title: Safe handling of large animals.
abstract: The major causes of accidents with cattle, horses, and other grazing animals are: panic due to fear, male dominance aggression, or the maternal aggression of a mother protecting her newborn. Danger is inherent when handling large animals. Understanding their behavior patterns improves safety, but working with animals will never be completely safe. Calm, quiet handling and non-slip flooring are beneficial. Rough handling and excessive use of electric prods increase chances of injury to both people and animals, because fearful animals may jump, kick, or rear. Training animals to voluntarily cooperate with veterinary procedures reduces stress and improves safety. Grazing animals have a herd instinct, and a lone, isolated animal can become agitated. Providing a companion animal helps keep an animal calm.
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D002417:Cattle; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology; D003441:Crowding / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D016272:Occupational Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012418:Ruminants / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology