Cows. I've changed my mind.

[Miljah]

Just read about another trampling of a walker in the Peak District.

While having an awareness of cows, especially with calves, and having grown up in rural Wiltshire (but with no specific farming links), I am changing my tune.

I've always been 'walk confidently through the field, they won't bother you'. Tho I don't have a dog.

Cows of my early rural childhood were at most curious, never aggressive (tho always avoiding coming between a cow and calf). Is it a breeding issue? Are more 'meaty', thus potentially more alpha specimens being put forward for breeding?

Do we need to do something about public footpaths and cows??

I remember being chased by cows in the 70’s, was always taught to be wary of cows and dogs. Cows haven’t changed.

I'm very wary of cows and will take a detour to avoid a path through a field of cows if I can.

You can never trust a cow. They're kind of skittish and a bit deranged looking. I always circumnavigate them when out and about.

Spend some time in India...cows on streets...normal, no problem (well the cows eating plastic is a problem) be confident, treat them with respect & they will ignore you.

I am also trying to eat less red meat but it's hard as it seems to be everywhere.

Quorn is OK I guess.

I'm old. We were always taught that cows were dangerous, would crush you given chance.

I lived on a dairy farm in NZ and the cows were fine, it was the white face/bulls down the road that were aggressive and I used to shit myself even walking past the fence

I don't trust them at all. They're so curious so often don't just ignore you. I've known a number of farmers local to my parents killed by their own cows. They're dangerous especially youngsters or mums.

My dd was chased by a cow. It was a heart hearted chase and the cow soon gave up but nevertheless it was scary

I have been chased by a pig and harassed by a mule - perils of living in the New Forest. I reported the pig incident and the Verderer merely dismissed me and said the commoners has rights to let their animals roam free. Pigs rights trump people's rights. Wouldn't mind but this was alongside a road

I love cows but wouldn't go in their field in a million years. Have known of a huge strong man be nearly killed by a cow. They're very strong and unpredictable and can be bloody fast when they want

Poor dog. Poor women as well.
Hope she pulls through.

That’s the thing though. When they’ve got babies. They’ll attack anything they deem to be a threat.

Cows really scare me. It’s their size and numbers that do it. I won’t walk through a field of them any more now which can be a problem as we live very rurally.

My 80 to uncle was trampled and both legs broken.
He joked no townie would recover as quick!

She had a dog with, as the majority of people who are hurt by cows do.

They are dangerous when they have calves fullstop, as they protect them - but stick a dog in a field, then it doesn't matter whether they have calves or not, they will identify it as a predator and threat.

The advice is to keep the dog on a leash if it's essential to enter an area where there is cattle or you suddenly find there are some within sight (worrying livestock causes massive suffering, deaths and huge expenses for farmers every year) and if the cows react to the dog, to let the leash go and ensure your own safety - never attempt to rescue a dog that is being attacked or is attacking cattle itself.

There's nothing to say that this lady had a loose dog or not or how she reacted - but everybody should know the advice anyway.

Cows are animals. Big ones. And they're big prey animals with brains that are programmed to see dogs as wolves and to protect their young from wolves (and humans).

I have been chased by cows twice, once aged ten, I was cornered in a bush which I scrambled through to escape. The second time was at a National Trust property. I was breastfeeding a newborn. I escaped to an outdoor cafe where they all followed me, and once I was safely inside they lined up along the wall staring at me!

Ben Fogle 's dad, Bruce, a vet and farmer with many years experience as both, was trampled by his herd when he thoughtlessly got between cow and calf. Said it was completely his own fault. Cows are large, heavy animals. Treat them with respect and keep them at a distance.

I am terrified of cows and have been known to do huge detours to avoid crossing their path.

I do not trust them.

That said I got chased by horses the other week whilst out running and it was fucking awful.

The added complication is that unlike sheep cows breed any time of year so it's not as though you can just avoid these animals in Spring.

Also annoyingly we have local farmers who put bulls (not bullocks) in fields with footpaths and no warnings up.

I have been quite scared of cows since the ones in the field where we used to walk trampled a runner to death in the 80s when I was little.

Unfortunately, I married the son of a cattle farmer.

I totally avoid cows - especially if I'm out with the dog. Cows are huge and stupid which is a pretty lethal combination in an animal!

I live in the new forest and this week a lady was chase by a heard of white cows. Massive discussion about it on our community fb page. Talks of them being non native to the uk & a dangerous breed. Last year a lady was badly injured by cows here too including a broken jaw!

Cows are highly intelligent and not hell bent on attacking people, they actually live really well cheek by jowl with us and each other which is how we've been able to milk them twice a day for millennia.

What's going wrong for walkers is dogs. Dogs + cows = no.

I didnt take my own, farm reared dogs in with my own cows which were familiar with them.

Young calves are an issue as mothers are protective. Stay well away, if the path goes through the herd, deviate. If the herd gets excited and starts running, just keep walking calmly. Stand and watch them if they come close. Resume walking when they move away.

Bulls are, 99% of the time, way less dangerous than any other bovine if you see them kept on a footpath (by law the high risk breeds and ages arent allowed). A walker was killed by a bull recently, as a result of a farmer breaking said laws.

Most cowbased horror stories are due to people mistaking curiosity and excitement for hostility and aggression and reacting poorly - do not run! Turn, stare at them, dont move until they start moving away. Carrying a stick will help as if they get too close for comfort, being able to poke them at a further range than they will expect freaks them out. Its also a sharp jab like a horn which in the cow world means 'fuck right off with your shit or i'll end you!'. It will help if you can grumble 'sod off, ye buggers' in a bored way like a farmer would.

Dairy Cows that have just had their new born calves taken away are very stressed when put back into pasture, humans will be seen as a a threat.

I remember being chased so many times by cows during my childhood in the 80's. Crossing a cow field was often terrifying and entering one on my pony even more so. I remember driving through an area where cows were grazing and them charging at the car. I doubt anything has called we just have wider access to the news. You'd be less likely to hear about rural accidents on farms in the 80's