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What now? Riding Cows?

Ventured across this Craigslist ad… Are riding cows a thing? I’m also going to include a screenshot in case the ads comes down: https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwi/grd/d/hebron-black-dimond-riding-cows/7664595809.html

I think this poor baby needs a little more time to grow up and possibly a saddle fitter…

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I recall a story many years back about a girl who rode and even jumped a cow (that jump did not look comfortable) but it was definitely more than a few months old!

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Over 20 years ago, I had a friend who had an adult Holstein steer that was broke to ride.

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Sounds like they’re training the calf to carry a saddle. It sounds like they plan on putting a kid up there. That calf is too young. Any beast of burden should be treated with common sense as far as weight percentages. Oxen are trained to pull and some are ridden. However, the body mechanics are different for cows. Riding should be done carefully and the animal’s build should be taken into account. Dairy builds tend to be tall and lean while beef breeds are heavier muscled.

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When I was a kid my parents wouldn’t buy me a horse. So I rode our cows. It made perfect sense to me! LOL. I had a steer with horns, I would get him galloping up the fence and I would grab a horn and swing on. Probably the stupidest idea ever, but it was fun then.

Now, the ad referenced above… ouch. A little over the top, IMO.

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Barbara Woodhouse learned to ride on a cow.

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I have known of several people who ride their cows. The ad pictured didn’t do much for me but pity that poor heifer who is dwarfed by that saddle. I hope they keep anything heavier off her poor back for a long, long time until she is stronger.

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They ride longhorn cows. I know a lady who used to trail ride her longhorn.

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