Have you ever wandered if you can ride a Jersey cow? Jersey cows are cute little cows with a beautiful golden color which we really enjoyed and benefited a lot from its most delicious milk. Their milk is rich in nutrients such as fat, butter which make it pretty delicious.
Its milk is used in great industries and investments, and many families raise them in their yard to enjoy their high-cream milk, which may be the most expensive milk in the market.
With all this, some may be greedy and think of more exploitation of this cute cow and think of riding it like horses and donkeys! So is this possible? Most of you would dismiss the idea thinking that cows are quite wide to be ridden and you’re probably right. However, the truth is more complicated than this.
We have conducted extensive research to bring you the most accurate information related to this topic. In this article, we’re answering the question of whether you should try riding your Jersey cow or not, what are the causes that prevent you from doing so, and what are the most suitable cow breeds to ride! Keep reading..
Can You Ride A Jersey Cow?
No, this is how the answer should be. Although some try to ride Jersey cows as they think that riding a Jersey cow may be more enjoyable than riding a mule or a horse. When comparing the body of a cow to a donkey, it may be noted that the cow has a wider frame and therefore it is more enjoyable to sit and hold well than most donkeys.
But this is not recommended even if they are trained to be ridden, as it happens in other breeds of cows, as there are already breeds of cows that are trained to be ridden.
Why Shouldn’t You Ride Jersey Cows?
There are many reasons why Jersey cows are not suitable for riding, which include:
1. Don’t understand the art of riding
Cows usually, not only Jersey cows, do not know and do not naturally understand horseback riding. They do not appreciate the presence of a full-weight human being sitting on their back.
So even in cases of riding cows, this does not happen automatically, as the cow has received a lot of long-term training to get used to riding. Unlike horses and mules, which instinctively handle human riding, they do not require training to carry a human on their back.
2. Milking Cow
Above all, it is related to riding cows. Even if there were cows that could be trained to ride, the matter with Jersey cows would be illogical. They are basically milking cows, which means that all of their body energy is directed to milk production.
So, they do not have a strong muscular structure, but rather they are lean in most cases. In addition to the fact that her body is originally small, she is not a breed of large cows, weighing only about 350 to 400 kilograms. So, Jersey cannot bear a full-weight human being on her back and move with him. This would be an injustice to this poor cow.
3. Slow Walk
Cows usually walk slowly and with a person on their back, their speed decreases more because cows are wider and heavier. while horses and donkeys are usually more skinny and run faster. So if you ride a cow, it can hardly walk even if it is trained in the art of horseback riding.
Therefore riding a cow will be slower and tiring. The journey that will take an average of 15 minutes with horses, mules, and donkeys may take twice or three times the time with a cow, which is funny and strange at the same time!
As you may set off on your cow and your friend on his donkey together at the same time, your friend will arrive quickly while you continue to suffer with your cow on its long journey!
4. Get Tired Quickly
Cows are not accustomed to the art of riding as mentioned earlier, and instead, they have many other functions.
Even if you ride your cow and move with it, it will get tired quickly and it will tell you that its fuel is over, that you will find it has become very slow or it will stop completely, giving rides is not appropriate for its nature. It may get worse if your cow is a milker like a Jersey cow, riding it all the time will wear out your cow, so if you want to keep your cow healthy, avoid riding it.
5. Lameness And Foot Problems
Riding cows will wear out their hooves even earlier than expected. It makes them more likely to be lame if you continue to ride and trek with them.
6. The Trip Will Be Tiring
The backs of cows are wider and wider than horses. Some may think, as we mentioned, that it is good, as there is ample space to sit on, but it is not as good as expected. This wide space on the back of the cow makes you spread your legs more, and it is an uncomfortable position. You cannot stay on it for a long time.
You can’t stand this situation for 15 minutes at best which makes your trip definitely very tiring.
7. Does Not Handle Water Well
Cows do not deal well with water bodies, so if you are riding a cow, you must know the roads that you will take in advance before setting out to avoid any roads with water bodies. This is difficult or not possible in most cases. Cows often stop if they find a body of water and will not cross no matter what.
8. Long Time To Train
As we mentioned, cows can be trained in the art of riding, but this is not an easy thing at all, as it will take a long time to train for riding. You may need several months just to train your cow for basic riding.
Important Note :
You should not attempt riding cows without any training as it would be an extreme endeavor and you could end up with broken bones. Riding an untrained cow would be very dangerous, it would be a very strange thing for a cow to find a human being on its back. So it may move violently and hurt you, out of fear or surprise.
What Cows Are Suitable For Riding?
There are popular breeds that handle riding better than others such as Taurine and Zebu breeds that are more suitable breeds for riding. It is preferable for them to be trained to ride from a young age. However, they are not as ideal for riding as the other purpose-created creatures. If you would like to ride an animal, horses, donkeys, and mules are very available and they did not skimp on anything with us.
