The Bovine Bugle

Cowback riding: Do not try this at home!

Amy had an interesting question prompted in a May 25 entry, about some of my young stock getting out and visiting the neighbors. She wondered, “Do people ever ride cows?”

Her question brought back a neat memory for me: We had a cow, Brandy, that we could ride. I don't know which one of us four kids had the idea to actually get on the cow. Brandy, who I named after a character in a John Wayne movie, was always a very friendly cow. At some point one of us decided to try getting on her back, probably my brother, Steve, who was always the one to try anything. The most memorable rider of Brandy was a relative of ours, Bill, who was from Connecticut and happened to be visiting the farm. Bill has Downs Syndrome and, boy, did he get a charge out of Steve and me helping him on to Brandy's back and giving him a ride. My mom still talks about that event every once in a while. This all happened in the early seventies when I had just become a teenager. I don't remember what my dad thought of his kids riding one of the cows.

I wonder why my boys haven't thought of trying to ride one of the cows in the present herd. I can think of one, Kelsey, who would be a good candidate. I guess I won't mention the idea to them. They get plenty of good ideas on their own.

--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont