The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word STOT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
T
O
T
More clues leading to the result STOT
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Bovine creature" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case bovine creature = stot.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does STOT mean?
STOT noun- An inferior horse.
- An ox or bull.
- A heifer.
- A bounce or rebound
- (of quadrupeds) A leap using all four legs at once.
- To bounce, rebound or ricochet.
- To make bounce, rebound or ricochet.
- To stumble.
- (of quadrupeds) To leap using all four legs at once.
- To strike, push, shove.