Louie is right, the animation needs smoothing out, particularly when the front leg is popping forward. I feel that part of the distinction issue is actually coming from this as well. The animation is very gradual as it's moving backward, but if you track the thigh it moves backwards very smoothly and as soon as it hits as far back as it can go it doesn't move back forward, it teleports.
A side note... I've never noticed until now how much a buffalo looks like somebody sliced up a horse, a bear, and the bastard child of a cow-pig and stitched them together Frankenstein style....!