us. To our relief, they pretty soon got tired of all the running about and decided to come to a stop and just stand and look at us. However - they stood right at the gate and that's where they were going to stay.
Our solution - we called the yard owner's partner, who drove over to the field and chased them away from the gate so that we could finally escape. It took him a while to get them all away though. They didn't understand the concept of staying in a herd and moving away from a human waving their arms and shouting at them, trying to drive them away. And the horses were not happy at all about passing the scary beasts who have just been chasing them around. We did make it out there safely though, the horses calmed down eventually and we just couldn't stop laughing about what had happened.
So sorry, not offering advice to you OP, but just wanted to share our experience.
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FinnishLapphund
There's no cow on the ice
Before this post, I've seen you say that when you turn him out, he doesn't care if there is other horses as company in his field or not, he only thinks about eating. So, I couldn't resist mentioning my crazy idea, have you thought about buying plywood + black and white paint, and make your own wooden cow, which you could place in his field, or wherever you want?
Found this page where someone have built 3D cows in plywood http://woodchuckcanuck.com/2016/07/18/dont-have-a-cow/
And here is another version of a wooden cow, which someone have made:
Found this page where someone have built 3D cows in plywood http://woodchuckcanuck.com/2016/07/18/dont-have-a-cow/
And here is another version of a wooden cow, which someone have made:
MagicMelon
Well-Known Member
My (now retired competition) horse began doing this many years ago. He was ok to hack for about a year (I got him as a 5yo) but some cows decided it'd be funny to launch through a wooden field gate away from us while we were passing one day, he turned and bolted unfortunately straight through a barbed wire fence which got wrapped round his legs where upon he bronked in a bog until I jumped off. I worked up to doing cows again, and eventually felt he was ready to pass a simple cow and calf in a small paddock by the roadside - he began freaking out, I jumped off thinking I could lead him past but he pulled away and bolted flat out along a road for a mile heading for home until a neighbour managed to stop him. I decided it was too dangerous to risk it again. I stopped hacking him on the roads completely from then on. I did hack round fields etc. but that was it. Not exactly a positive story, sorry OP but I really came to a stand still as to how to move forward safely with it! He regularly had cows in fields right beside him, I even saw him grazing totally chilled right up beside them and I could ride in the field beside them too but he seemed to switch as soon as we were on the road.
pansymouse
Well-Known Member
Mads is non too keen on cattle and there are lots in the summer on the Plain where we ride. She can just about cope if they stand still although she watches them like hawk but if they move or worst still move and moo she becomes quite difficult to hold. No amount of "desensitising" makes a blind bit of difference. She is much better when we're with her cob mate who she regards as sacrificial bait for anything dangerous - he's slower and fatter than her so in her view would make a better meal.
I think the way forward for the OP is to try and hack out with company that is cow confident so the horse sees them as less of a risk. This works best if it's a dominant horse that is providing the company. My mare is very dominant and therefore doesn't put much weight in the cob's opinion of cattle so we haven't moved forward on the issue.
I think the way forward for the OP is to try and hack out with company that is cow confident so the horse sees them as less of a risk. This works best if it's a dominant horse that is providing the company. My mare is very dominant and therefore doesn't put much weight in the cob's opinion of cattle so we haven't moved forward on the issue.