Before You Set Off: Know What You Might Meet

One of the quiet pleasures of a self-catering cottage break is stepping out of the door and straight onto a footpath, with no car park, no ticket and no timetable. But the fields you cross are somebody's workplace, and the animals in them are not scenery. A field that looks empty from the gate may hold ewes with lambs, a herd of curious young bullocks, or a mare with a foal tucked behind her.

Before you leave the cottage, have a look at the map and check where the footpaths run. Take note of any signs at gates and stiles, and read them properly. Farmers rarely put up a notice for fun; if a sign asks you to keep to the edge of a field or to use an alternative route, there is usually a sound reason, whether that is a bull in residence, a freshly seeded crop or a dog that has already caused trouble that week.

A little kit makes a real difference: a lead short enough to keep a dog close, a spare slip lead in your pocket, decent boots for muddy gateways, and water for you and the dog. Countryside paths can be cut off by livestock, so be prepared to turn back and take a longer route without resentment. It is not a failure of your walk; it is simply part of walking in a working landscape.

Dogs on Leads: The Rule That Matters Most

If you take only one thing from this article, take this: keep your dog on a short lead around livestock, every time, without exception. Even the most gentle, well-trained family pet can chase when instinct takes over, and a chase that lasts thirty seconds can cost a farmer a ewe and her unborn lambs.

This is not simply good manners. Under the law, it is an offence to allow a dog to attack or chase livestock, and a farmer is entitled to take serious action to protect his animals, including shooting a dog that is worrying sheep. No owner wants that conversation at the end of a lane, and no farmer wants to have it either.

There are extra rules worth knowing. On open access land in England and Wales, dogs must be on a lead of no more than two metres between 1 March and 31 July to protect ground-nesting birds, and at all times when livestock are present. On public rights of way, you should keep your dog on a lead wherever there are animals in the field, and be ready to shorten it further if a group of cattle turns to look at you.

• Keep the lead short enough that your dog is beside your leg, not at the end of a long, loose line.
• Never let a dog off the lead "just to have a run" in a field containing any livestock.
• If you must lift your dog over a stile, do it calmly and put the lead back on before you set it down.
• Practise a reliable recall in enclosed spaces long before your holiday, so it exists if you ever need it.

Giving Animals Space

Livestock read movement and pressure far better than we do. Sheep will generally move away if you give them room, so walk steadily along the path and let them drift off on their own terms. Do not walk directly towards a flock, do not try to move them on, and never let anyone in your group get between a ewe and her lamb. In spring, when lambs are small, a ewe's instinct to defend is at its strongest.

Cattle are heavier, slower and far more inquisitive, particularly young bullocks who see a walker as the most interesting thing to happen all week. Give them a wide berth, keep to the marked path, and avoid walking between a cow and her calf. Horses and ponies deserve the same respect: do not feed them, do not stroke them, and pass on the far side of the field rather than pushing through the middle of a group.

As a rough guide, aim to leave at least the width of a tennis court between you and any herd, and more if there are calves or foals about. If that is not possible, consider whether the path is safe to use at all today.

If Cattle Come Towards You

It happens to almost everyone eventually: you look up, and twenty bullocks are walking steadily in your direction. The trick is not to turn it into a chase.

• Stay calm. Breathe, keep your voice low and steady, and avoid shouting or waving your arms.
• Move away slowly towards the field edge, an open gateway or a fence line rather than running for the far stile.
• Do not turn your back and sprint. Walk purposefully, keeping the animals in your sight.
• If you feel genuinely threatened, let your dog off the lead. A dog can outrun cattle, and your priority is to get yourself and the dog out of the field separately and safely.
• Once you are through the gate, close it, and take a moment before carrying on. Then report the incident to the local highway authority or the landowner so others are warned.

Most approaches are curiosity rather than aggression, and a herd that sees you leaving quietly will usually lose interest within a minute.

Gates, Stiles and Field Signs

Leave every gate exactly as you find it: open if it was open, shut if it was shut, and always latched behind you. A gate left swinging is an invitation for livestock to walk onto a road. Use stiles, kissing gates and gaps rather than climbing walls or fences, and keep to the line of the path across arable fields, walking in single file where the path is narrow.

Take your litter home, bag and bin dog mess, and if you spot a broken stile, a fallen sign or an obstructive fence, mention it to the landowner or the local authority. Small reports keep the network usable for everyone.

Walking With Children and Groups

Give children a job before you set off: they are the gate monitors and the livestock spotters. Explain, in plain terms, why dogs stay on leads and why we never run towards animals, and let them lead the way along the path at a steady pace. In a group, keep together rather than stringing out through a herd, and agree in advance who is holding the dog and what you will do if the field ahead looks busy.

Walk kindly, walk quietly, and the countryside will keep on welcoming you back for many cottage holidays to come.