Can You Ride a Cow? 7 Tips to Get a Safe Ride

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You might have tried riding a cow, mule, or a donkey at some point in your life? But have you ever attempted riding a cow or a bull? Never? A lot of my readers might be wondering what am I talking about? Riding a cow? Well, it sounds odd but isn’t cow just like all the four-legged animals so why not? If horses, mules, and donkeys can give rides so do cows and bulls as well.

In this article today, we would be discussing whether the cows can be ridden or not? If they can be ridden, do they like to be ridden or not? And everything else you need to know about riding a cow.

Can you ride a cow? Yes, you can “absolutely” ride a cow but the ride would not be fun. Cows are not that great at giving rides, they can give rides but they shouldn’t be pushed this far.

Contents show

Do cows hate being ridden?

Cows may not appreciate having a fully grown human on their backs for the first time but as they get used to it, they would not bother at all. So, it would not be wrong to say that they would neither hate it nor enjoy it.

So, yes cows can be ridden but there is a lot you need to know to be able to ride a cow.

Everything you need to know about riding a cow

Cows do not naturally know the art of giving rides, they need to be trained

Horses and mules do not require training to take a human on their back for a pleasure ride. Unlike camels, horses, and mules cows do not naturally know the art of giving rides at all. They require tough prolonged training to be able to give rides.

Cows can not walk faster with a human on their back so the ride would be slower

Horses, mules, and donkeys are skinnier, they can run faster but cows are wider and heavier so they would hardly manage to walk with a human on their back. Even if the cows learn the art of giving rides, the rides would be much slower and tiring as compared to horses, mules, and donkeys. (Source)

Cows take a lot of time to get used to giving riding

As this poor animal is not made to give rides so they take a fairly long time to add something odd to their routine. If we have to be specific, they roughly take three to four months to get used to having a burden on their backs.

Cows are wide so the ride would be tiring

Mules, donkeys, and horses are not that wide. If riding the said animals way too frequently can tire you imagine how riding a cow would be like? It makes you spread your legs more so it would definitely be tiring. If horses can be ridden for about half an hour, riding a cow for fifteen minutes would be enough to tire you out to the core.

Cows are made for other purposes, not riding

Cows are great for fieldwork and even pulling wagons but not for riding. Camels, horses, donkeys, and mules can be used for riding but attempting to ride a cow is somewhat similar to pushing them to their limits.

Riding a cow is cruel

It is often debated that riding a cow is not cruel at all but in view, it is utter cruelty in all senses. The two reasons why you should avoid riding a cow are;

They are not made to serve this way
They can not be shoed
Riding cows would wear down their hooves even before the expected time

Riding cows way too frequently would make them lame

As you have judged from the previous heading, riding this poor animal would speed up the hoof-wearing-down process. So According to research, if the cows kept giving rides to their masters, they may end up becoming lame. So, it’s better not to ride a cow no matter how tempting it sounds.

People do not normally prefer riding cows

People do not normally prefer riding cows as the ride is slow, tiring, and not fun at all. We usually ride animals for the sake of fun or therapeutic purposes. So, if the ride is tiring and not fun at all, why would one go for it anyway?

Riding a cow or bull is extreme sports, it’s super dangerous

It would be super odd for a cow or bull to have a human on its back. So, out of fear or surprise, a cow or bull can hurt you to go back to the routine. The trained animal or cows or bulls that have been used to giving rides may not be that dangerous, but the first attempt without any training would be an extreme sport that can end you up with your one or two bones broken.

Mules, donkeys, camels, and horses should be used for riding

The human world can be the kindest or cruel place to breathe at a time. It’s pointless to push an animal beyond it’s capacity when mules, donkeys, camels, and horses are available for riding. Such rides can be enjoyed as well whereas cow or bull riding would only be slow and tiring.

Let alone slow and tiring, cow riding would also not be smooth

Horses, mules, and donkeys are designed for riding, once they start their journey, they would go smooth until their master commands them to stop. Whereas the cows would go smooth(but quite slowly) for a minute or two, as soon as they find something to eat or anything surprising happening around, they would stop to eat or look around what “really” is happening.

Now that it’s clear, cows can be ridden but riding a cow is no fun. It is rather tiring and slow. Cows and bulls need to be trained as they do not naturally know how to give rides.

Unlike horses, mules, and donkeys, cows would not keep going until you command them to stop. They would stop to look around or eat from the ground whenever or wherever they want.

So, if you are fond of trying odd things then cow riding can be your next dare. As we have gathered to discuss cow riding in detail, it would not be fair to end this article here. Now let us enlighten you on how you can train them for safer rides.

How can you train your cow to give rides?

You need to know here that the person training the cow would be “You” or the one who wants to ride a cow. There aren’t any training schools that are specifically made to train cows to give you rides. You can take the professional horse trainer’s help but he/she would also require you to train your cow yourself. Here are the few tips and tricks you can use to train your cows;

Be patient, the training is going to last months. So, the first thing you need to practice is “be patient”. The cow would take time to get used to this odd routine.

Select the gentlest cow from the herd. Just like humans, not all cows and bulls are blessed with the same temperament, some would be gentle whereas the others would be aggressive to the point that they would be unrideable.

It’s better to start with the calf than choosing a fully mature cow to ride. Now you have to develop a strong bond to enjoy a safer ride. To tame the calf, it is recommended to offer food treats. Spending time with the animal would also help you in building trust and stronger bonds.

Move your hand over the back so the cow or the calf gets used to your hands. Once the cow stops getting surprised by your touch. Gently start putting pressure on the back so the animal gets used to carrying weight as well. The pressure you would apply with your hands will be much lighter than the pressure animal is going to feel when you would be riding it. You would have to do it anyway, as gently pressing the back with your hands is just an important part of the training.

Keep this going for at least a week or so until you are satisfied that the cow has started trusting you and finding you harmless.

Climb up, sit for a few seconds and come down. Keep doing it for weeks.

Once the cow has gotten used to it as well, take out the cow to a small enclosed area with fewer distractions.

Make some reins and try teaching your cow to respond to reins. Allow your cow to walk up to the wall, now pull the rein right or left and see if the cow responds or not. If it doesn’t you would be needing more time but if the cow happens to be a quick learner, your job is almost done.

Once the cow is 100% ready to take you out on a ride, climb up and take it where there is less traffic and fewer distractions.

Make riding at least 5 minutes a day your routine as this animal is not made for riding so habitual riding can be harmful.

The worth-sharing information is served now let’s answer the most Googled questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to ride a cow?

Well, riding a cow is not something we would recommend. It’s less safe than riding a horse, mule, or donkey but it can be made safer with training.

Can a fully grown man ride a cow?

Yes, a fully grown man can ride a cow but the animal should be thoroughly trained for that. But it’s better to ride a mule, horse, or donkey instead.

What would a cow ride be like?

Well to be very honest, it would be slow, tiring, and definitely not smooth at all. They would stop whenever and wherever they want, to eat or to wonder what’s happening.

In brief, yes it’s possible to ride a cow just like all four-legged animals but it’s not recommended though. The cows are not made for riding so you have to train them to give rides. Cows rides would be slow and tiring. They can never compete with horses, mules, and donkeys in giving joyful rides.

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