Probably beats sprinkling salt.

View From The Solent has spotted the ultimate defence in The Telegraph:

A herd of cows were spooked by a new pink-coloured road and suddenly turned tail, rushed into a garden leaving one trapped in a deep ditch...

The cow belonged to farmer Robert Wells who was herding the cows down when it became spooked and rushed into the front garden of a house next to the post office. He said he believed it was because the road had been resurfaced pink and this confused the cows. The disorientated cow fell in to the ditch after trying to rejoin the herd over the low roof of the post office which abuts the neighbouring house's garden...

Mr Wells added that the route the cows were taken was a regular one for the herd. "They've passed there many times before. Of all things it was a change in colour of road that spooked them. The herd ran off then turned around on a house driveway but one decided to take a short cut over the post office roof and then fell in to the ditch..."

What makes this all the more puzzling is that cattle are red-green colour blind, but hey, in my next house, I'm having the front garden done with pink tarmac, just in case.