Serious question!
As it was a nice day on Sunday, the girlfriend and I wanted to get out of London. The city slickers we are. So we took the train out to a village we knew (near my mums), looked up a nice circular walk that would take a few hours... and proceeded on our way.
We hit the first snag about 30mins in; we were trekking across a field, got to the brow of the hill and realised our way out was a gate in the corner - guarded by about 35 big cows. Hmn. I'm not a fan, never have been. To get past we'd have to get up close and person with these cows. Touching distance; they were really tightly packed into the corner where the gate was. So, after some deliberation we decided to go back around the whole field - along the road - which put us back by probably an extra 30mins.
Probably about 30mins later we were happily following our instructions and stepped out into another big field with a very clear path going diagonally across. This field was pretty much full of cows, including quite a few calves. Uh oh. To get through we'd have to walk pretty close to them all again (if we took the direct path, or went around along the hedgerow). I'm talking touching distance.
Now I don't know if I've somehow developed a bit of a phobia of cows but I really don't trust them. I don't know their behaviour, their instincts, how they interact with humans. But I do remember that getting in the way of a mother and their calf is not a good idea. So, hilariously, we essentially abandoned our walk after about 1.5hrs. We turned tail and fled down to the village - and mooched along the river instead
So, am I a total wuss? Would you have happily walked (closely) through a field of mean-looking cows and risked being flattened into a pulp?
People always joke and say there's only been about 11 people killed by cows in the last 15 years. But then reading closer there's been about 500 injuries which is a not-inconsiderable amount. The last walk we went on was slightly soured by having to walk through a small herd of cows gathered around the gate out of a field again. As we walked through a couple of them looked distinctly unimpressed and even starting pawing at the ground and snorting as if to charge. We got out of there sharpish.
As it was a nice day on Sunday, the girlfriend and I wanted to get out of London. The city slickers we are. So we took the train out to a village we knew (near my mums), looked up a nice circular walk that would take a few hours... and proceeded on our way.
We hit the first snag about 30mins in; we were trekking across a field, got to the brow of the hill and realised our way out was a gate in the corner - guarded by about 35 big cows. Hmn. I'm not a fan, never have been. To get past we'd have to get up close and person with these cows. Touching distance; they were really tightly packed into the corner where the gate was. So, after some deliberation we decided to go back around the whole field - along the road - which put us back by probably an extra 30mins.
Probably about 30mins later we were happily following our instructions and stepped out into another big field with a very clear path going diagonally across. This field was pretty much full of cows, including quite a few calves. Uh oh. To get through we'd have to walk pretty close to them all again (if we took the direct path, or went around along the hedgerow). I'm talking touching distance.
Now I don't know if I've somehow developed a bit of a phobia of cows but I really don't trust them. I don't know their behaviour, their instincts, how they interact with humans. But I do remember that getting in the way of a mother and their calf is not a good idea. So, hilariously, we essentially abandoned our walk after about 1.5hrs. We turned tail and fled down to the village - and mooched along the river instead
So, am I a total wuss? Would you have happily walked (closely) through a field of mean-looking cows and risked being flattened into a pulp?
People always joke and say there's only been about 11 people killed by cows in the last 15 years. But then reading closer there's been about 500 injuries which is a not-inconsiderable amount. The last walk we went on was slightly soured by having to walk through a small herd of cows gathered around the gate out of a field again. As we walked through a couple of them looked distinctly unimpressed and even starting pawing at the ground and snorting as if to charge. We got out of there sharpish. 
Anyway over the months, that cow / calf were fine with us, but anybody else going towards them and the mother would run at them (not to make contact, but to scare).
