Not actually news, at least to those in the trade, but perhaps not generally known.

The image of cows as placid, gentle creatures is a city slicker’s fantasy, judging from an article published on Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reports that about 20 people a year are killed by cows in the United States. In some cases, the cows actually attack humans—ramming them, knocking them down, goring them, trampling them and kicking them in the head—resulting in fatal injuries to the head and chest. . .

Older men with arthritis and hearing aids have the highest risk of being injured by livestock, the report says, probably because they don’t hear the animals charging and can’t move fast enough to get out of the way.

I think that the last bit is false. Young folks get injured even more often, but injury isn't such a big deal when you are young. Also, a wreck that results in injury for an older person may merely be an affront to dignity for supple youths. You can knock a young man around quite a bit before he loses his grin, and he may grin even more broadly at first since rough play can be pleasurable below a certain threshold.

I'm very aware of the issue and have a lot of habits consciously designed to prevent injury. So far I've only been attacked once. A hungry cow knocked me down and stole a bag of cow kibbles from me one winter some years ago. It isn't real smart to walk among hungry animals carrying a bag of food. They get excited and forget their manners.

Sometimes you will be exposed that way so it's a good idea to think ahead and establish some rules. I have a no-touch rule. Some of them can weigh 10 times as much as I do, so if they ever lost their fear I'd have no chance against them. Cattle are not pets, are not my friends in that doggy or horsey sense. Any animal that gets close to me is rebuffed, no matter how small and young, so that they grow up with that rule. I rise to full height and spread my arms to look as large as possible. I look them down with my omnivore eyes, a threatening and potentially deadly direct gaze from their herbivore perspective, and move towards them. They turn tail and either sidle or run away, as it should be.

Since I do managed grazing I walk among the animals at least once every day. In the morning I walk around in their paddock, keeping out of their flight zones, investigating its condition and waking them up. They aren't asleep but they are ruminating, and their brains are off line so to speak when they do so. You can startle them into action when they are ruminating, but it's best to gently, stresslessly, wake them from their contented stupor.

This also gives them a chance to offload dung and urine in the already grazed and fouled paddock as they prepare for going on a walk with me. It's better left there than immediately fouling the new paddock where we are headed. It's called poop placement among graziers, and there are even some joking contests at fairs and such where a paddock is lined out in a checkerboard fashion and spectators bet on which numbered square will be so blessed. Sometimes it's played as bingo or tic-tac-toe, requiring pattern as well as timing.

Once I have their undivided attention I open paddock gates and lead them to fresh pasture. I do this from 1 to 3 times a day depending on which paddock needs them. From my perspective they are co-workers that I employ to clip pastures so that they don't get overgrown and rank. That they do this by eating the excess growth and producing helpful soil amendments is a quirk of their work habits.

I could accomplish much the same by using machinery to swathe or mow the paddocks, but the cost of time, labor and equipment is higher. I only do that now and then to keep down the bitter weeds that they refuse to eat. You get what you manage for, so if I did not give the weeds their fair share of abuse they would come to dominate the sward. Besides, grazing has the secondary benefit of fattening the cattle. No, wait, that's a primary benefit. Whatever. It depends on your perspective, and mine is focused on growing fine pastures.

There are times when I need to herd them rather than lead them, when I push them along rather than pull them. Then my behavior is markedly different and they understand completely. When I lead them I meander, slowly, in a bit of a slouch, looking at the ground and occassionally stopping to pull a weed. It's sort of like I am a lead steer looking for a nice spot to stop and eat for a while. When I herd them I stand straight, move purposefully, make eye contact with them if they turn to look, and give them hand gestures with outstretched arms. I'm perpetually amused they they will turn left if I give them a hand sign. They are remarkably aware of my every act and read me far better than I read them. Knowing that is a key insight for animal handling. Keep yourself under control because they read body language better than you can imagine. They know your tells and read your mind. If they did have dishonorable intentions you wouldn't stand a chance.