when will walkers with dogs learn to avoid them , even if they have to do a detour. Cattle are inquisitive and will run towards you especially if you have a dog whether calves are involved or not. standing in the middle of a herd of cattle when they are running is like taking a laxative & I work with cows and bulls 24/7. my advice is stay out if you can't run at 20 mph

When will farmers properly manage the risk that their agri-industry poses to (I assume law abiding) walkers using the countryside. Far too many incidents of this sort, and HSE seem to do nothing. Hope the walker and her pooch are ok.

Our son was walking there last month and he and some other walkers had a scare with those cows at Hartsop.

Great work by the rescue teams and very pleased dog was found and treated too ! (Y)

I've read warnings about those cows. It is possible to stay out of their field (or at least the one they were in a couple of weeks ago) by staying on the left hand side of the stream to the Pump House then taking the path up to join the main track.

Walkers should be aware that the cattle behind the Izaak Walton Hotel near the Peak District beauty spot of Dovedale attacked a group of walkers a few weeks ago. Fortunately no serious injury was sustained.

Farmers should not be allowed to put cattle in fields with public footpaths running through!

If a dog mauls a human they are put down and the owner ends up in court. Maybe farmers would be more careful about where they place cattle if they were liable for the injuries they caused on public footpaths. We stay in Hartsop every year and have a dog. These cattle have been a menace for years and will charge you from a considerable distance if you are walking a dog. They are dangerous and should not be on this public path. Fence the path to make it safe!

Are you guys serious? AJ and Jane Morris: FARMERS should be more careful? You are walking through THEIR land and it's your decision if you go or not. Unbelievable. Great effort from the Mountain Rescue, as always :)

I have had scares from cattle. But I think it unreasonable to blame farmers. Footpaths go through their land. What are they supposed to do? We make a choice when we go through a field of cattle whether on a footpath or not. Make a detour!

You have to be joking if you come to the country side then read up a little on things . To all of us it is common sense not to go through a field with cows and calfs in . This is no fault of the farmer go a different way for your own safety . Hope the person is ok but all remember this in future . Stay safe in the county side .

Keep dogs at home

If the footpath is a public right of way, walkers have every right to use it without having to resort to trespass by trying to avoid the cattle. The farmer is liable for any injuries caused to walkers by his cattle whilst they are on that right of way.

Farmers are advised to separate cows and calves from walkers with fencing and most choose not to do so. The farmer that beat his cattle off me then ran away and left me badly injured and miles from my car in2006 was successfully sued. I have dogs, keep them on a lead and follow the country side code and avoid cows

First of all what a smart dog to find its way back to a very temporary home.
There ARE rules about cattle being on land with footpaths. Strangers to an area are unlikely to know a way around a particular field.
I frequently walk with my dog past sheep and cattle, she ignores them, they usually ignore her. The Walker cannot know if particular stock are agitated. The duty of care is with the expert.
"Your" land? Really?? Perhaps so, but it's in OUR country. Obey the law like everyone else. More importantly, be a good citizen and care for the welfare of others, you never know when you might need them to care about you.

The cows in Hartsop block the path and access to a wide number of fells including Hartsop Dodd, High Street and Angle Tarn. When you have come down from 2500 feet or more of altitude and the only way around is to climb back up 2500 feet or more and walk 5/7 miles to avoid aggressive cattle on a track which has been public right of way for years then you will consider how dumb it is to say"go another way around". There isn't another way around in Hartsop There is only one path!
Farmers have many fields and many types of animals, from cattle to sheep. It makes sense not to put cows with calves on busy foot paths in the Summer when sheep can be placed there instead and cattle placed away from rights of way. A woman has been seriously injured for walking her dog on a lead. Is this acceptable? The countryside belongs to all. Both farmers and walkers should behave responsibly to avoid this kind of incident.

Good idea to fence off a footpath, some farmers have done that in some areas where possible and the walkers have complained! Firstly their dogs didn't have the same freedom and secondly, the footpath just became a dog's toilet! It did however keep cows and walkers separated which meant the cows could safely graze on THEIR pasture without the risk of Neo-Spora, the dreadful disease picked up from the dreaded dog muck.

Treat animals and Farmers with respect. Don't take dogs in fields where there are cows. In the case of cows, don't be fooled into thinking putting dogs on leads is any sort of insurance policy, it is just the opposite. I think signs that ask walkers to put dogs on leads near livestock need to point this risk out.

Its very easy to say keep out of fields with cattle, but it's not always obvious which fields have cattle until it's too late. Walking routes don't come with a list detailing the whereabouts of the various local animals. Farmers quite rightly kick off when loose dogs worry sheep etc and expect dog owners to keep their animals under control. I don't think it unreasonable to ask for the same courtesy in return when taking part what is a legal pursuit and obeying the law.

Walking C2C recently on fields leaving Orton no choice to cross field with cattle, only about 20m in width stiles opposite each other. My sheepdog entered field stealth like went away from cattle (she will always keep greatest distance possible and stay low). She was chased by cattle leaping stile just in time any less nimble dog would have been trampled. Glad I had not entered field at same tine I just watched in horror. alternative route not always possible!

We walked past the cows last weekend on the path leading to Hartsop and were terrified, they started to walk towards us (we didn't have a dog) I really thought anyone with young children would be in a awfull scenario.

I was walking in this area with my 5 year old granddaughter and dog but only saw sheep staying at Hartsop Fold. I don't know what I would have done if we had come across cows. I take care to avoid but you don't always know when you enter an area whether there are cows present or not. I want to encourage my granddaughter to enjoy walking and the countryside but not always easy to know what precautions to take

Very silly to say cows should be put down if they harm people - they are certainly much maligned...

Time and time again, people with dogs have trouble with cattle so I'd say it's best to either avoid their fields if you have a dog with you or let go of the dog so that they can chase that. Most times, if the herd run at you (when you haven't a dog), just turning to face them, or if that doesn't work, running towards them and shouting and waving your arms scares them to a stop. They are prey animals after all and scared of humans. If you don't believe that, try approaching one and giving it a pat!

I think one of the main problems nowadays is too many folk from the towns have no idea how to handle themselves amongst livestock.

So I have walked half the day on the fells with my dogs then nearing the end of the route using a public footpath which I have every right to use and walk my dogs the path goes through a field full of cows,oh I'll have to make a detour some on here have suggested, so I'll backtrack a few miles or cross some nearby fields which go in the same direction I'm sure the farmer won't mind!! on second thoughts I'll stick to the legal route and if attacked by the cows report the incident without a second thought.

Let go of your dog? You obviously havent met my dog - if he thought the cattle were threatening us, he'd protect me. And whats my defense when the farmer tries to shoot him?

So the farmers are saying to ignore the footpaths, walk in any field and let dogs run loose? Cool! Thanks for that!