Walkers and horses or other livestock

[BreakfastAtSquiffanys]

Hi Tack room people!

I'm a townie who now lives in a semi rural location.
I've just started doing regular daily walks to try and get fit, and while the weather is nice and ground dry, I'm mostly walking along the many public footpaths that cross local farmland.
So far I've seen - at a distance - loads of horses, some cows, a donkey and a goat!
All the horses so far have ignored me, but I'd like advice on what's the right thing to do should I unexpectedly find myself closer to expected to any horses or cows.
I don't want to frighten any animals nor put myself in any danger.

Many thanks

Just keep walking purposefully. They might follow you, but if you don't engage they will lose interest.
If any animals start running towards you then i have read that you should turn to face them, unzip your jacket, raise your arms while holding the bottom of your coat to make yourself look bigger - haven't tried this myself though!
Enjoy your walks.

My horses are friendly and nosey, but big and that could worry someone not used to having them at close quarters. I'll spin my jacket (maling sure pockers are closed first!) and they'll all back off. No need for the spinning item to touch the horses, the movement is enough to get them to give you space.

I live in the country and do lots of walking around farm land.
Never had trouble with horses as you won't be able normally to walk in fields they are in, but if you are they are quite friendly, just do not get close to the back end just in case.
Had one bad experience with cows that had young ones with them, they are very protective and could see you as a threat, I thought I was going to be trampled.
Best keep out if they have young, and never go near them with a dog.

Thanks for the advice. I don't have a dog so no worries there.
Today's path had horses just on other side of the fence so we were close but safely separated, but later on the marked path went straight across a large field with 4 horses on far side but I accidentally missed the line of the path and actually walked along the hedge line further away from the horses.
I seem to live in Horse Grazing Central!

I think I will avoid cow fields

As an aside, and I'm sure you wouldn't, but never feed any of the horses. Some will have restricted diets and some will be absolute pita if they think there's something tasty to hand. Also watch the front ends as they can cow kick (lower leg comes out sideways), strike, barge with a shoulder, or head butt you.

I make them sound horrible! They're not, you just need to know how to be around them and get good at reading their body language if you're going to be close to them.

Definitely wouldn't feed them - apart from possible dietary restrictions, I don't want to encourage horses to follow me or any other walkers

Horses generally ignore people.
Young cows in particular are much much more nosey and are likely to want to come over. We have a largish heard of dairy heifers near us, they find people dogs bikes etc very interesting and many walkers get very anxious. They are totally harmless but people over react they start jumping up and down waving their arms coats jackets etc. From the heifers point of view these people go from interesting to absolutely fascinating and definitely require further close inspection. This of course means that the walkers get more nervous and then wave their arms more frantically and of course the cows interest is heightened further.
Instead walkers should ignore them if they’re round a gate way walk purposefully but quietly towards them and and round behind them most you do dairy cows will just move out of the way.
Older dairy cows are pretty unmoved by humans and will glance up and maybe stare for a minute then carry on with the business of making milk.

Thank you all for your advice.
I'm still discovering all the local paths so hopefully will work out which fields are used for Grazing.