I've been wondering what it is about this farmer's cattle that make them so aggressive. It seems unlikely, given the length of time from the first incident, that the same animals are involved. Is it the breed, the breeding or the husbandry?
Any thoughts
Over the years, participating on this forum, I have raised several points related to the changes in breeds and husbandry methods pertinent to your question.
There are changes and they could have affected animal behaviour, but also there is a change in attitudes to sharing the countryside.
Firstly three changes in animal husbandry;
1. Tying up cattle in the cowshed and personal contact. This is no longer practiced and there is less actual physical contact between human and bovine.
2. The increase in both number and size if single suckler herds.
3. The introduction of breeds mostly from the continent, over our traditional breeds, which are the only breed named in the regulations about animal care in relation to contact with the public.
Secondly the attitude about access. This has changed since the Country Landowners Association needed to increase its membership due to loss of power in the House of Lords. Their action in strengthening the notion that all land, off the right of way, is private land. This adds to the arrogance of those like the farmer in this instant and hinders the acceptance of principles of professional care.
I have given more detail on past posts here for my reasons and experiences for stating these observations.
Personally as a past member and group branch chairman on the the NFU, I believe this organization has failed to recognise the philosophies of the CLA as counter productive to their interests and therefore missed opportunities to meet some of these problems in the formative stages.