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herdsManshIP and huMan InteraCtIon 273

of time it took for the heifers to enter the race. However, the heifers entered the race more quickly,
spent less time in the race, and required less force to move through the race over nine successive
trips through the race. The results of this study suggested that exposure to a facility without acti-
vation of fear may be more valuable than the provision of a reward at the end of the facility. The
authors postulated that human presence could have been considered aversive by the heifers if they
did not have substantial prior exposure, or negative exposure in general, to stockpeople.
Dairy cattle typically require less physical restraint than beef cattle. In most dairy opera-
tions, cows are restrained for the majority of veterinary procedures in a locking stanchion in the
location where the herd is fed. This is commonly referred to as a head lock. Most head locks are
self-locking after the operator sets the system to allow the stanchions to lock after they are closed
during feeding.

IMPaCt OF hUMaN INteraCtION ON aNIMaL WeLFare

In the early 2010s, I received a phone call one day from a herdsman from a large dairy that
was recently the focal point of an undercover exposé that resulted in the release of a video of his
facility by an activist group. He was looking for guidance on how he and his staff should proceed
following the video release and associated increase in scrutiny from his customers and the public
in general. At one point in the conversation, I asked him to watch the video with me so we could
discuss specific events that occurred. He played the video on his computer and I played it on mine
as we talked on the phone. During this exercise, we agreed that all of the major issues that we
observed in the video involved human interaction with animals. In all cases, lack of appropriate
training and supervision were identified as the primary causative factors for the events that we
observed.
There were two key concepts that we identified as we reviewed the handling of non-ambulatory
cows. First, we observed one scene where an employee unleashed a profanity-laden tirade on a cow
that refused to stand. The use of such language toward another sentient being has the potential to
escalate to physical abuse. The use of yelling and demeaning language toward animals appeared
to be culturally driven within that facility. Second, it appeared that the handlers of non-ambulatory
cows lacked empathy for the animals they were trying to move.
To remediate the previously described issues, a cultural shift was necessary. The employees that
were responsible for caring for the cattle were formally trained in animal handling. Specifically,
they were no longer allowed to use derogatory language toward the cows they were handling. This
change was simple to implement, but vigilance in supervision was needed to prevent relapse to old
behaviors.
The herdsman had a plan to address the apparent lack of empathy for the non-ambulatory cows
his staff were tasked with handling. His simple—but powerful—suggestion was that all handlers
involved in moving a non-ambulatory cow remove a glove and touch or pet the cow. He shared that
his herd veterinarian laughed at the suggestion, but he proceeded to implement it. His rationale was
that his employees felt considerable time pressure to move non-ambulatory cows so they could get
back to their normal job duties. By prompting the workers to take time to pet the cow before work-
ing on her, he thought the action would give the workers an opportunity to redirect their focus to
the cow instead of all of the other tasks they had to do. In essence, he was giving his workers an
opportunity to develop empathy.
Empathy can be defined as, “…the capacity to vicariously experience the emotions of another”
(Coleman et al., 1998). Furthermore, it has been argued that a specific bond between the individual
experiencing an emotion and an empathetic observer is not required. What is required is for an
observer to experience at least some indication of the emotion displayed by the individual they are
observing.