Owen, A Riding Steer in Training
posted on
August 8, 2024
posted on
August 8, 2024
After a long, snowy winter, it’s time to do a happy dance and welcome warmer days. If you don’t know how to dance, the cattle can show you the bovine style.
All winter, my Scottish Highland and Belted Galloway cattle have grown magnificent, lanolin-rich coats — nature’s waterproofing so good it puts L.L. Bean to shame. Lanolin repels water and snow better than any slicker on the market. But these coats can’t be unzipped when the sunshine returns. That’s where the electric clippers come in.
At Miles Smith Farm, we have two kinds of cattle: Scottish Highlanders and Angus/Hereford cross-breeds. There are many differences between these breeds, but one is particularly striking. The Highlanders, both males, and females have enormous horns, and the others do not. In ancient times all cattle had horns, but as a result of selective breeding, many breeds of cattle lost their horns.