Tag: dogs

A Tale of Three Walks: close encounters with cattle.

cornered by herds of cattle

  1. Rod’s story

On the 9th August, 2020, I was walking along a public footpath in Norton village, near Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire (grid reference TL 23241 34541). I was on my own and didn’t have a dog with me.

I noticed the cows as I was walking through the footpath, but they were in a far corner and peacefully grazing. As I reached around midway through the field they began moving towards me. They then blocked my path and one ran towards me. I put my hands up and talked calmly, backing away slowly. They continued pursuing me. I fell over while walking backward and the same one approached again. I ended up backing back to the gate and leaving the field.

My main worry would be if that footpath was used by children, or families with children who didn’t know how to behave around cattle, this incident could have ended much worse.

Respondent ID: 240210409

2. A couple’s story

On the 9th August, 2020, we were walking on a public footpath near Brailsford, Derbyshire, in a field just southwest of the Post Office.

We saw a group of black bullocks standing in the field, so decided to give them a wide berth (c. 70 metres). We have been through this field before, but the cattle have either all been lying down or have been in another part of the field c. 250 metres away. However, today they were standing up.

I noticed that very soon they started walking purposefully towards us. I would estimate that there were approximately 15-20 animals.

I ran to the gate, but my wife isn’t as quick. She picked up a stick, which she waved at them in order to keep them at bay. I went back to help her, and started shouting and screaming at the bullocks to provide a decoy. This helped to distract them, and to allow my wife to get to the gate too.

It was very frightening, especially for my wife.

We did report the incident to the police. Ideally, we’d the cattle to be moved somewhere else so that they are no longer a nuisance to those using a public footpath. Failing that, some warning signs MUST be put up if the farmer doesn’t wish to face prosecution.

Respondent ID: 240210310

3. CS’s story

On the 19th August, 2020, I was walking along a public footpath near Morton, Derbyshire (Grid Reference SK 40048 60921). I was on my own in the field, with my two dogs on a lead.

One of the cows in the field took a dislike to us and started stomping and huffing. Then it got ready to charge!

The herd cornered us. I had to climb through a barbed wire fence to escape, as unable to find another way to safety. The dogs were unharmed, but I had some scratches and bruises.

Respondent ID: 240476237

Sally’s Story: lifted up into the air.

The cow managed to lift me off the ground and into the air.

On the 12th May, 2021, I was walking on my own with my two dogs on a lead. We were walking along a public footpath down a field near Bull Cross Farm, Dronfield, near Chesterfield in Derbyshire.

In the field were a group of cows with their calves.

Continue reading “Sally’s Story: lifted up into the air.”

Susan’s Story: knocked out by Limousin cows.

I was knocked to the ground, and knocked out.

The attack

in 2015, my husband and I were walking along a footpath near Buckingham, following a route we had found in a walking guidebook. We had our two Gordon Setters with us, both on a lead.

We entered a field. There were no warning signs about cattle, and to start with we didn’t see any cows in the field, but then they suddenly appeared. It was a herd of Limousin cows with calves, and with a bull among them.

The cows ran at us, and went for our older dog and knocked him down. He lay so still, we thought he was dead. My husband managed to pick up the dog, and then the cows started attacking me.

I was knocked to the ground, and knocked out.

I recovered consciousness after a few seconds and managed to get up for a moment, before falling down again. From then on, my memory of what happened is very unclear, and most of my story is based on what my husband told me afterwards.

My husband was also knocked down, but he jumped up again and tried to push the cows away from me. He set both dogs off their leads so they could escape, and the younger one ran away, but the older one just lay still on the ground.

The bull actually saved us, as he seemed to lead the cows away.

I got up again – although I have no memory of this – and managed to walk to the stile. I climbed over the stile and collapsed on the other side. Was totally unable to walk any further. Luckily there was a road there, and my husband flagged down some people in a car. We had no phone reception, but somebody drove to find a mobile signal, and they called an ambulance.

While we were waiting for the ambulance, a farm hand came over. He asked which cow had attacked us, and pointed out one in the herd. “Was it that one?” Thinking about this afterwards, it was clear there were some cows in the field who were known to be aggressive, and the farm hand knew it.

My injuries

I was taken to the Radcliffe Infimary, where I had an MRI scan. It was discovered I had a fractured sternum and a fracture of my top cervical vertebra, at C1. I was concussed, but did not need any immediate emergency treatment, and they let me go home the same day.

Actually I was lucky. If the C1 vertebra had fractured right across, I could have ended up dead from brain stem injury.

Afterwards, I suffered from back pain. I’d never had back pain before, but required several sessions of osteopathy to help me recover.

Susan's husband with their Gordon Setters

Our old dog survived the attack. We think he played dead when he was first knocked down, and this probably saved his life. Sadly, he has since died, but he was an elderly dog and we have no way of knowing if the incident shortened his life.

The aftermath

I’m not better yet. My main problem is severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which has badly affected my life. I get extremely anxious if something is approaching at speed. This makes it impossible for me to drive on a motorway, and for a long time I couldn’t even sit in the front passenger seat of a car. After multiple sessions of a type of treatment called ‘Somatic Experiencing’, I’ve made some progress towards recovery. But I still have a long way to go.

Before this happened, I was fit and healthy, and a confident person. I was brought up with animals and am a qualified osteopath. In the past, I’ve given osteopathic treatment to cattle, and was always confident around cattle and never frightened of cows.

I was also a keen long distance walker. Now I only go for short walks to take the dogs out. If I want to do a longer walk, I usually go out with my husband. He saved my life that day.

Every time I go out, I have to plan the route carefully to avoid walking anywhere where there might be cows.

We did sue the farmer and eventually won some financial compensation. But nothing, of course, makes up for the trauma of the experience.

This has changed my life completely. Just thinking back and talking about what happened makes me feel distressed and shaky.

Top Image by Michael Gornig from Pixabay

Image of husband with dogs was supplied by the victim.

Sophie’s Story: chased by a bellowing cow

I dropped the dogs’ leads – and ran for my life.

On the 26/11/2019, I was walking with my friend along a public bridleway through a field, near Lartington, County Durham. (Grid Ref NZ015168).

We’d already been through several fields of sheep and cattle, with my two dogs, both on a short lead. Continue reading “Sophie’s Story: chased by a bellowing cow”

Andy’s story: Frightened by a rogue cow

The cow became more and more threatening and aggressive.

In May 2019, I was walking with my daughter along a footpath near Coalburns, Gateshead.

There was a group of cows and calves in the field, along with some bullocks. I’m experienced at walking among cattle and normally OK. This time, one or two younger bulls were inquisitive but soon lost interest. Then an older cow started to follow us.

I did have my two labradors with us, which I kept on a very short lead at all times, as I was conscious of younger calves in the field. The calves were quite a distance from us. The cow following us didn’t appear to have a calf with her.

The cow became more and more threatening and aggressive. I had to shout and raise my voice a few times to make her back off, but she continued to follow us, even though we were now on the far side of the herd and heading out of the field.

The cow continued to follow us, and then started running towards us, bucking its back legs in the air as it turned around us. Quite scary! I even resorted to picking up an old fence post that I thought I might need to fend her off. My daughter was very scared.

Luckily we weren’t injured, and the dog was unharmed, but we were badly scared.

 

Photo by Luca Basili on Unsplash

Surrounded and trampled by cows

I ended up on the ground, being trampled under the hooves of 10 or 15 cows.

Cindy’s story

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”

New Forest: cow tramples woman

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”

Colin and his dog

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

Ruth’s story: broken nose and fractured ribs.

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.”

Mary’s story: scared at Stonehenge.

We picked up the dogs and ran.

In April 2014, we visited the stones at Stonehenge, and decided to walk back using the footpath rather than the road. There were two of us and we had our two small dogs, who were both on a lead.

There were a herd of heifers over by the fence in the far corner of the field. As we walked towards the gate, the herd started to move rapidly towards us, pushing us close to the fence.

We headed towards a gate – but it was locked. We picked up the dogs and ran to get to another gate, and managed to escape without being harmed.

I reported it to English Heritage (who manage Stonehenge} when they asked for feedback on our visit. This was at a well-used tourist site. The path should be separated from the cows… we were badly scared.