My horse is TERRIFIED of cows.

[Tegan]

Yes, my horse thinks cows are most definitely Satan’s spawn who are set on killing him. It’s becoming a huge problem.

When I first moved to my barn, the cows were a little scary but not a big deal. Then, my horse had some time to think about how scary these cows are and built up this huge psychological issue. I wasn’t riding at the time due to an ankle injury, and he was allowed to get away with spooking at the cows, so now its a big deal.

The ring is sort of near the cows, and the field even further away, but he can still see them. Right now I have the hay field to ride in, but when the hay is planted for the summer, there is no way to avoid it. He is awful whenever he is even within view of the cow field.

Whenever we go near the fence line, horse shies, inverts, bolts, etc. I do my best to make him ride near it but he never improves or calms down. I try to make him walk in the “scary area” and he’s genuinely terrified. When we stop and look at the field, he starts shaking.

The kicker? There are no more cows there, it’s just a field. But he’s absolutely terrified of the prospect of cows. He didn’t used to be an abnormally spooky horse, but now he’s also afraid of the bushes (I made him ride by them) and the colorful jump (I made him jump it).

I’m out of ideas. I’m trying to make him face it, but he just won’t get over this fear. Unfortunately there are no enclosed areas near the cows, so I can’t just turn him out and let him deal with it. FWIW, I’ve tried Omeprazole to see if his spooking was ulcer related, but no change.

Help? I really don’t want to have to move barns because of this, but my horse is a nut job and I’m running out of ideas.

[amastrike]

Can you turn him out WITH the cows? My gelding is spending the winter with a bull… they were nervous about each other, but now they stand and share a round bale. I don’t know what else to do, it sounds like your horse is just being ridiculous. Not that that helps you any.

[Calvincrowe]

My guy is similar to yours–he is terrified of cows he can hear, but can’t see. Squealing, bucking, striking in his stall. Hypervigilant, always on guard, looking for those dastardly things bellowing and mooing across the trees!

I second the idea of putting him in with cows…but be prepared for a horse who runs and possible through fences. You’d have to do this in a controlled environment.

Perhaps you could lead him, not ride him, around the field/ring. Just leave him turned out in the ring. Maybe your anticipation (probably subconscious) of him freaking is still making him freak. I’ve had to learn to just.let.him.be when he has his livestock crisis.

[LarkspurCO]

Several years ago, my horse broke away from me and galloped more than a mile down the middle of the county road because some heiffers in the neighbor’s field looked up at him.

The bovine phobia is alive and well, but I have learned to manage it. I learned some groundwork techniques that help bring him back from orbit to planet Earth. I also learned never to force my horses to go near something scary, because they’ll learn to distrust me.

One of my favorite trainers (former police horse trainer) lets the horses have a loose rein or lead and lets them go by the scary stuff at a comfortable distance. Eventually the horses gain confidence and learn to trust their handlers and face their fears.

I’d suggest finding a fear management workshop and learning some of the techniques.

I would also suggest you don’t let your horse ever see or even smell a bison. They’ll make you laugh at the silly little cow problem.

By the way, I put nine cows in the pasture with my horse for a month. This made the problem MUCH MUCH worse!

[tkhawk]

One of my friends used to ride a horse that she thought was terrified of water. For years they avoided a trail that had a small creek crossing as he would have a major blow up and refuse to cross. Then one day she let someonelse ride and forgot to tell him that the horse is afraid of water. Well, the horse crossed the creek just fine with no issues and this rider wasn’t even a good rider.

Sometimes it is just the horse and sometimes it is us and the horse is picking up on our tension and panic and trying to figure out what is it that you are so scared about…

[FancyASB]

When I first moved to my place my back pasture shares a fence with the neighbors “cow pasture” at the time had 5 HUGE bulls in it. My horses were also terrified and would hide in the barn. Then the bulls were moved and mommies and babies were put in the pasture. They didn’t like the mommies but starting to really like the babies; they would come right up to my horses and then nose each other. I think it was they were so little and the other cows were BIG but now they could care less about the cows. Maybe baby cows, the smells, etc would be the same as big cows…just a thought.

[naturalequus]

"The bovine phobia is alive and well, but I have learned to manage it. I learned some groundwork techniques that help bring him back from orbit to planet Earth. I also learned never to force my horses to go near something scary, because they’ll learn to distrust me.

One of my favorite trainers (former police horse trainer) lets the horses have a loose rein or lead and lets them go by the scary stuff at a comfortable distance. Eventually the horses gain confidence and learn to trust their handlers and face their fears."

Personally, I think this is superific advice. tkhawk also provided some really good insight that I have to second, as have the others here (IMO).

Can you do groundwork near the pasture? It is easier for a horse to follow your leadership on the ground, where they can physically see you. If you can get him focused on the ground, it might allow for him to then learn it is ok (near that area specifically), and to trust you easier under-saddle. I definitely second learning techniques like approach and retreat and keeping relaxed (loose rein, relaxed seat). Also, you can also work your horse hard away from the field or even on the opposite side of the arena, then rest him at the end of the arena closest to the field where he is scared, or near the field itself. Make the wrong answer hard and the right answer easy. Don’t punish a horse for being scared and spooking, but offer him assertive leadership (and maintain relaxation in yourself!).

If your horse is scared of cows specifically, it definitely might help to turn him out with cattle, particularly in a large area where he can get away, and with a horse with cow savvy - even if just temporarily and not at the facility you currently board at (say for a week at a pasture down the road, even!). Last fall I took our newest OTTB with me to a ranch, along with a Paint we had just purchased, and my cowhorse. I soon learned my OTTB was terrified of cattle and the Paint was almost no better. I had to use the Paint on cattle in lieu of my cowhorse after several days in a row of using the latter, to give the cowhorse a break. We worked hard all day, on a relaxed rein, and pretty quick he was not only walking past the scary haired things with four legs and a tail, he was actually working them and challenging them when they tried to turn back!! He was not entirely confident, but he was responding when I asked and was developing the confidence with the good experience. The OTTB developed some confidence in the cattle as I did not push him and allowed him to watch them and simply walk past them (by past, at first that meant 100m away, LOL). I also turned all 3 horses out a few times, directly with the cattle. Of course the cowhorse bounced on over to his favourite beasts immediately, and the other two were forced to follow…which meant they then developed greater confidence, following a confident horse’s lead and moving in amongst the cows at their own pace.

[Simbalism]

I wouldn’t say my horse is terrified of cows, but she definitely thinks they are suspicious. There are cattle on the neighboring farm, and one of the ways to get to the woods trails is an “alleyway” between the horse pasture and neighboring cow field. One day when we were going to ride down to the woods, we came around the end of the shed row barn to enter the alley and all the cows were in the shade of the trees right behind the barn. Most of them were laying down which really had my horse worried. For quite a while I had to lead my horse down the alleyway and then once we got in the woods I would get on her. The area where the riding ring is over looks the cow field even though there is a horse pasture in between. There are some cedar trees along the fence line, but every once in a while you can see the cows moving where there are breaks in the trees. This definitely catches her attention. My horse doesn’t know it yet, but riding club is arranging a “cow day” clinic at an area farm. I plan on taking her so she actually has to get in the arena with them. Poor girl…hehe.

[Donkey]

Maybe try buddying up with a non-phobic horse when riding, hacking, leading by cows. Start off by always having your horse follow the brave one then repeat, repeat, repeat, back and forth. Eventually working your way towards having your horse be in the lead when encountering the bovines. With reassurance from you and another horse he should eventually get more accepting of it.

A few months ago I moved my horse to a farm that has cows. The first few days she would refuse to leave her paddock at night to go inside (had to be pushed and pulled out, chased with a whip and use a lead horse) so I can sympathize with the crazy reaction. Fortunately she has since settled down. And this is a horse that used to have no problem walking by fields of cows while out hacking - so I guess it can come and go…

Good luck!

[tkhawk]

Well they can learn to be friends too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EuY9JcQkCg

[molliwog]

My current riding horse was afraid of cows- which is an issue, since one of my favorite show venues is next to a place where cattle are often pastured. He’d never been exposed to them, so this was something I just needed to fix.

Mind you, I grew up on a working cattle ranch, so I just wasn’t going to accept the cow phobia.

I finally hauled him to a couple of “intro to team penning” nights at a local roping arena. And I rode him in my dressage saddle. The team penning people thought I was INSANE, but after a couple of hours of being around a big bunch of horses that weren’t afraid of cows, and after deciding it was actually kind of fun to chase them, my gelding now doesn’t think cows are a big deal.

Now, when he misbehaves, I threaten to sell him as a team-roping horse. He’s about the right size, would probably be quick out of the box since he’s reactive, but will wait for the riders aid and wouldn’t break the barrier, and clever enough to turn a steer…

[Everythingbutwings]

Wings was rather meh on cows until one at Frying Pan acted in a subversive and untrustworthy manner. It stood up. :eek:

He now looks upon them as handmaidens of the devil and not to be trusted.

[SmartAlex]

No advice, just empathy. Mine is afraid of cows too. We have 5 cows in the pasture next to the barn. He isn’t afraid of THOSE cows. Wary yes, but he can be across the fence with them and not self destruct or anything. He saves his real weird behavior for the dairy heifers down the road. He’s also “afraid” of very large rocks, so we deal with this crap from time to time.

If you want to see what sort of predicaments you can get yourself into, read my story http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=207431

He will still snort and flag if he sees them in the distance, but I’m careful not to get us stuck between cows and a hard place.

[Tivas_a_Diva]

Sorry I may have missed this in previous posts, but maybe take your horse out with another horse that is okay with the cows? Let your horse see that the other horse is walking by them just fine and is living to tell the tale! If you are considering turning your guy out with the cows too maybe see if another horse that isn’t afraid can go out with yours.

Use this along with groundwork and trust building of course Good luck, let us know how you make out!

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Everythingbutwings;4632513]
Wings was rather meh on cows until one at Frying Pan acted in a subversive and untrustworthy manner. It stood up. :eek:

He now looks upon them as handmaidens of the devil and not to be trusted.[/QUOTE]

Some horses that have never seen “paint” cattle will also try to have a meltdown when asked to approach them.
Once an 18 year old cowhorse did just that.:rolleyes:

Around here, when you have a horse scared of things, the standard training advice is to get your horse better broke, so it will do what you ask, no matter where he is or what is going on around it.

For that, you work your horse at home, so you have a work patterns that focus his attention on you.
Then you take your horse other places that don’t overwhelm it and do that kind of well rehearsed little work routine there.
Slowly you take the horse to more scary and strange places and the horse eventually knows that, no matter if a bear stands in front of it, if the rider tells it to side pass and get around the bear, well, learned reflexes take over and the horse goes around that bear.

Ever try to walk a horse past some pens that now have ostriches or llamas in them?:eek:
That will try the most steadfast of horses and the skills of the rider.

As our old instructor used to say when a horse acted up:
“You were asleep, the horse didn’t know it was working for you, redirected it’s attention to other around it.
You see the results, the horse is doing what horses without guidance do and that is not safe when riding, much less training green horses”.

Picture that illustrates that, when I was 16, almost 50 years ago and had started the feral horse I was riding, on the left and the one the lady across the flag carrier is riding.
Those horses had been not quite three months under saddle then and we were in a parade.
All was well as we were moving, but when asked to stand there, you needed the horse’s attention and that lady didn’t have it.
I was in charge of the horses, so I was telling her about getting the horse’s attention back on her and right after the picture was snapped, the horse did act up a little, because the rider was not paying attention:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a298/Robintoo/Scan121January252009.jpg?t=1264088096

[analise]

Yep, I’d say it probably isn’t helping that you “know” he’s afraid of cows, so you’re acting as if there’s something to be afraid of (even subconsciously, tensing up, etc).

Turning him out with them might help, and taking him to some team penning practice might work too. I’ve heard of lots of horses that stopped being afraid of cows once they realized they could push them around.

[katarine]

You should read Bluey’s post 800 times.

You should invest some time in taking him to Team Penning or roping pens. Pretend he’s not upset, don’t coddle him, just be there. Repeat til meh. Call around, ask around, find a way to invest in showing him cows don’t eat horses and can in fact be moved and pushed.

I have a student whose mare was terrified of cows. We invested in several Sundays at a practice pen, showing up early to walk down the calves in the pen. and sit in the middle and let them move around her. But, I was riding her. Her owner was too scared to be there to support and tell that mare what to do. Eventually sold the mare and replaced her with a better match. You have to really step up and ride.

[Vesper_Sparrow]

When he was three, I took my gelding to a livestock judging competion where there were cows about 20 feet away. He was terrified at first but soon settled down.

Fast forward to the following summer and a couple of just weaned calves belonging to a nearby farmer got loose in the cornfield. We had to herd them into the fenced pasture where my gelding and a few others were, and then get them into the round pen inside the pasture where they could be kept safely for the night until the farmer could come and get them.

Well, not only were the geldings not afraid of the calves, but we had to keep them AWAY from the cows for the cows’ safety (one little TB is definitely “cowy” and tried to herd the calves himself).

[Mosey_2003]

Find a situation where you can chase them. Go to a team penning or such and get him around the horses that don’t mind cows and see if there’s a time you could have a calf in the arena and just follow it. Lots of times if a horse is scared of something, but you can set it up so that the horse is ‘chasing it’ it turns into curiosity, plus something that’s running away from you just isn’t as scary. Turnout would be good if you could work that out. In the arena, especially if the cows aren’t even there anymore, I would work him in the far end where he’s comfortable and let him rest in the spooky end. I had to deal with something like this, except it wasn’t cows, but miniature horses for petes sakes! :lol: Right thing easy, wrong thing hard, maintain the attitude that it’s no big deal, and that fixes a lot of ‘horse eating alien’ problems.

[Sport]

He can come live at our house. There is one cow that thinks it wants to be a horse and comes into the barn every chance it gets. They can live side by side for awhile.