Etiquette for riding through cow fields

[AntiPuck]

Today I came across a field full of very curious and excitable young cows on a hack, which a byway I was riding on ran through - I thought better of actually going through the field and turned back instead, but i'm curious as to what others would have done/what the expected etiquette is.

There were around 10 cows in the field, as I approached the gate they started walking towards us, so I waited to see if they'd get bored and go back to eating, but they didn't - they were walking slowly then, so I entered the gate, and as I started crossing the field some of them started trotting, so I stopped and waited until they were walking again, then walked back to the gate and left the field. Eventually, they reached the gate and were craning to sniff my horse, who was also fascinated by them, but every few seconds one of them got excited/scared and did a little buck, spin, and dash about, which was making my horse dance, hence deciding against crossing the field, as I didn't fancy coming off and being trampled by an excited horse and 10 cows, nor having my horse potentially kick one and hurt it.

After i'd ridden a few metres in the other direction, the cows took off sprinting across the field looking to be having a great time. In the past cows have completely ignored us and barely moved, so this was new.

Would you have turned back like I did? Walked through slowly and ignored the cows?

 

[tda]

I wouldn't have entered the field, even if I had the right to do so. It's not worth it

 

[Zoeypxo]

My horse is petrified of cows so i also would've turned back

 

[Barton Bounty]

I wouldnt ride through anyone’s field. I just stick to where I know BB Too unpredictable lol

 

[wills_91]

I won't enter a field with cows ever. Terrified of them

 

[Widgeon]

Depends entirely on how confident the particular horse is with cows. My horse doesn't love cows but I have crossed fields like this before in the company of another horse who is fairly good / chilled with them, and it's been fine. I wouldn't do it alone though, or in the company of another horse who was a bit worried. That seems like asking for trouble.

(I don't stop, just keep walking very slowly and eventually they usually do lose interest. My horse isn't one for leaping about unnecessarily though, I'd be frightened if he was. I'm less scared of them on a horse than on foot - won't go near them on foot!!)

 

[Zoeypxo]

I won't enter a field with cows ever. Terrified of them

me too !!!

 

[gallopingby]

Thirty years ago we thought nothing of riding through a field with cows in, today l wouldn’t even go in a field with cattle in unless l was 100% certain they would be ok. Don’t know what has changed, maybe different feeding / keep regimes? We have a lot of cattle around us and my horses get used to riding past them along the farm roads so we don’t usually worry about them but a visiting horse not used to cattle may be an interesting ride if hacked out alone.

 

[Tiddlypom]

me too !!!

And me!!

And definitely not through a field of excitable young cattle with or without a horse!

 

[Gloi]

I just ignore them and carry on. They always get out of the way. I just make sure I don't go between a cow and her calf. It would cut down the few bridleways we do have if I didn't go through cows.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Lost my brave pants after the accident so wouldn’t have gone in. Watching Clarkson’sbyoungsters, some of them were pretty lively scary.

 

[Julia0803]

Years ago, at a previous yard with a share horse we used to have a bridleway through a naturally managed common that was being ‘rewilded’ or similar. Once or twice a year they would put young native cows on the field, as apparently they helped with keeping things down that the project was trying to suppress and encouraged the growth of other stuff.

It was ok at first, as the cows were a bit nervous and would keep their distance… but after a week or two they were feeling curious and braver so would then try and follow you… closely… and often ‘frolicking’ (read trying to eat you as far as the ponies were concerned!)

I remember once checking and thinking the coast was clear… only to find the horses petrified as the cows were moving about in a cluster of bushes right by the gateway out, (out of sight but noisy and rustling) close to the path… we both nearly ended up decked.

We would have avoided it if we could, but unfortunately it was the main route out to other bridleways. As they were only there once or twice a year the horses didn’t ever truly get comfortable with them.

These days, I’d avoid riding through fields with cows if at all possible and turn around and go back the way we’d come.

 

[Bionic Boy]

I’m another that would not have gone in the field.

 

[BSL2]

My horse is fine passing cattle with a fence between us. As a child, I'd go through a herd on my pony, without a care. Today, I wouldn't have gone in.

 

[Orangehorse]

Newly turned out cattle can be a pest, and even though mine sees cattle every day and regards them as a lower form of life I wouldn't ride in a field with a lively bunch of strange cattle. At home I lead down the drive and wave them away with a long stick, but I don't ride through them if they are going to gallop up and start leaping around.

Hopefully after they have been turned out for a while they calm down.

 

[Caol Ila]

I would have so totally bailed. I do not like cows. There's a trail near my yard that goes through a herd of cows. I've been avoiding it ever since the cows went out into that part of the park. I keep waiting for the day someone makes them into steaks.

 

[emilylou]

Jump the gate on the way in, forward going canter all the way through and jump the gate out.
Just kidding.
I used to school my horse in a field full of cows, but I knew the herd who were so unbothered by the presence of horses and a very gentle breed so they never took any notice.
If I didn’t know the herd I might observe for a bit and ride through on a horse I knew was solid with cows if they looked like a quiet bunch. But it’s never worth the risk of being cornered in a gateway, so if that’s a possibility then avoid.

 

[Zoeypxo]

I would have so totally bailed. I do not like cows. There's a trail near my yard that goes through a herd of cows. I've been avoiding it ever since the cows went out into that part of the park. I keep waiting for the day someone makes them into steaks.

i hate to say it but i felt exactly the same when i used to livery at a farm.

 

[TPO]

It's not worth it. Cattle are far more dangerous (& lethal) than a lot of people realise.







My grandparents were beef farmers so I grew up around cattle and saw all that handling cattle entailed. An old railway line ran parallel to their farm and you'd get the odd person who thought they had nothing better to do than cut through the farm. They swiftly changed their minds when a mob of curious bullocks went to investigate the intruder!







I've worked cattle on foot and horseback in Australia and during my time on one station three folk were sent to hospital by cattle (one arm broken in two places, one obliterated thigh bone and one serious concussion and head injury) and several were injured (including me with cracked/bruised ribs and fractured wrist after being charged in the yards). All fairly experienced people at reading and working cattle.







Even on an experienced cattle horse I wouldn't ride into a field of cattle that werent used to horses alone. In this country there's next to zero chance that the cattle have been worked in that way (I know of a handful and I'm sure that there are more but it's not common practice over here).







OP you 100% did the right thing turning back. If people want to risk their lives that's on them but they shouldn't drag horses, dogs and children into it.

 

[AntiPuck]

Really interesting replies! I think if they'd have shown more fear of my horse I may have carried on (rightly or wrongly), as I would have assumed that cows wouldn't be brave enough to come right up or that I could shoo them away, but after seeing how bold they were once they'd reached the gate I was glad not to be in there with them potentially surrounded

I too worked on a cattle station in Oz (albeit only for 6 months), TPO, so you'd think i'd have known what to do, but i'm so used to seeing fields of very sleepy and uninterested cows in this country, unlike the nutters I worked with over there, so the initial caution didn't kick-in at all!

 

[Fieldlife]

My experience it depends on cows and space.

Adult specialist breed cows in public spaces seem pretty placid.

Young or playful cows a nightmare.

Spread out adult cows not near gate, that you can ride past without riding through geverally okay.

Nosy young playful I’d not ride through.

 

[TPO]

I too worked on a cattle station in Oz (albeit only for 6 months), TPO, so you'd think i'd have known what to do, but i'm so used to seeing fields of very sleepy and uninterested cows in this country, unlike the nutters I worked with over there, so the initial caution didn't kick-in at all!

I'm well out of the loop now but I remember my grandad having Limousin and Charolais which he called for alsorts because apparently they were all mad!

I was in the territory where it was mostly Bramhams with some Angus crosses and they were all as close to feral as they get so had a bit of fear (most, not all!). One of my cousins has a cattle property in Queensland and he refuses to have anything to do with territory cattle because of how feral they are. His have all been through the sales ring that most are as quiet as get out. I've been out in the paddocks rolling out round bales for them and they've been quiet as. I wouldn't be doing that for any non dairy British cattle!

Heck I've even been out in paddocks with bucking bulls who were getting a spell out and they were quiet as lambs. I love cattle but on my own and/or on a horse there is no danger im going into a field of them.

She says who's booked a cattle camp on a farm this year but that's with experienced trainers and quiet cattle who've been worked before and there will be a group of people all there to move the cattle, not ride through them.

 

[Vermeer]

I also would have turned back... I used to hack through fields with cows when I was younger. My pony was always good with them but they are far too unpredictable for my liking. Not worth the risk, although it's annoying when you have to turn back the way you came!

 

[AntiPuck]

Jump the gate on the way in, forward going canter all the way through and jump the gate out.

That made me laugh - to be honest, though, those cows could really shift, i'm not sure the odds on my horse v.s. them would've been too great

Jumping the gate did cross my mind very briefly when the cows started trotting over!!

 

[AntiPuck]

I'm well out of the loop now but I remember my grandad having Limousin and Charolais which he called for alsorts because apparently they were all mad!

I was in the territory where it was mostly Bramhams with some Angus crosses and they were all as close to feral as they get so had a bit of fear (most, not all!). One of my cousins has a cattle property in Queensland and he refuses to have anything to do with territory cattle because of how feral they are. His have all been through the sales ring that most are as quiet as get out. I've been out in the paddocks rolling out round bales for them and they've been quiet as. I wouldn't be doing that for any non dairy British cattle!

Heck I've even been out in paddocks with bucking bulls who were getting a spell out and they were quiet as lambs. I love cattle but on my own and/or on a horse there is no danger im going into a field of them.

She says who's booked a cattle camp on a farm this year but that's with experienced trainers and quiet cattle who've been worked before and there will be a group of people all there to move the cattle, not ride through them.

I always thought that the Brahmans looked so evil, which is probably unfair - the neighbouring station had them, and a few would occasionally slip through on to the station I worked on - a huge, terrifying-looking bull broke through one day, he was the only 'cow' that ever charged me whilst working there, and I had to run and fling myself over the fence to get out, thought I was toast.

I think you're right about the differences in handling over there v.s. in the UK making a big difference.

I hope you enjoy your cattle camp, that sounds like a lot of fun (and hard work!).

 

[Gloi]

These are the ones we have to go through most.

 

[Nudibranch]

I would also turn back. I've managed to creep round the edge of a field when cows were turned out unexpectedly and out of sight, over a hill. But generally I won't ride where they are. Some cattle are fine. Some are definitely not. There's no way to tell!

When we used to rent some grazing the farmer helpfully turned out about 25 heifers onto a 20 acre field without telling me. Found my electric fencing totally and utterly trashed. Every time I went to feed, bring in or whatever I had to deal with them. They would chase anyone and anything, and there was a bridleway running through that field as well. I'm sure he did it on purpose.

 

[AntiPuck]

It's unnerving that they're all looking at you, Gloi - but i'm guessing this bunch are well-behaved if you brave them regularly?

Looks like a beautiful place that you're riding in.

 

[Flame_]

My yard is within a field that used to have a herd of cattle in. Mostly they were docile but when there were youngsters or they were acting energetically I was very cautious and waited for them to go somewhere well out of the way before riding through.

ETA, I got totally mobbed on a Derbyshire pleasure ride once by a curious, giddy group of young cattle. Fortunately I was on my old horse who dealt with stressful situations by begging to be instructed what to do and immediately doing it, current horse might react to the situation differently.

 

[wills_91]

These are the ones we have to go through most.View attachment 108441

Eek your brave even looking at this makes me nervous