According to a study, cuddling cows can help lower anxiety
YORKSHIRE: Due to the possible mental health advantages of spending time with their furry residents, visitors are swarming Dumble Farm in Yorkshire, UK. Cow-cuddling is an interesting method to relieve tension, if you’re looking for something different.
Paying guests are permitted to pet and brush cows inside the barn at a former dairy farm located in northern England. “People are here seeking an outlook on their well-being. Being among animals has the “relieving-ness” of worry, almost like therapy, according to Dumble Farm’s Fiona Wilson.
Wilson notes that some people, like certain other people, find comfort in cuddling with dogs and cats. It’s simply very pleasant. Being able to cuddle a large fluffy animal is extremely great because I love animals in general, especially cuddly ones,” commented Steven Clews, one of the guests. They brush up so easily. “I didn’t think I would say this, but it’s really therapeutic,” his wife Emma Clews continued. Activities pertaining to sustainable farming and conservation are part of the experience.
It costs roughly €58 per participant for a two-hour session, yet despite the high cost, tickets sell out months in advance of the event. “These are my daughter’s favorite animals, and it was a gift for her 16th birthday… Since tickets are somewhat scarce, I was able to reserve one. To obtain the tickets, you have to get up as soon as they are issued,” stated guest Charleigh Gartell.
The sessions of snuggling began in February, when Wilson and her fellow farmers at Dumble Farm realized that the financial challenges of contemporary dairy farming could no longer be sustained.
Wilson claimed that despite working 14 hours a day, seven days a week, she and her farm partners, her brother and husband were still losing money. “That’s not how you live,” she remarked. “There just wasn’t a future. We were simply not making any progress.
With the exception of five cows they could not bring themselves to part with, they sold up their dairy herd in January 2022 as part of their diversification strategy. “They were our friends really, with placid friendly natures,” Wilson stated. In an attempt to maintain the farm’s financial viability, the farmers devised the concept of snuggling cows. Wilson stated that the farm spent months getting ready the cows for visitors to come pet them.
Every time we start, it takes us a few hours to actually welcome the guests. The ideal moment to snuggle cows is when they are lying down and peaceful, not when they are standing up and moving around. This is because we feed the cows a different diet, which fills their bellies to the brim, Wilson said. “They are curious creatures. Whenever people visit them, they show interest
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