Chased by cows

[SusieT]

Correct thing is to shoo them definitely. Most cattle are used to being herded and just think that the person is an interesting thing to come and look at. By standing squarely and shooing them without running you stand the best chance of them staying a distance while you back slowly to the exit.
This doesn't work as well obviously in a wide open field, or with bulls, cows with calves or if you have a cow in the herd with an aggressive streak. But yes - try and shoo them pretend you are the farmer with a stick just moving them fields - and try and send the dogs away. They normally escape fine off lead.
Cattle are not fun when you meet them in a field if riled up!

 

[JGC]

Having seen my dog around the horses, she would absolutely not be savvy enough to get away from a charging herd, so I am terrified of coming across a herd during a circular walk. I've scrambled through undergrowth, down ditches, clambered to roads to avoid going through a herd. And even then we've had some pretty hairy moments.

 

[fiwen30]

Less radical then a gun, I wonder if you had a stick and hit the lead ones nose? Not sure I’d want to test the theory.

I’ve spent the afternoon musing over whether a person could fight a cow, and I’ve still not come to a conclusion.

Maybe if the person took the offensive first, was armed with a walking stick, crop, or dressage whip, and went for the face? Doubt any of those things would do much good against a cow that was already charging though.

Hope I never have to find out. My dog couldn’t outrun cows anymore, and even in his youth I don’t think he’d understand that he had to run, and would get squashed.

 

[Ratface]

When I was a child, our very experienced stockman was leading our polled Dexter bull down the lane using a bull pole attached to the ring in his nose. The stockman tripped and fell to his knees. The bull was immediately on top of him, and killed him.
I am very wary of cows of any gender or breed, whether I have a dog/horse with me or not. I'd far rather go back the way I came, however far it was.
I avoid them at all costs.

 

[Clodagh]

On my off piste (driven to) walk last week I came across a suckler herd on the footpath. I trespassed like mad to go round them, including across the corner of someone’s garden. I decided I’d just grovel if I was caught.
Better shouted at than flattened!

 

[Clodagh]

I’ve spent the afternoon musing over whether a person could fight a cow, and I’ve still not come to a conclusion.

Maybe if the person took the offensive first, was armed with a walking stick, crop, or dressage whip, and went for the face? Doubt any of those things would do much good against a cow that was already charging though.

Hope I never have to find out. My dog couldn’t outrun cows anymore, and even in his youth I don’t think he’d understand that he had to run, and would get squashed.

I think you’d want a good length of blue pipe, that seems to be the go to herding tool round here.

 

[Moobli]

I used to get nervous of them when they were turned out in Epping Forest, but haven't had any bad experiences with them thankfully. Bo would definitely go into herding mode if loose, not sure what the huskies would do.

I am sure there was a poster on here a few years ago who's partner was seriously injured, and their dog killed.

Glad all ended ok.

Oh gosh that’s awful ?

 

[Moobli]

I’ve spent the afternoon musing over whether a person could fight a cow, and I’ve still not come to a conclusion.

Maybe if the person took the offensive first, was armed with a walking stick, crop, or dressage whip, and went for the face? Doubt any of those things would do much good against a cow that was already charging though.

Hope I never have to find out. My dog couldn’t outrun cows anymore, and even in his youth I don’t think he’d understand that he had to run, and would get squashed.

That might work with a single cow but unfortunately they tend to work as a herd and people killed are often knocked down by one or two then trampled by the rest ?

 

[Moobli]

When I was a child, our very experienced stockman was leading our polled Dexter bull down the lane using a bull pole attached to the ring in his nose. The stockman tripped and fell to his knees. The bull was immediately on top of him, and killed him.
I am very wary of cows of any gender or breed, whether I have a dog/horse with me or not. I'd far rather go back the way I came, however far it was.
I avoid them at all costs.

So very sad, and not a unique story sadly ?

 

[Barton Bounty]

When I was a child, our very experienced stockman was leading our polled Dexter bull down the lane using a bull pole attached to the ring in his nose. The stockman tripped and fell to his knees. The bull was immediately on top of him, and killed him.
I am very wary of cows of any gender or breed, whether I have a dog/horse with me or not. I'd far rather go back the way I came, however far it was.
I avoid them at all costs.

Omg!
Listen to this!
when my dad came home from working away his favourite thing to was go fishing. So at 3am on a Saturday morning he would get up and go to the river so that I would always have a fresh trout for brekkie!
the field he had to go through always had a bull in it, my dad befriended the bloody thing? it used to stand next to him for hours ? I couldnt believe it when I went with him one day. I was terrified this thing was a pure beast! ?

 

[planete]

You need a very brave herding dog to turn determined cows. We had a border collie who would fetch the herd for us and steer them the right way stopping any straying. Some cows would object, face him and say no. He would first bark, then escalate by nipping them between the horns and finally on the nose if necessary. I thought at the time he would have been too hard a dog with sheep but I have never worked with sheep. We had not taught him, he did it instinctively and I do not think it could be taught without the right temperament and a strong herding instinct.

 

[Moobli]

It’s a special dog that can work cattle and sheep.
Cow dogs have to be brave, tough, fast and hard.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgACTGWlepl/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

It’s a special dog that can work cattle and sheep.
Cow dogs have to be brave, tough, fast and hard.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgACTGWlepl/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Wow what a dog!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Omg, Clodagh, I would have died of fright. A colleague’s friend was trampled by cows and needed a double hip replacement. With my history, I have found it very difficult to even be in a field of horses. I’m glad Beau came to call, because I was TERRIFIED of going to get him. I did it if I had to, but had a full on melt down catching him and his mate in soon after the accident. They were lovely, the horses surrounding me were not.

Re dogs, I took Brig with me to catch in one day, on lead. The whole herd started to close in on me as I was leading Beau in, Beau was trying to stamp on him, it was horrific. I let go of the dog who scarpered. Beau tried to stamp on the YO’s mini jrt one day, the yard dogs often go when the groom catches in. Apparently he was very determined. He never liked dogs.

The pups saw horses go past as I was putting them back in the car this week. They were fascinated, they won’t remember seeing Beau as very small babies. Where I walk, there is no livestock, bar occasionally sheep behind a very good stock fence.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

I work with cows, and I still wouldn’t trust them.

I’ve been caught out with Posy twice. Most recently doing an out and back walk, no time to go round. They were right down the other end on the way there, but on the way back one of them spotted us and headed our way, bringing the rest of the herd with her. Things were getting a bit rowdy for my liking so I unclipped her and let her go. Luckily the cows all went after her, and I was able to follow and get to the gate. Being the speedy and sensible little spaniel she is, she legged it for the nearest fence/undergrowth and when I finally got to the gate she was sitting there waiting for me just down the path.

The other time was a group of yearlings who were just curious and a bit playful. Thought there was a fence between us and them, there wasn’t. P was already off lead, legged it into the undergrowth and out of the field as soon as she saw them coming and I don’t think they even noticed her. Again, she made her way back to the gate and was waiting when we got out.

How she knows where I’m headed for I don’t know, neither of these walks were local to us and we’d never done either before!

 

[P3LH]

Hate them. When I was a very small child I was mobbed in a field. Family friends were chased by that same herd on a different occasion, they had sense to take smallest child out of pushchair - the cows crushed this in due course so good job really.

I keep a healthy distance where possible. We’ve had problems most of my life with the same farmer…and their various incarnations of their herd…the above mentioned one to be exact. Lots of escapes or moving into well walked fields where they usually haven’t been kept. I get it’s their land but sense sometimes goes amiss. We have had a few tangles over the years with dogs. I was brought up to let them off if in this situation, and I know opinions differ on this.

Escapees who followed us for some way, and a very angry Jack Russell…ended as you can imagine. All mouth and then one very hasty terrier retreat.

Curious bullocks who were not at all where they should be and a rough collie did what roughs do, trott back and forth stiff as a board, loudly barking - which meant they stayed curious but at a distance. A very nice and large distance and then they lost interest and we all went out separate ways. He would have bolted if they’d come near though. Or looked at him funny. Scared the life out of me.

Determined escapees who crashed through a weak fence and crossed the river when low in the summer to fields in the other side not belonging to the farm or where livestock is kept… It was like something out of a savannah film. We were literally just pottering along and then this scene erupted about fifteen foot in front of us. Our corgi bitch was about 11 months old or so at the time and did what corgis, especially unhinged ones do - and made sure they knew to go away or they would be made to do so rather quickly. Both the roughs crapped it and stuck behind my legs. The farmer found it funny at a later date (when I managed to get away, and went to knock to tell him they were out) and asked me if I knew that corgis were cattle dogs - not really the point….this herd has seriously injured people over the years but thankfully not fatally. Did kill a Labrador once.

All our dogs, barring one, have been sensible enough to bolt when faced with cows - with mouthing off being optional.

 

[millikins]

We have a fabulous huge field near us with a bridlepath all the way up one long side, it's a long way so a rare treat. I went in one day with pony and poodle to an apparently empty field. We were having a wonderful gallop until we rounded the corner smack into a herd of about 40 beef steers. We spooked them, they saw the dog and went for him. The dog couldn't get under the nice new stock fencing and the bullocks were now really winding themselves up so the pony and I held them off to give the dog time to get back to the gate. Like Clodagh I whooped and yelled, waved my whip and the pony bless her discovered her inner cow pony and willingly cantered to and fro to keep them back. They had a clear respect for the pony but I think they might of had me if I'd fallen off. The dog made no attempt to hang around, he was half way home before we got back through the gate.

 

[P3LH]

Just to reinforce my above post of hatred about them - aged about 7, which was some time after the initial cow incident, I went through a phase where I was very conflicted about what was on my plate after reading King-Smith’s the sheep Pig.

As the son of a butcher you can imagine how well that went down. Interestingly, I never hesitated with beef on Sundays or a burger from the barbie. I have been told that my Dad, aforementioned butcher, noting this and asking me about it - I apparently quite pointedly told him my Nan (farmers daughter) had said this new questioning was ridiculous as the animals we ate would eat me given the chance, but so far I had only found that cows seemed inclined too so it was ok to eat them guilt free!

 

[fiwen30]

It’s a special dog that can work cattle and sheep.
Cow dogs have to be brave, tough, fast and hard.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgACTGWlepl/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

That is SOME dog!

 

[Clodagh]

Next doors collie here is too hard for sheep but she’s a dab hand at the young bullocks. If I get roped into helping them move fields (rare, as I am useless) Fly just shoots me disdainful glances when I get one becalmed in a gateway and comes and moves it for me ?

 

[Griffin]

I am quite afraid of cattle due to a friend's father being quite badly injured after being trampled by a herd as he walked his dogs. His dogs were not on the lead and managed to escape but he was in hospital for a few weeks. I am dogless as the moment but even on my own I try to avoid them.

I am not a fan of riding near cattle either and try to avoid routes near them because they are such curious animals that they will come over.

 

[Goldenstar]

Years ago I was riding along a bridle way , a much used one near my parents home .
The field appeared empty but as I rode through a large herd of young bullocks arrived they surrounded the horse who was young and after about twenty minutes stand off the ring leader charged the horse and the reared slipped and fell depositing me in the middle of the herd the horse an away followed by some of the cattle some stayed to harass me.
Luckily I had a dressage whip so I slashed at their faces and managed to back under one of those TB wire strands that they used on boundaries at that time I then had to decide what to do about the horse who was being chased about .
I has still reviewing my options when the farmer arrived he was visibly relieved to see I was in one piece having seen the riderless horse I think he feared the worse with his help we got the horse out of the field .
It had to be treated for shock .
So yes I am cautious with cattle .

 

[Clodagh]

Years ago I was riding along a bridle way , a much used one near my parents home .
The field appeared empty but as I rode through a large herd of young bullocks arrived they surrounded the horse who was young and after about twenty minutes stand off the ring leader charged the horse and the reared slipped and fell depositing me in the middle of the herd the horse an away followed by some of the cattle some stayed to harass me.
Luckily I had a dressage whip so I slashed at their faces and managed to back under one of those TB wire strands that they used on boundaries at that time I then had to decide what to do about the horse who was being chased about .
I has still reviewing my options when the farmer arrived he was visibly relieved to see I was in one piece having seen the riderless horse I think he feared the worse with his help we got the horse out of the field .
It had to be treated for shock .
So yes I am cautious with cattle .

Omg!

 

[Umbongo]

I love cows and will stroke them over the fence if they allow it, but I am a bit scared about being in the field with a huge group of them, especially young curious ones. My father in law once went for a walk with his dog, dog came home without him. We tried to find him but didn't know which way he had gone. He turned up an hour or two later having been knocked out cold by a cow. He woke up in the field safe with the cows on the other side of the field! I believe that the cows were threatened by the dog and he didn't want to let the dog go.

My collie dog would bark and snap at their heels. On the odd occasion we did come across cows they would actually move away from him. He got loose once and chased a herd of cows. I nearly died of a heart attack. All I could imagine was him getting trampled to death or getting shot by the farmer.

I have also had a cow encounter on horseback. I was riding a very flighty arab x mare who I luckily had a bit of a special bond with. I was riding through a big (normally empty) field. I turned a corner and a group of maybe a hundred or so young cows all came charging towards me. They surrounded my mare who thankfully did not loose her mind but felt like she was about to explode. They were sniffing at her tail, her legs etc a couple of them would do a little rear or a buck. I had to get off to undo a gate, luckily I was carrying a schooling whip at the time and was able to wave it around to get most of the cows to back off slightly. It was terrifying! I was very thankful that my normally diva of a mare had trusted me and kept her cool!