I couldn't go!

[misty]

On an other thread we said what we were going to do. Unfortunately by o/h had to work last Sunday and I didn't get to my show BUT. On Wednesday we hacked both horses out, me on Jade as o/h is not sure about her and he nearly came off when she went into a spin on meeting cows (and she is supposed to be a cowboy horse!). Also she is a tough little cookie and he just couldn't bring himself to be a bit hard on her. Anyway on Wednesday off we go, all lovely and meet some cows and a car at the same time. Got her into the edge of a field where she spun, ran back wards and nearly went over! O/h got off Rosie and quietly walked towards me (how do you get off when horse is having a hissy fit?) She stood still for enough time for him to take the reins(thank goodness for split reins) and I got off and took Rosie and Jade preceded to try and drag o/h a cross the field. I walked her up to the cows backwards and forwards with her snorting and prancing until she calmed down, a bit. The cows got bored and walked away so I got back on and off we went home, her as calm as can be.
Next morning o/h had me up and out and round by the cows but this time I got off before she went into one.
She is supposed to be used to cows (these were cream ones) so if any one has any better idea on how to get her desensitized I would love to know.
I don't feel so bad about not going to the show as I think I have achieved something.

[kya]

With cattle, it's all about familiarity. A certain amount of spooking is inevitable, especially at this time of year when the little buggers are just out of the sheds and curious at the strange long necked cows passing by. Milling around a gate, they really are a pain. My local thugs gallop alongside us as we pass by. Could you take him in hand to graze close to them and get bored of those long staring faces? Has he ever grazed with cattle? I always call out calmly 'hello cooooooooows and talk softly to them in a low, bored voice' to take the surprise away from Blue.

[em&ed]

Yes I agree with Kanga - keep showing your horse the cows and she will eventually get bored. At least they don't seem "thuggish" like they seem to be in Kanga's neck of the woods! lol

[alfie]

or do what i did, jokingly said to neighbour that their yearlings were little monkeys and they moved them . not sure that i can get all the cows in my area shifted though

[fin]

My QH is a pain with cows too. He'd never seen them before but he sure knew what they were for! Is she actually scared or excited or both?

Fortunately we're in a sheep area (not that mine's much better with sheep, but at least they're smaller than he is so he's more likely to chase them than run away from them), so we don't get the cow problem very often. I think I'd probably walk mine out in hand to meet them, and graze nearby, and just generally get the hang of them. I suspect it would only ever be about 85% effective though--the cows he was used to in field X would be OK, but DIFFERENT cows in a DIFFERENT field would still be extremely exciting

[amarche]

my tb grazes with cattle, he's quite fond of them but still leaps about 6 feet in the air if one dares to be in the wrong place on our hacks

I think it must be the smell that spooks horses the most, a bit like pigs, as although said tb is kept on a milking/cattle farm if we go near another cattle farm we have major snorting sessions

[mellymoo]

Hamish has lived with cows for a while, and he chases them now if they come near him - it was a step too far for him when one of them tried to pinch his tea!!!!