The dog was very badly bruised and lucky to be alive.
On the 9th of June, a group of four of us were walking along a footpath from Rockford Common car park (Ringwood, Hampshire). The path runs parallel to the road, and we were heading towards Linwood. We had a dog on a lead.
We spotted a group of brown cows and waited for them to cross the path. We the proceeded to go down the path. Continue reading “Dog trampled and walkers injured”
I ended up on the ground, being trampled under the hooves of 10 or 15 cows.
On the 30th September this year, I was walking on a public footpath in Cornwall, on a circular route from Millook, near Bude, through Trebarfoote Farm, which is where the incident happened. Continue reading “Surrounded and trampled by cows”
One particular cow made straight for us.
This September, the two of us were walking on a footpath in the Derbyshire Dales near Throwley Hall, with our dog on a lead.
There were some cows in the field. They were light brown and tan coloured, some a rust colour – possibly Guernsey, although I’m not sure. We are used to livestock and were giving the cows a wide berth so as not to split the herd.
One particular cow made straight for us and came towards our dog, calling very loudly. The rest of the herd began to move towards us too.
My partner shouted at the ‘main’ cow and waved his hands. It turned away momentarily, before turning back and suddenly rushing at my partner. He dropped our dog’s lead and the dog ran off, pursued by the herd.
These cattle were extremely agitated and even after retrieving our dog and getting out of the field, they pursued us to the gate.
I’ve reported the incident to the local authority but, as far as I’m aware, they’re not investigating it further.
Nearly forced to turn back.
John’s story is a reminder that encounters with cattle can be frightening, particularly when unexpected, and can spoil our enjoyment of the countryside.
In September of this year, I was walking with my wife along the Isle of Wight Coast Path. We were about a mile west of Bouldnor Copse on the north coast of the island, and there was a diversion on the coast path.
Unfortunately, along the diversion were cattle, and they were protecting a calf.
We were badly frightened and nearly forced to turn back, but a young man was working with a tractor nearby, and he came over and kept the cows away while we went though the field.
We got over the stile with a second to spare.
We are both experienced walkers in our fifties and are used to walking through fields with cattle in, and most of the time without any problem. In September, the two of us were walking on a public right of way near Uldale, in the Lake District. Continue reading “Roaring cattle”
I discovered the rest of the herd were right behind me.
On the 23rd September, 2018, I was walking along a public right-of-way near Wolsingham, County Durham. I was on my own, and didn’t have a dog with me.
I noticed there were cows in the field, but they were in the far corner, so I wasn’t concerned. I crossed a river using stepping stones put there for this purpose, and found a lone cow on the other side. It was standing by the gate out of the field, and it wouldn’t move. Continue reading “Close escape: chased across a river!”
The cow put its horns either side of me – and launched me onto the heath land.
In February 2018, I was walking my dog in the New Forest, in Dibden Purlieu, near to the Heath roundabout.
I was walking along the path with my dog walking to heel, when I saw some cows quite a distance away from me. They were small, with really long horns, and looked like Highland Cattle. They were just quietly grazing, and I didn’t feel concerned.
One of the cows seemed to make eye contact with me, came towards me from quite a distance, and started running at me. I turned to go back the way I came to try to avoid it, but next thing it was right up behind me. Continue reading “Carolyn’s Story: another cow attack in the New Forest”
Serious injuries and no laughing matter.
A few weeks ago, Della White and her husband Michael were walking their dogs near their home in the New Forest.
“We saw a white cow with horns and her calf,” her husband told reporters. “I called our two sheepdogs close and my wife put our other dog on a lead. Suddenly I heard my wife shout behind me.” Continue reading “New Forest: cow tramples woman”
I waved my arms and roared loudly as the cow bore down on us.
My girlfriend, my dog and I were walking along the Wales Coast Path, on the Llyn Peninsula, in June 2018. We passed through a turnstile to find a herd of cows with calves. We proceeded to pass quietly along the path with our dog, aged 8, who has walked in the country with us all his life and never bothers with cattle, horses or sheep.
Keeping an eye on the cattle, I noticed one of the mothers getting agitated and starting to make a noise. She was at least 10 metres away, and she started to stamp and run at myself and our dog. Continue reading “Angry cow on the Wales Coast Path”
The fields have become dangerous places to be.
Spring has sprung and summer is here, and the cows are out in the fields. And so the fields have become dangerous places to be. Here we report three recent cattle attacks. Continue reading “Trampling season well under way”
These aggressive animals were way more than ‘just curious’.
It was May 2017, and we were walking near Morwenstow (on the Devon/Cornwall border). There were four of us, and we had our large Estrela Mountain Dog on a lead. We had left the South West Coast Path and were heading inland to Morwenstow village, following along a public right of way as marked on the Ordnance Survey map for the area.
Suddenly, over the horizon appeared about 15 head of young Friesians running at speed. Within seconds they had our dog (now slipped from the lead) at bay against a sheer cliff.
Thank goodness there were four of us, and by shouting and judicious use of walking poles we were able to clear a way to run the 800 metres or so along the field edge to the next stile. Unluckily the field tapered, and we were almost headed off at the very end by these very aggressive animals who could easily outrun us and our dog. They showed absolutely no fear.
We made it by seconds and narrowly avoided a very ugly incident as these animals were way more than ‘just curious’.
Even a year later we are super aware of any cattle on our side of the fence… and this has in all honesty greatly affected both our enjoyment of the countryside in general and of Cornwall in particular.
A note to the ‘authorities’ … quite apart from issues of justice and compensation, unless the threat from livestock can properly be brought under control you risk losing considerable tourist ££s as well.
I had always thought that dairy cattle were milder mannered than beef cattle but apparently every rule has its exceptions, and the ‘rules’ for dealing with these incidents are worse than useless.
Photo credit: the featured photo of an Estrela Mountain Dog was modified by COWS from an original by Pleple2000 on Wikimedia, and is shared under Creative Commons license CC BY-SA 3.0
The cows repeatedly kicked me all over my body.
In 2008, I was walking with a friend. We were on a footpath crossing farmland in West Sussex, and we had three dogs walking quietly with us and all on leads.
There were cows in the field. I don’t know the breed, but they were mainly brown cows. They didn’t have young calves but there were some probably not yet fully grown. Continue reading “Ruth’s story: broken nose and fractured ribs.”
Cattle Safety 