A dog rambler was thrown 8ft into the air by a cow, repeatedly stamping on him as he tried to crawl away, split six ribs and quitting him with damage to his lungs and spleen.
Steve Adams, from Coleshill, Warwickshire, was on rest with his wife, almost Sidbury, East Devon, when they passed for a walk with their farming spaniel.
They were walking down a public footpath through a field seating cows with calves when one of the cows charged, leaving Steve with injuries that still averted him from leading an active life.
He spent seven days in thorough care after the incident.
According to an instruction issued by the Health & Safety Council (HSE), farmers should not put steer with junior calves in fields with a public right of way.
The farmer accountable for the cattle has been directed to pay a fine, which costs more than £3,500.
Adams, a 63-year-old father of three with two grandchildren, said: “My grandfather was a farmer, so I’d been around stock as a child, and I wasn’t scared of them. Now I wouldn’t go into a pen with cows, and you don’t know what will happen.”
The Adams were on a day off at an east Devon campsite in July 2021 when they cleared to go for an amble with their dog Lisa, who was on commerce.
Their course took them from a pub across fields. As they headed towards a walker gate at the edge of one of the pastures, they came to an electric fence enclosing its edge.
They were then near more than 20 cattle, some with calves. The duo said a cow approached, lowered its head and tossed Adams into the air, then tramped him on the ground until he managed to crawl away.
An HSE investigation confirmed that cattle with young calves were being stored in a field with a correct public way across it. Cattle with junior calves are known to be protective and valuable and can pose a risk to walkers, especially those with dogs. Farmers should not put bulls with young calves in fields with a public right of way.
A DOG walker was tossed 8ft into the air by a cow, repeatedly trampled on him as he attempted to crawl away, breaking six ribs and quitting him with injury to his lungs and spleen.
Steve Adams, from Coleshill, Warwickshire, was on rest with his wife Jane close to Sidbury, East Devon, when they went for a saunter with their Springer Spaniel, Lisa.
They were plodding along a public footpath through a field carrying cows with calves when one of them attacked, leaving Steve badly injured. He spent seven days in intensive care.
Farmers should not put stock with young calves in fields with a public fair of way. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises farmers, landowners and other livestock keepers on the action with the peril posed by cows with calves.
Steve, who is at once 63 and is a dad of three with two grandchildren, is formed from the transport industry.
He said: ‘My grandfather was a farmer, so I’d been about cattle as a child, and I wasn’t fearful of them. Now, I wouldn’t go into a green with cows, and you don’t know what will happen. People should be very wary of cows.’
Steve and Jane were on rest at the East Devon caravan and motorhome campsite in July 2021 when they were boxing to go for an amble with their dog, which was on a lead.
Their road crime them from a pub through fields. As they headed towards a hiker gate at the boundary of one of the fields, they came to an electric fence ringing the field’s edge.
They were then near more than 20 cattle, some with calves. A cow approached, lowered its head and threw Mr Adams into the air. It then tramped him on the ground until he managed to crawl away.
An HSE inquiry established that cattle with young calves were being kept in mining with a public right of way across it. Cattle with young calves are considered protective and uncertain and can pose a risk to walkers, chiefly those with dogs.
Farmers should not put steer with young calves in fields in an excellent public way.
Steve Adams said: ‘It was fair the one cow, the large one. It came up, threw me into the air with its head, and trod all over me. I was trying to creep out of the way, but it kept arriving, its hooves on me.
‘The dog was on its cards, and I’d run to let it go, and it made it away. My wife had one of those mature plastic throwers for the dog and was blowing the cow with it, but it did not contrast, and I managed to games away from under it.