[Jacob-list] foot stomping/rams

[Neal Grose]

I like to remind people that you can trust a ram or a bull exactly as far as 
you can throw them. Fortunately, they're not real smart. Unfortunately, 
people are not real smart, and those that are not raised around animals 
don't pick up on animal "body language" as quickly as they should.

With rams, carrying a stick by your side and striking up on his nose is a 
much better discouragement than wacking him on the head. These guys charge 
with their head down, and that posture controls aggression. When threatened, 
I have found that you can grab them by a horn and pull their head up, and 
deliver a hard punch to the nose to baffle them and make them lose interest 
in fighting.

Almost every year, it seems like I hear of someone in NC being killed or 
seriously injured by a bull. Much of the time, it is a bull with no previous 
history of aggression. We can avoid bulls altogether. Not so with cows. 
Females fight smart, as I was reminded a few weeks ago when charged (and 
almost slammed through a board fence) unexpectedly by a panicked heifer. 
Animals that are panicked can react unexpectedly and do more damage than you 
can imagine. Sheep, even small breeds, have a low center of gravity and can 
knock people down easily.

Neal Grose