Calm cows at the fair

[herofan]

There was a recent thread here about being careful around calm cows, because they can often hurt a person unintentionally, which I agree.

I recently attended the KY state fair and went through the dairy cattle exhibit. There were aisles that people walked down with cows rear ends facing them. They all had a halter on them attached to a wall in front of them.

These cows seemed as tired as their owners, but what prevents an incident from time to time? What keeps them from kicking the crap out of someone, or perhaps something spooks them and the entire group goes haywire? It just seems like they are asking for trouble with the cows being in the wide open with people all around, yet, I've never heard of any issues.

 

[chippie]

Most have been handled and hauled a bunch, so being at a Fair is no big deal. Many of the cattle started being shown as calves and yearlings. It's all in the training.

 

[greybeard]

Most have been handled and hauled a bunch, so being at a Fair is no big deal. Many of the cattle started being shown as calves and yearlings. It's all in the training.

Yep. I do be careful when walking around a youth fair tho--some of them haven't been trained as well and I've seen an instance up at Caldwell several years ago where all it took was one to get spooked and the whole line went a little crazy.

We went to the Rice Festival in Winnie last year when they had the longhorns, and my wife was amazed they were just tied to a rail, with no panels around them.

 

[Jogeephus]

Seems like I remember a few years ago a steer went ballistic at the cow show in Perry, Ga. If I am remembering it right it caused quite a stir but no one was hurt.

 

[larryshoat]

Baby strollers are just the right height to get kicked into next week, usually big brother or sister waving a stick around that they got on the midway. I've been watching this for 45 years and have yet to see anybody hurt. I reckon the cattle just get used to it. At our fair they just got 2x8's nailed to a post and tie the steers to that. One year on the first day somebody slammed a show box lid and the cattle pulled one of those 2x8's off the post, they just stood there with that 2x8 hanging from their ropes. I've walked in the morning to find steers that had slipped their halter and tie strap just standing there too dumb to know their loose.

Larry

 

[glacierridge]

Baby strollers are just the right height to get kicked into next week, usually big brother or sister waving a stick around that they got on the midway. I've been watching this for 45 years and have yet to see anybody hurt. I reckon the cattle just get used to it. At our fair they just got 2x8's nailed to a post and tie the steers to that. One year on the first day somebody slammed a show box lid and the cattle pulled one of those 2x8's off the post, they just stood there with that 2x8 hanging from their ropes. I've walked in the morning to find steers that had slipped their halter and tie strap just standing there too dumb to know their loose.

Larry

Yeah, usually I think that the exhibitors are at a higher risk than the public.
I remember my show days, I was in it for 8 years, I think I've been stepped on a time or two getting in between to water them.
This past year another girl from my nieces and nephews 4h had a calf that was a bit wild, my nieces and nephews did a good job watching out for spectators that wanted to pet some of the animals and directed them to the GRF stock instead. People even sat on a couple of ours when they were laying there all lazy, lol.

The wild one ended up flipping out sadly, but at least while it was tied.
The barn superintendents did a good job of taking control of the situation, they got gates boxed around the yearling heifer until the owner came back with the trailer, they kicked everyone out of the exhibit barn and closed the doors until they got her safely loaded.

I wish they would have had the sense to never bring such an animal to the fair, but at least it was handled well that none of the public got hurt.

At the annual auction the animals get antsy and nervous, but they have it set up really well that there isn't incident, even with all the people traffic.

I'm glad that everyone from all the clubs all kind of work together to keep an eye out for things and that adults and older exhibitors help out younger ones and watch out for them, to see if they need help.

 

[cow pollinater]

I got kicked hard right in the hip at the fair breeding a heifer for a young girl a few years ago. If that heifer had kicked the girl it would have hit her right in the chest as the girl was a little bitty thing.

I did see a four horse competition team of percherons set back in unison one time... It was impressive :shock: I though the whole steel barn we were under was coming down.

 

[CKC1586]

Seems like I remember a few years ago a steer went ballistic at the cow show in Perry, Ga. If I am remembering it right it caused quite a stir but no one was hurt.

Great facility at Perry! Loved showing there. Worth the drive.