Helpful tips to stay safe when walking through fields of cattle.

It is the time of year when young calves and their mothers are let out into the fields across the Peak District. As farmers we want you to come and enjoy the countryside and the best way of seeing it is to take a walk. Sadly several people every year in the UK are injured by cattle when out walking in the countryside and the majority of cases involve people with dogs. There were several high profile cases last year including the MP David Blunkett. Cows with calves are very protective and can be much more dangerous than Bulls.

Here are some basic safety rules to follow if you come accross any cattle which will hopefully prevent any accidents happening.

1. Always keep your dog on a short lead.
2. When entering a field of cattle always have a quick look to see where the nearest possible escape routes such as gateways, stiles or low walls are.
3. Be prepared for cattle to react to your presence.
4. Never get inbetween cows and their calves.
5. If the cattle are standing around the footpath it is always more sensible to leave the footpath and walk a safe distance around them. As farmers we are much more concerned for your safety than where the footpath is drawn on the map!
6. Look for signs of the cattle becoming agitated such as them running around, vigorous head shaking, loud snorting and pawing at the ground.
7. If the cattle come over to you the first thing to do is stay calm, 99 percent of the time they probably just want to take a look at you.

If you feel threatened by the cattle and think they pose a danger you should:

1. Calmly walk away from them towards the nearest exit point from the field, regardless of where the footpath goes.
2. If you have a dog you should remove it from the lead, hopefully the cattle will ignore you and only be interested in the dog allowing you to get to safety.
3. Never try to protect your dog from cattle, it can run much faster than you, so will be able to look after itself.
4. If your dog is being chased by cattle and comes to you for safety you must try and scare it away.
5. As a last resort if you feel you are about to be attacked by cattle you should face them, don't try to run away as they are much faster than you. Make as much noise as possible and wave your arms in the air. If you have a rucksack or walking stick use these to defend yourself and call for help.

For some more general information about the importance of keeping dogs under control there is some good advice from the Peak District National Park.