Over the moon

A number of bloggers have picked up this story today, but I couldn't resist...

Regina Mayer, 15, asked her parents for a horse 2 years ago. When they declined, she turned to the livestock on her family's farm in Laufen, Germany. A cow with the appropriated name of "Luna" eventually filled the bill. Shortly after Luna was born, Regina fitted her with a halter and led her on walks through the woods. Over the next 6 months, she accustomed the calf to human contact and riding equipment. Then came the moment of truth. Regina saddled Luna up and climbed on, reporting, "She was really well behaved and walked normally. But after a couple of meters, she wanted me to get off! You could see that she got a bit peeved." The teenager's persistence paid off. Luna - who now "thinks she's a horse" - carries Regina around the countryside, understands a few commands (although they had some steering issues), and jumps hurdles of crates and logs. Horses go either way when they meet up with Luna - running from her or running with her. But other cows are envious. "Cows don't really like her ... they're jealous because she always gets goodies."

Luna is not the 1st cow to jump...