Livestock, if left on their own, are lazy and relaxed. They travel only to find new graze or to drink and move slowly always on the lookout for a tasty morsel of grass. Since climbing uphill is work and going down steep slopes hurts their feet their natural path is usually the easiest path.
The rolling prairie lands of the west are marked by cow trails appearing almost as arteries leading to and from windmills and water holes. Old Tascosa, the second oldest town in the Panhandle of Texas was established at the converging trails formed by Buffalo who found an easy crossing on the treacherous Canadian River.
Cow trails often appear to run on gradient lines as if laid out by professional surveyors using transit tools. In steep areas the trails switch from side to side choosing a less demanding path using less effort and energy. Rough canyons usually have a clear path showing the easiest access.
The narrow winding cow paths are formed by the hoof action and sharp toes which tend to loosen dirt particles. Others following smash the particles into dust which is carried away by wind and rain runoff. The toes seem to flip small gravel and rock out to each side of the trail and out of the beaten path.
When rainfall occurs, the runoff enters these miniature contoured terraces, picking up the dust and carrying it to eventual disposal. Over a period of time the formerly shallow trails become arroyos and gullies showing extreme erosion.
What has all of this got to do with barbed wire? A simple deduction tells us barbed wire follows boundaries. Boundaries are laid out in grids. The nature of the terrain crossed by these boundaries is hardly ever considered when devised.
In contrast, livestock follow the contours of the terrain seldom traversing steep hills and sharp inclines. When barriers force them from the natural contours the results are trails going downward sharply contributing to swifter erosion.
Another problem is that the nature of livestock is to pace out the parameters of their domain, especially newly-placed animals. This pattern causes trails to be formed parallel to fences where normal travel should not occur. Observance from the air reveals almost all pasture fences are well marked by eroded parallel trails on both sides of the barriers. Old fences long removed, can be easily traced by these markings.
In areas more susceptible to erosion, fences lines are often destroyed by ever-deepening ditches. Many rural roads and right-of-way fences require continual maintenance because of erosion started by cattle trails. The problem continues to worsen each year.
Yes, no doubt barbed wire fences have had, and are still having a negative impact on the land. Though serving magnificently in keeping livestock under control the sharp barbs forces the cow to change from her natural instincts in laying out a trail along a contoured level. As a result, the land has suffered.
