Lesson 1: Understand the terms "Flight Zone" and "Pressure"

In stockmanship terms stimulation of any kind on livestock is referred to as a form of pressure. In discussions on stockmanship or cattle handling people frequently refer to flight or safe zones of an animal as an arbitrary measure of how much pressure or encroachment an animal will endure prior to fleeing or fighting. Conceptually, the flight zone can be thought of as being an animal’s personal space and when that space is violated the animal may determine that it is no longer safe and react.

In practical terms, as a human approaches livestock the animal begins to feel pressure from human encroachment. The exact flight distance and the extent of the response to human presence may vary animal to animal or within the same animal depending on the various factors influencing the animal, such as, prior animal experiences, previous human interaction, the distance between the human and animal, natural or artificial boundaries, husbandry practices, age of the animal, other competing environment stimuli, health and well-being of the animal(s) in general, and even the time of day.

By closely observing the response of the animal approached, livestock handlers can be able to observe and learn from the effects of the pressure on animal behavior. Alternatively, by moving away from animals some or all of the pressure may be relieved and understanding this animal behavior will also be useful to livestock handlers. The key point is that handlers can induce animals to move, turn, or stop by exerting and manipulating pressure.

Every interaction between people and cows shapes the future behavior of both. These interactions can be positive or negative but are very rarely neutral. The concept of stockmanship, or low-stress handling of livestock helps people become aware of human behavior and the impact it has on livestock. With proper handling cattle are easier to work and move and that creates a desirable environment for both cattle and people. In the dairy industry people interact with cows several times a day and these situations present opportunities to create positive, human and animal interactions.