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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
   
Location: MD | ** Please note that I live on a livestock farm. so there are cows, pigs, sheep, peacocks etc all over the place.
The cows aren't visible to my horses at all unless I'm in one of the 3 arenas. they moved the bulls closer to that arena to get the grass mowed down and I was unaware of it. My horse is usually very good unless he is scared(and he's a big chicken) he spotted the cows, froze, reared up and took off and just about left me in the dirt. he was so panicked about it when i changed arenas he still couldn't think of anything but those monstrous cows.
I have had them move the cows closer so they can see them from the pasture. that kind of worked but not really, he just continued being scared vs. getting over it. I'm very timid about approaching these cows with this horse because he's very flighty and I don't want to die soon LOL.
does someone have any suggestions? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 742
| It's going to take time and if you don't feel comfortable on him you need to walk him out there on a halter and let him see them and smell them. I have a mare that can get pretty spooked by cows, deer, pigs, really you name it. She's cowbred, too.  She ca drop and turn and spin but I'm usually ready for it so she hasn't dumped me yet and we are getting more and more familiar with the "monsters" in the pastures. I have even been able to ride out there with them. It just seems like she has her days and if they happen to be in the trees when she can't identify them...she gets a little bit boogered. Anything they booger over they just got to learn to deal with it. Make sure you are staying as calm as possible with him so he isn't feeding off of your negative energy. |
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | Is there a way you can put just one in the arena with him? Make him live with it for a while.. feed them together, make them share water and hay. |
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | Had a mare once that was petrified of mini horses. Yep, she got to live with one for a very long time and he became her best friend. I agree with Aceinthehole...put him with them or even just one and let him live with it for awhile. |
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 Go For It!
Location: Texas | Maybe he wants to be a cutting horse! They can be pretty snorty when you first introduce them to cattle. Especially the good ones! |
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 Dr. Ruth
Posts: 9891
Location: Blissfully happy Giants fan!!! | My little mare is petrified of cows. Well, she was. She is better now. We would go to the family ropings and I literally would have to get her worked before they started or she would lose her mind. And she is the biggest curious George ever.
I had a roper tell me those ones are usually the ones that can track a cow better than anyone. And they all told me to get her after one. Turns out they were right. But I had to go in like I was going to run a barrel race and get her focused. When she knew we were working cows as a job, she did great. If I let on anything other than confidence, she can't handle being around the cows. At least not close up.
Long story to tell you to go track some cows. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-05-08 1:08 PM
Is there a way you can put just one in the arena with him? Make him live with it for a while.. feed them together, make them share water and hay.
THIS ^^^^ By far and away is THE quickest and best way to get them "over" other types of livestock.
Serious. It will take a little bit, but the horse will realize they are not monsters and often will treat them like other horses - ie - start pinning ears to get the cattle to move away, bite them, etc.
If you can throw him in a fairly secure spot with a couple herd bulls (think HUGE guys who can protect themselves but not be arse hats themselves) and make them all eat off the same hay and drink from the same water ... your horse will figure it out and be just fine! |
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I'm Over It!!
Posts: 2830
| I just rode my gelding out into the pasture with the cows and started following them around. They will naturally move away from a horse and he will think he is in control. Only took once and mine got over it. |
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My mind still works
Posts: 8912
| melaself - 2014-05-08 8:27 PM I just rode my gelding out into the pasture with the cows and started following them around. They will naturally move away from a horse and he will think he is in control. Only took once and mine got over it.
I did this as well. After I had gone to a rodeo and he was freaked out, I took him to a team penning. Found some folks doing the same thing and all we did the whole 90 secs over and over was track cattle. About an hr later, he stopped a runner down the fence and did a rollback like a pro. I quit him right then and gave him an atta boy. He figured right pretty quick it was fun to chase cows. |
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 Chin Hairs
Posts: 1028
Location: Indiana | I have one like that and he's gotten better but not over it. I started feeding him by our calves and he'd take a bit, run to the other end of the arena and chew, come back for another bite and repeat. He'll track them which has seemed to help, but I've always had to take him to an arena early so he can check out the pen and get his cattle worries out. I have to really work him around the chutes until he relaxes or he won't run into them without hesitation. It's been years of spending time around cattle but he still doesn't like them. When I put him out, he goes into the pen next to the cattle. Hopefully yours is easier, mine doesn't like the smell so some Vics in his nose helped us a lot early on when we had to ride through an alley with cattle on each side. |
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 Cinnamon Honey One
Posts: 6549
Location: between here and there | TT's the memories.... Gave me another good laugh. Poor boy just won't give in will he?? lol I read that Trevor Brazille's great horse Taxaco was scared to death of cattle too! He said if one would have turned around on him in a run, he would have been in big trouble! So there ya go. He never go over it either from what I've read! |
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Expert
Posts: 1642
Location: Kansas | I also agree witht he others about putting the hrose with the cattle. My mare was scared of them when she was young so my dad let me take her to his house and she lived with them and ate with them. She got over it and I have since sorted cattle on a ranch I did work at and helped a friend sort her cow/ calf pairs off to work them multiple times. She does awesome. Doesn't get worked up at all. Does her job, adds speed when asked and calms right down when done. |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | melaself - 2014-05-08 8:27 PM
I just rode my gelding out into the pasture with the cows and started following them around. They will naturally move away from a horse and he will think he is in control. Only took once and mine got over it.
This!!! Tracking cows is the absolute quickest way to get them over being scared. We go to jackpot sortings a few times a year and that's how I've gotten them all used to cattle. Start at a distance that they're comfortable with-- don't try to force them closer. They'll eventually get closer and closer on their own. It really builds their confidence. Just make sure you're tracking cattle that aren't wild and wooly and you don't crowd them too much. The last thing you need is a cow plowing into the side of you. |
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I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | Thank you ladies for all of the helpful advice! Thankfully the neighbor girl came out and we walked around the barn to "look" at them last night with her horse who is a cow killer haha! We left as soon as he started breathing and stopped doing the tap dance took about 10 minutes. I'm going to do this a couple times and then see if they'll let me move the cows around as they have a few herds of all different sizes.
It was so sad, he was terrified of some nosy bottle calves that just wanted to eat. they came up to him trying to nose him and he about died right there. and they were just the cutest things! I guess this is the equivalent of being scared of bugs?? |
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 Rebel Without a Cause
Posts: 2758
Location: Adopt a homeless pet - www.petfinder.com! | Angelo was 100% cutting bred and petrified of cows pretty much is whole life, and a pretty spooky horse in general. Just be patient with your horse, never get mad because that will make it worse and when he feels anxious you need to be his confidence that they aren't going to kill him. Make sure you are not anticipating his anxiety and creating a cycle from the vibes he's getting from you. Is there another horse who isn't scared of cows that you can ride him with or pony him around the cows? He might feel better if a "buddy" isn't scared.
Edited by Calangelo 2014-05-10 12:42 PM
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 Forever Young
Posts: 6768
Location: relocated to Texas | If I were you, I would get someone to ride your horse around the cows until he gets used to them. If you are nervous, he will feel that and your being nervous only adds fuel to his fire. My horse Wilson was scared to death of cows as a 3 year old. He will pin his ears and chase them now. It just took being around them. And, when he found out they would run from him, he liked that too, LOL
If you can get someone who is familiar with working cows to get your horse used to them, you will enjoy riding around them on your horse. |
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I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | Calangelo - 2014-05-10 12:39 PM
Angelo was 100% cutting bred and petrified of cows pretty much is whole life, and a pretty spooky horse in general. Just be patient with your horse, never get mad because that will make it worse and when he feels anxious you need to be his confidence that they aren't going to kill him. Make sure you are not anticipating his anxiety and creating a cycle from the vibes he's getting from you. Is there another horse who isn't scared of cows that you can ride him with or pony him around the cows? He might feel better if a "buddy" isn't scared.
yes this teenager just got a horse that lived in a cow pasture all of her life and she's pretty okay with everything, and she's a sassy thing with those cows! we're taking her with him every time to make him realize he's the only nut out there and to help ease him. going to take him around the barn and start walking him twice a day and once he gets to the point he doesn't want to bolt (because when he's scared he runs, standing in fear isn't usual for him) Then we'll go out trying to "sort" the cows to get him more comfortable.
all you girls are the best!  |
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I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | Hollywood's Fan - 2014-05-10 4:08 PM
If I were you, I would get someone to ride your horse around the cows until he gets used to them. If you are nervous, he will feel that and your being nervous only adds fuel to his fire. My horse Wilson was scared to death of cows as a 3 year old. He will pin his ears and chase them now. It just took being around them. And, when he found out they would run from him, he liked that too, LOL
If you can get someone who is familiar with working cows to get your horse used to them, you will enjoy riding around them on your horse.
I like sorting on my other horse and have sorted their cows before with him. He just gets REALLY juiced around the cows and I can't handle all of his excitement with my big scaredy cat horse! I don't think it will help ease my scared horse just escalate it, so we're using the neighbors new girl who is pretty calm and cool but assertive with the cows. |
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Rebel Without a Cause
Posts: 2758
Location: Adopt a homeless pet - www.petfinder.com! | LOL, Angelo didn't stop in his tracks in fear either. That would have been nice! He was definately the type to "exit stage left" when something scared him, which could be a cow, a bird, a leaf... even a barrel on it's side outside the arena fence - seriously - and those even scared him as a 19 year old finished horse before I retired him. On the bright side he taught me a lot about dealing with spooky horses, many people wouldn't have put up with it but all of his other great qualities overrode it for me. <3 |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | The first time my 4 year old saw cows, it was scary big longhorn momma LOL! He turned and ran the opposite direction (nothing out of control) and that's been his only issue since with great gaps between seeing them. This colt is so curious that it works to my advantage, but I still have to sit confident on him should he feel a moment of doubt.
Can an you have a quieter horse/rider be with you when you go near the cows so he feels comfortable? I also agree to make him live with them....
Edited by dream_chaser 2014-05-10 7:46 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 183
| My Docs Remedy mare was scared to death of cows too!! She ended up being a serious cadillac of a head horse so don't lose hope. Let someone start her in a roping pen....tracking and maybe even progressing to steer stopping. You might be pleasantly surprised. Now sheep...that was another matter...seriously terrified lol! |
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 Veteran
Posts: 246
Location: Idaho | Im the odd girl out I guess! :) I got my mare when she was 2. She was scared to death of cattle from day one. We rope, so I was not concerned at all that we couldnt get her past it. Here we are today, my mare is 8, she is still scared of cows, though she is doing better if there is a fence between them. We have tracked them, which she does alright, but if one looks at her, she bolts! She lived with a steer for a while and would kind of eat with it and move it, but everytime I rode out in the cow pasture and we saw a cow, it was day one again. She seriously resets every time. And everytime we see a cow its as if we havent seen the cows across the fence every day! She isnt cow bred and Ive come to conclusion, its who she is. I manage it but I think she will always have a phobia. :) |
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horse terrified of cows.. please help me.