Suzanne's strong bond with her Gold Creek cattle is one of the reasons she is so determined to find new ways to ensure that they live longer and happier lives than the average cow. Preparing them to be pets has proven to be an extremely effective way of achieving that goal. Further to that, Suzanne has been training her cattle as Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) co-workers since 2008. It is a source of great pride for her. You can help Suzanne with this training by adopting a calf and coming to visit.
Gold Creek's small, traditional Galloway cattle now have two new roles that do not involve them living short lives and being slaughtered. These new roles make Suzanne and her cows very happy. What's not to love about a life spent cuddling these beautiful, docile cows?
Cows and Therapy
Everyday Therapy
Unlike most humans, cattle are uncomplicated mammals. Many humans lead stressful, complicated lives and don’t know how to relax or unwind. For a human, being able to come into a paddock and interact with and share a relaxing bond with such a large gentle animal is a wonderful thing. What makes it therapeutic? To begin with, there are all the well-known benefits of just being outside. Then there is the calm, gentle nature of the cows themselves. Who doesn’t love spending time with a calm, patient friend?
Cows don’t talk endlessly about their problems, but they will listen to yours. They don’t interrupt you when you are talking. Cows listen intently. Sometimes, the most important thing they do is listen. The biggest bonus is they never give unwelcome advice.
Cows have a slower heart rate than humans, which is calming to be around. Many of the Gold Creek cows intuitively know who needs what when people come for a visit. Suzanne can see their little cow brains quietly ticking over... "Does this human just want to talk to me? Do I need to convince them to stroke me or brush me? Or should I just stand here and ruminate for a while and let the human work it out for themselves?"
Being outside is wonderful, and being in a paddock makes it a real treat. Not everyone is cut out to be a farmer. Not everyone wants to or can afford to live on acreage. So, just being in a paddock is a novel experience for many people. Nothing speaks more to rural Australia than being in a paddock. There are no cars, no artificial lights, no loud unnatural sounds, or chemical smells. Bliss!
When Suzanne puts people in the paddocks with cows, magic happens.
For more detailed information about what makes an AAT cow, please contact Suzanne to apply for a username and password.
Living with Mental Health Challenges.
So many Australians live with all kinds of different mental health challenges, and they can all benefit greatly from time with these cattle. Living with depression or anxiety and the unavoidable stresses of everyday life can be exhausting. These things are often the reason people keep coming back to spend time with our cattle. It is both relaxing and re-energising. One person said it was like having their mental battery recharged. Another talked about not needing their blood pressure medication anymore. Many people see it as a way to stay mentally and physically healthy.
For more detailed information about what makes an AAT cow, please contact Suzanne to apply for a username and password.
Recovering from Trauma
People recovering from trauma benefit significantly from time with quiet cattle. Life can throw some serious trauma some people's way when they least expect it. Very few people are ever ready for it. Many need a lot of time and assistance to recover. Time in a paddock with some very quiet cattle is sometimes just what is needed. The sheer enjoyment of the time with the cows has been the one thing that has encouraged several people to go back outside. When struggling with the demands of rehabilitation, it can become very tempting to just give up. Knowing there is a cow outside waiting for you with those big brown eyes can be all the encouragement necessary to keep going.
People struggling with grief can often feel overwhelmed. Usually, they don't really want to be around people, but they don't want to be on their own either. Sometimes a little time in a peaceful paddock with some four-legged silent witnesses can make the grief seem bearable, even just for a little while.
For more detailed information about what makes an AAT cow, please contact Suzanne to apply for a username and password.
Living with Different Abilities
Not all people in wheelchairs are able to enjoy the freedom of riding horses, but they can certainly enjoy bonding with our small cattle. It was fascinating to watch the interaction when we first introduced our cows to yet another new thing – Rodney, a young man on wheels.
A full-grown traditional Galloway cow, Dusty, measures less than 120 cm at the hip. However, weighing in at around 450 kg, that is a lot of weight to be thrown around if something goes wrong. Rodney was acutely aware of this at first. As he spent more and more time with Dusty, Rod became more engrossed in what he was doing and totally oblivious to their differences.
Preparing Cattle For The Unexpected
One way of ensuring that the cattle that are being trained as AAT co-workers are prepared for the unexpected is to introduce them to as many children as we can, as often as possible. The children are perfectly safe. Suzanne explains what they can expect from the cattle and what the cattle need from them. Basically, the worst and the best thing one of the Gold Creek AAT cows will do is walk away from someone.
The more visitors of all shapes and sizes the cattle meet, the more likely it is that the cattle will encounter all sorts of weird and unusual happenings. For AAT training, this is a good thing. The cattle have now learnt that loud noises, sudden movements, and excited chatter are part and parcel of the interaction with children (and many adults, for that matter).
For more detailed information about what makes an AAT cow, please contact Suzanne to apply for a username and password.
The Feedback is Rewarding
Wendy Wheels & Pixie
When AAT co-workers go to their new homes, the feedback from their new owners is so rewarding. When Suzanne gets beautiful photos like the one below, she knows her time has been well spent. Living with osteogenesis imperfecta has many challenges. Wendy (also known as Wendy Wheels) takes most of those challenges 'in her stride'. Despite osteogenesis imperfecta, Wendy is living an amazing life full of family and adventure. Wendy's partner organised for a new family member to arrive by horse float; Wendy couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Pixie. Pixie, Wendy's new best friend, calmly walked off the horse float and straight over to Wendy. Within minutes, they were nose to nose, both of them happily enjoying some love and attention.
Tragedy Changes Everything - Sarah & Dusty
In 2019, when Sarah McClure went for a workout at the gym, she didn't expect to be pinned against a brick wall by a runaway SUV and lose her leg. But that is what happened. After spending two hours floating in and out of consciousness while the police and SES officers worked to stabilise the brick wall, Sarah was airlifted to Westmead Hospital. The blood loss and damage to her leg were too great. Sarah's leg had to be amputated above the knee.
At 31 years old, Sarah was determined to walk again. To achieve this, she knew she had to find as many reasons as possible to get outside and back into life. One of those reasons turned out to be two of our cows. Dusty and Hobbit went to live on Sarah's parents' property on the outskirts of Bathurst, where Sarah spent time during her recovery. Dusty's training around people in wheelchairs came in very handy for quite a while. However, it wasn't long before Sarah, now sporting her new prosthesis, was going into the paddock on a quad bike to spend time with the cows.
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GOLD CREEK Galloway Stud Braidwood Southern NSW Australia ©2006-2026.