My horse is afraid of cattle!

[Anonymous]

My horse is afraid of cattle and my mom was riding her and some cattle came up to her and see started to crow hop, buck, and spin. When my mom got thrown of, she broke a vertibrae in her back. I dont want anyone else to get hurt. How do i fix this problem? Thanks alot

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

If you had access to cattle, you might try bringing in a calf to a round pen or something. Lead the horse in, let it get used to the calf. Once she isn't afraid of it, where she can walk around and hardly notice it being there, you could try maybe putting another in and riding arounnd behind the calves. This could take time. Once the horse is used to the calves, you could take her back to the placec where your mom was thrown and lead her around. See how she acts. If she acts fine, then maybe try riding her around them. Some horses have never seen cattle, so it's not her fault. Hope this helps!

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

> My horse is afraid of cattle and
> my mom was riding her and some
> cattle came up to her and see
> started to crow hop, buck, and
> spin. When my mom got thrown of,
> she broke a vertibrae in her back.
> I dont want anyone else to get
> hurt. How do i fix this problem?
> Thanks alot

Nikki, I had this same problem with my own horse, while it takes time to train, you can do it.Find someone who has cows in your area.Introduce your horse to cows through the fence.Be on the ground with a halter on. Your horse will probbley blow and backup, that is ok. pet him/her and keep there nose facing the cows!!! Talk in a soft voive and tell your horse it's ok there cows and pet its neck. If you keep the nose pointed at the cows, and he/she backs up again its ok.. Just keep the nose pointed at the cows. If the cows are calfs that is better as calfs are going to be more intrested in the horse.This whole thing may take an hr.or two,so be prepared to spend time at it. When and only when your horse acts as if he/she is board.Lead away and repeat. Now bring your horse up closer until you make contact with the nose of the cow. If the cow is making any threatining motions at your horse, pullaway and start over with another cow.Most allways cows are as intrested as a horse is, its something different!! Try that and when you get good at this part well go on to another part.Everthing in baby steps!!!!

Good Luck

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

Probably gradual introduction for both species. One species raised with exposure to another may not be sure what the other is.

We raise Texas Longhorns and Gaited Horses. They socialize across our pens, paddocks, fences with no ill effects. Have even seen the horses as well as cattle "grooming" and licking the other on muzzle across the fence. Since we don't use horses to manage cattle, we haven't put them together...gaited horses are not usually used for working cattle.

A year or so ago we had our TWH stallion in the same small pasture as our up-coming yearling bull. The stallion thought the bull was getting into his space and he chased the bull across the pasture and bull crashed into our yard fence. That was the end of the bull getting too close! lol. Haven't tried that one again, though.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

> Probably gradual introduction for
> both species. One species raised
> with exposure to another may not
> be sure what the other is.

> We raise Texas Longhorns and
> Gaited Horses. They socialize
> across our pens, paddocks, fences
> with no ill effects. Have even
> seen the horses as well as cattle
> "grooming" and licking
> the other on muzzle across the
> fence. Since we don't use horses
> to manage cattle, we haven't put
> them together...gaited horses are
> not usually used for working
> cattle.

> A year or so ago we had our TWH
> stallion in the same small pasture
> as our up-coming yearling bull.
> The stallion thought the bull was
> getting into his space and he
> chased the bull across the pasture
> and bull crashed into our yard
> fence. That was the end of the
> bull getting too close! lol.
> Haven't tried that one again,
> though.

I have seen disasters occur that way.A really good quarter horse that is cowey will chase a cow until it runs it to death.With Longhorns that could be asking for a disaster both ways.It would be wise to introduce over the fence in hand to have control. After all we want the horse to feel safe arround cows,horns or not.Right???

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

> I have seen disasters occur that
> way.A really good quarter horse
> that is cowey will chase a cow
> until it runs it to death.With
> Longhorns that could be asking for
> a disaster both ways.It would be
> wise to introduce over the fence
> in hand to have control. After all
> we want the horse to feel safe
> arround cows,horns or not.Right???

I agree. A neighbor of mine raises Corriente's. They had a lot of steers released with about 5 or 6 of their QH yearlings and the steers chased the yearlings. They got one cornered in the barbed wire fence and the yearling got itself torn up pretty bad... by the fence, that is. I'm sure none of those horses wanted to work cattle when they got older.

Nothing like this has happened to me, we raise Angus. But if it happens that we have to put the cattle in the horses pasture, I keep her up in a corral or rouund pen until they aren't there anymore, no matter how cowey she is. She actually is pretty nice, not a cutter or anything but a good help 'round the farm ;-)

Jennifer



[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

The bull/stallion "event" confrontation was a one-time event.... We don't mix our Longhorns, Peruvian Pasos, and TWH's. Species separate; horse breeds apart (mares and stallions). They can visit across a secure fence or paddock, however. Don't want any half-breeds or Close Encounters of the Third Kind...lol.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

> My horse is afraid of cattle and
> my mom was riding her and some
> cattle came up to her and see
> started to crow hop, buck, and
> spin. When my mom got thrown of,
> she broke a vertibrae in her back.
> I dont want anyone else to get
> hurt. How do i fix this problem?

I would find a good rider for your horse and have them ride next a horse that is used to cattle. They learn a lot by the attitude of other horses. I took my two year old and had him on a lead next to my seasoned cow horse in an arena where some guys were practicing roping.

A horse should trust his rider's judgement as to weather things are safe or not. If he dosen't trust the rider, he may trust the opinion of another horse. Especially if you let him hide behind the other horse.

 

[Anonymous]

i made the mistake of putting a green rider on a green "cow" horse one time. every thing was fine until the curious cows started trotting upto the curious horse. the curious horse that she was under attack from the curious cows. let me tell you a walking horse can run like the wind when their scared and thats exactly what she did was run.when she thought she was safe from the curious cows is when she decided to buck and throw a fit about the green rider on her back.needless to say my brother got a closeup view of the pasture that day,but with alittle patients with in a couple weeks i was bringing cows in from the pasture and sorting with her.and brother was the one doing it(to more patience to teach him than the horse)i used a gentle old cow in the pen next to hers. they shared the same water trough and feed troughs were put across from each other, she got over her fear of the cow on her own terms.very fast if she wanted her sweet feed. then the cow shared the same paddock with her.when the horse started working the cow on her own then it was time to do it from her back.most important thing is the horse has to know the basics first(go,stop, turn, back) and use a timid cow low on the pecking order.an agressive cow will only compound the problems! in my experience horned cattle and horses in the same pasture don't mix! horse is always the loser!any way thats what works for me.theres alot of good advice posted by everyone here maybe one or all can benefit your situation. > I agree. A neighbor of mine raises
> Corriente's. They had a lot of
> steers released with about 5 or 6
> of their QH yearlings and the
> steers chased the yearlings. They
> got one cornered in the barbed
> wire fence and the yearling got
> itself torn up pretty bad... by
> the fence, that is. I'm sure none
> of those horses wanted to work
> cattle when they got older.

> Nothing like this has happened to
> me, we raise Angus. But if it
> happens that we have to put the
> cattle in the horses pasture, I
> keep her up in a corral or rouund
> pen until they aren't there
> anymore, no matter how cowey she
> is. She actually is pretty nice,
> not a cutter or anything but a
> good help 'round the farm ;-)

> Jennifer



[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

True...green riders on green horses is a wreck waiting to happen.

As a rule (?) horned cattle and horses don't mix well. On the other hand, our horses and Longhorns are kept separate even though they can visit (and sometimes do light grooming to one another) across the fence.

Over a year ago we let our yearling, very gentle bull with about 30" of horns into the same paddock as our TWH mature Stallion. All was fine till the bull got into the Stallions "area". Then the TWH laid his ears back, teeth barred, and in a dead heat cut out the bull, chased him into a chain-link yard fence, and did it again. Scared the S--- out of the bull...who kept clear of the TWH afterwards. Neither bull nor Stallion had any scrapes or injuries.

Takes all kinds, I guess...lol.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

do you do any cattle work with your TWH?If so I would love to get a tape of it.I'd be more than glad to buy the tape and pay shipping.A diehard Quarter Horse man tried to tell me that a TWH couldn't have any cow sense.please let me know.> True...green riders on green
> horses is a wreck waiting to
> happen.

> As a rule (?) horned cattle and
> horses don't mix well. On the
> other hand, our horses and
> Longhorns are kept separate even
> though they can visit (and
> sometimes do light grooming to one
> another) across the fence.

> Over a year ago we let our
> yearling, very gentle bull with
> about 30" of horns into the
> same paddock as our TWH mature
> Stallion. All was fine till the
> bull got into the Stallions
> "area". Then the TWH
> laid his ears back, teeth barred,
> and in a dead heat cut out the
> bull, chased him into a chain-link
> yard fence, and did it again.
> Scared the S--- out of the
> bull...who kept clear of the TWH
> afterwards. Neither bull nor
> Stallion had any scrapes or
> injuries.

> Takes all kinds, I guess...lol.



[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

I've had a few good QH's with a lot of cow blood in them, and they still had to be gradually introduced. I did it by turning them out with some cows. After a few days the horse took it's place in the food chain and never a problem afterwards.

> i made the mistake of putting a
> green rider on a green
> "cow" horse one time.
> every thing was fine until the
> curious cows started trotting upto
> the curious horse. the curious
> horse that she was under attack
> from the curious cows. let me tell
> you a walking horse can run like
> the wind when their scared and
> thats exactly what she did was
> run.when she thought she was safe
> from the curious cows is when she
> decided to buck and throw a fit
> about the green rider on her
> back.needless to say my brother
> got a closeup view of the pasture
> that day,but with alittle patients
> with in a couple weeks i was
> bringing cows in from the pasture
> and sorting with her.and brother
> was the one doing it(to more
> patience to teach him than the
> horse)i used a gentle old cow in
> the pen next to hers. they shared
> the same water trough and feed
> troughs were put across from each
> other, she got over her fear of
> the cow on her own terms.very fast
> if she wanted her sweet feed. then
> the cow shared the same paddock
> with her.when the horse started
> working the cow on her own then it
> was time to do it from her
> back.most important thing is the
> horse has to know the basics
> first(go,stop, turn, back) and use
> a timid cow low on the pecking
> order.an agressive cow will only
> compound the problems! in my
> experience horned cattle and
> horses in the same pasture don't
> mix! horse is always the loser!any
> way thats what works for me.theres
> alot of good advice posted by
> everyone here maybe one or all can
> benefit your situation. > I
> agree. A neighbor of mine raises