I remember a lady being killed in 2008 in South Elmham, Suffolk, near to where my parents live. My hubby and kids have walked there many times! She had dogs with her too.
Walked along a footpath in Worcestershire through a field containing a herd of heifers. By the footpath marker was a plaque requesting walkers to respect livestock and that dogs must be kept on a lead. The cattle were nor visible at first due to the gradient, we only spotted each other after we were committed and in the middle of the field. My small dog according to instruction was on the lead. As soon as the cattle sighted us they moved towards us as a heard. I let my dog off the lead and told her to GO! As we knew where the path went on the brambly side of the field I was confident my dog would find her way, I managed to get to the edge of the field by violently swinging the chain dog lead I was holding to keep the cattle back which kept trying to move towards me and block my path. If I had not had the chain I believe I would have been in trouble as yelling made no difference to them. The footpath descended very steeply down towards the exit, if it had been wetter and I had lost my footing I feel there could have been a different outcome. I was harassed all the way to the swing gate, after I got through I heard a loud clang as a heifer crashed into the footpath gate I just exited through, followed by very angry moos Very scary, cattle obviously aggressive. I strongly recommend a dog chain! easy to carry in a pocket. My little dog was waiting for me on the safe side and gave the cattle a good barking at. I believe it is wrong cattle like this are not screened from the path behind an electric fence, other people must have been in trouble here too!
Quote: Originally posted by ambler990 on 08/9/2014
Walked along a footpath in Worcestershire through a field containing a herd of heifers. By the footpath marker was a plaque requesting walkers to respect livestock and that dogs must be kept on a lead. The cattle were nor visible at first due to the gradient, we only spotted each other after we were committed and in the middle of the field. My small dog according to instruction was on the lead. As soon as the cattle sighted us they moved towards us as a heard. I let my dog off the lead and told her to GO! As we knew where the path went on the brambly side of the field I was confident my dog would find her way, I managed to get to the edge of the field by violently swinging the chain dog lead I was holding to keep the cattle back which kept trying to move towards me and block my path. If I had not had the chain I believe I would have been in trouble as yelling made no difference to them. The footpath descended very steeply down towards the exit, if it had been wetter and I had lost my footing I feel there could have been a different outcome. I was harassed all the way to the swing gate, after I got through I heard a loud clang as a heifer crashed into the footpath gate I just exited through, followed by very angry moos Very scary, cattle obviously aggressive. I strongly recommend a dog chain! easy to carry in a pocket. My little dog was waiting for me on the safe side and gave the cattle a good barking at. I believe it is wrong cattle like this are not screened from the path behind an electric fence, other people must have been in trouble here too!
Gosh very very scarey for you and a lucky escape. It happens more than is made public sadly, whilst the farmers have the right to farm the land they also need to take heed of the good practice guidelines set down by DEFRA/HSE, and have a duty of care to the general public especially when 'public, designated footpaths' run through fields, not just randoms deciding to walk through a field of cattle.
Whilst the man was killed in the instance earlier in the thread it does not appear it was anything to do with the cattles annoyance at the dog as the cattle actually went for the human, as they did on the same estate just hours later, one man killed, one man injured on the same land by arguably the same cattle? hmmm no laughing matter for the families concerned.....
------------- If you can't beat em, join em, so we did! And then we sold it for a holiday let & Glamping pod instead 😁
I was fishing with my son then 7 on a local small river, the cattle didn't bother us and we didn't bother them.
A woman passed with a dog off the lead, not only was she daft throwing a ball into the river where we were fishing, the dog was clearly excited and making a lot of noise.
I already was packing up and going to move with my son when in the corner of my eye I noticed the cattle moving at pace towards us and our new annoying fishing companions. I told my son to walk confidently and brisky to the stile, we passed safely.
The woman was throwing her arms about the dog was barking, I told her to get her backside in gear and get across the stile, this seem to get her brain cell working and she and the dog cleared the stile before been trampled.
------------- It's better to ask a silly question than make a silly mistake.
These incidents seem to be happening more often. Maybe it is time for farmers to recognise that people like to walk in the countryside and they are not causing any damage or harm. Is it really unreasonable for farmers to take some sort of action to protect them?
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Topic: PLEASE be careful when walking
