Animal Science

A horse's hindquarters can pack many pounds of force on the victim. How does that happen? And how can you avoid being on the receiving end of that delivery? In Part 1 of this series we learned why a horse kicks. If you master that information, there's a good chance you know enough to evade the back end of a frightened or moody horse. This blog entry will explore those ideas further. In Part 3, I'll explain what happened when I was kicked by a horse – and the lingering effects.

The impact of a horse's kick can be as strong as being hit by a small car traveling 20 miles per hour. A few years ago, a girl was kicked in the stomach by a horse at a show. She was taken by helicopter to an emergency room where an MRI showed a perfect outline of a hoof on her liver.

A strong kick can damage internal organs and break bones. Even a "gentle" one can cause bruising.

How Does a Horse Kick?

1. If a horse is going to kick, he typically starts showing some of the behavior discussed in Part 1 of this series. If he's afraid, he acts defensive. If he is aggressive, he may strike and crowd your space. If he's in pain, he may be uncooperative.
2. Strikes from a front hoof are different than kicks from a rear hoof.
• Front hoof strikes can hurt, but generally do not pack as much power. These are usually the most painful if the horse is wearing a shoe – particularly a shoe with studs (like cleats for sports) or other "add-ons".
• Rear hoof kicks pack the most power because of the force of the powerful hindquarters. Let's look at how these work.

There are three types of kicks from the rear legs.

1. Forward – A horse kicks forward, toward the belly, by pulling its hind leg and hoof up. This is usually because something is irritating him, like an insect or dripping water.
2. To the Side – This is called cow kicking because cows do it when they don't like to be milked. You wouldn't think a horse can kick sideways, so this tends to get a lot of people.
3. Straight Back – This hurts the most because it has the most power. The horse uses its hindquarters, tendons, and ligaments to wind up and send the hoof straight back.

How Can You Avoid Being Kicked?

Now that you know why a horse kicks and how he does it, here are some ways to avoid getting hurt: Note: some are easier said than done!

1. Forward – Don't put your head, or other body parts, under a horse's stomach! This is easy. There's really no reason to be under there except for grooming or saddling, which only requires a hand. You can peek from the side. Also, watch for twitching muscles on the belly or a swishy tail - signs a horse may reach up to kick away an irritant.
2. To the Side – Watch out for pinned ears, a swishing tail, or other signs of irritation when working at the "back end".
3. Straight Back – Although it seems counterintuitive, it's best to pass as closely behind the horse as possible to minimize the impact of a kick. The further away you are, the more the horse can "wind up" and deliver the full impact of a kick. Think about being punched; if you are a few inches away from your attacker, it doesn't hurt much – but more than a foot away would be painful.

Overall, remember to think about the situation. If the horse doesn't like to be saddled, be wary during that time. Always be cautious when passing behind a horse. When approaching the animal, talk to it and let it know you're there, and put a hand on the hindquarters so it knows where you are even if it can't see you.

Resources:

http://equisearch.com/horses_care/health/behavior/whyhorseskick_012307/index.aspx

http://www.whmentors.org/saf/kick.html

http://www.horsekeeping.com/ask-cherry/20080503-cowkicking.htm

http://eebweb.arizona.edu/Courses/Ecol485_585/Readings/Hildebrand_1987.pdf

http://books.google.com/books?id=lBNPjojOho8C&pg=PA301&lpg=PA301&dq=physics+of+a+horse+kick&source=bl&ots=akFqUxKG12&sig=KAm0KYFtFQ4pXfMKuFeFHHv1tec&hl=en&ei=2Cd8Sr2QDJqQtgeXpc3cAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false