Horses, in my opinion, are some of the kindest, gentlest animals on planet earth. I figure you’re not likely to get hurt by a horse unless it’s in fear of… well almost anything.
When a horse is afraid it will usually RUN as fast as possible away from whatever scares it. But, during the initial bolt it is likely to rear, jump, spin, kick, bite and all of the above as it heads for safer territory.
Having spent roughly 75 years in the company of horses, I’ve been assaulted about every way imaginable by an equine pal.
That said, I’ve only been bitten three times…
First, about 1956, I was bitten by my red dun pal Sandy. You see, I used to ride past an old adobe barn and corrals built more than 70 years earlier. I’d fantasize being an old time vaquero herding some longhorn cattle into those corrals. However, one day I decided to get off Sandy and climb on one of the old fences for a closer look at something. Just as I put my foot on the bottom rail, Sandy grabbed my upper arm and pulled me away. It shocked me and it hurt a bunch. Clearly Sandy wanted no part of the old place and to this day I believe he thought he was protecting me from something.
Years later, I learned part of the function of the old Rancho El Escorpion barn was as a slaughterhouse. I’ve always wondered if Sandy knew that.
Second, about 2007, I had just bought a new, four year-old mare, and brought her to live with us in California. She had previously been in a large pasture on a ranch in Missouri, and she was adjusting to living in her own private stall and run. My habit was to give each of my four horses a cookie when my stall cleaning was finished for the day. I had just given her a cookie and was headed to the next stall when she clamped her teeth onto my back and yanked me back trying to get a second cookie. She was just plumb greedy and had no manners at all.
That bite hurt for a couple of weeks, and I never turned my back on Hell-Bitch, I mean Kasidy again.
Third, in 2012, about a year before he passed, I was ponying my old pard Sunup behind Joyce’s paint horse Zinger. I was watching the trail ahead when Sunup reached over and bit my arm. It surprised to heck outta me, and since there was nothing to fear and no cookies were involved I figure he was just plain jealous that I was riding Zinger and not him.
The poor old guy didn’t understand that he was retired and wasn’t expected to pack a saddle and me anymore.
Pet horses sometimes get too comfortable around people and like us they protect, feel greed, and get jealous. Watch your six.
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