A kick can shatter bones and traumatize soft tissue. Generally speaking, it is best to just utilize whatever you happen to have on hand at the time. As long as you are inconsistent, indecisive, and unclear about what it is that you genuinely want from your horse, he will not feel comfortable under your leadership. You should never have to battle with him. How Hard Can a Horse Kick? Common Signs and Tips Revealed When a hoof comes into touch with the skin, it has the potential to slice open with a single movement, causing serious injury. Horses may also kick out of displeasure if they feel threatened. Horses kick to defend themselves, but they also kick to display dominance, blow off energy, or when frustrated. Will a horse kick a dog? - Pet Animals Care Occasionally, any horse will lash out in order to protect himself or alleviate discomfort, but in other circumstances, kicking is a terrible habit that must be addressed before anybody is injured. Cow kicks are particularly dangerous, and while they may not be as forceful as a straight backward kicks, they can land on a vital area of your body such as your head, thus breaking bones and even killing you. They are used to being around horses, and many of them love their bigger partners in crime. One tell-tale sign that a horse is feeling threatened or frustrated is pinned back ears. When you first learn to ride you will be waking up a few sore muscles, some of which aren't really used in other sports or activities. Before you begin walking behind your horse, place your hand on the horses neck and move your hand around the horses hindquarters as you gently go around it around. Fortunately, I sustained the kick to my upper thigh, and the femur is the hardest bone in the human body, so I didnt suffer a broken bone. Why Horses Kick Of course, when a horse kicks you today, its much less desirable. When your horse strikes out with its front feet, they are declaring dominance or assertiveness. Among the patients, there were 11 females (65%) and six males (35%). Tornado was the name of a horse that was present (his personality matched the tornado-shaped marking on his forehead). Horses are capable of knocking over anything in their path. A horses kick is extremely powerful and can cause severe, even fatal injuries. Most displays of aggressive behavior are due to the horse being fearful for some reason or another. When you consider that a small car weighs about 4,500 pounds, it's easy to see how dangerous horse kicks can be. If another horses tail is within one foot of another horses tail, the other horse may become upset. It is imperative to watch for the warning signs and stay safe when spending time around any horse. Is it possible for a horse kick to kill you? Dr. O'Brien is part of The Spruce Pets' veterinary review board. Other horses can even suffer debilitating injuries from horse kicks and small animals can be hurt or easily killed by the power of a horse kick. It can even prove fatal in certain circumstances and it can all happen in a matter of seconds. With an approximate speed of 200mph, an average horse can kick with a force of around 2,000 pounds of force per square inch. A horses kick may be as powerful as a small cars and can cause serious injury to anyone who gets too close to the animal. When a horse attempts to assert dominance over a human handler, it is a warning indication that more serious training difficulties are at hand: Apparently, somewhere along the road, the horse came to the conclusion that intimidation is an efficient method of dealing with people. The horse will often position itself between the rider and the rest of the herd, keeping them safe by kicking at any approaching cattle. If it wasn't very hard, then your dog is probably fine. You run the risk of being trapped by them or suffering a severe injury if you are smashed into a solid surface. If the kicking is a result of not liking the horse in the neighboring stall, there is a simple fix. Horses may kick at biting flies around their legs and belly, as I previously explained in this article. Discharge summaries, progress reports, and consultations were then searched for sex, age, and injury pattern using an automated search engine. The best known anaerobe is tetanus. It is also extremely possible to suffer from head injuries that can be fatal if the impact was extreme. If the kick hits a fleshy part of the body, such as the quarters, little, if any, swelling will be visible. A rider might encounter a loose dog while trail riding, or maybe the neighbors dogs run onto the horse owners property. The kick I described was my very first, and it was a huge kick, but I was fortunate to survive it. The causes behind this might vary depending on the situation. Many times, though, your horse will develop the habit of striking as a way to assert dominance over other horses or over you. Conversely, other softer bones, such as the ulna or tibia, may be broken far more easilynot to mention the knee joint! Striking occurs when your horse uses its front feet and legs to kick. This lets your horse know what you are doing and reminds them that it is you behind them and not a stranger or predator. Compare top pet insurance plans. A horse may also just be feeling a little feisty or excited, such as when you let them loose in a pasture, and they may kick as an expression of their excitement. Kjirsten and her OTTB, Gobain, compete in dressage and eventing. You might also suffer from concussions, which can in rare cases be deadly if the collision is severe. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. You can learn how to fall. When its merely hurting, youve been really fortunate. When kicking, a horse has the capacity to generate 8,722 Newtons of power, and it can apply an average of 2,000 pounds of pressure on the ground with each kick. You must always be on the lookout for your own behavior as well as the activities of others in order to keep yourself, your horse, and other people safe. Equines strike instinctively when their bodies get rigid as a result of the protection mechanism they have activated. The kick is one of your horses most powerful forms of communication. Some riders prefer to use riding crops to teach obedience to their charges rather than mild methods. Expect the wound to be quite deep the kick compresses all the tissues and punctures through to the deepest extent that the hoof reaches. Can a horse kick kill you? Strongest Kick: Zebra Kicks with About 3,000 Pounds of Force. Many barns have a resident greeter who comes to car doors, tail wagging and tongue lolling. This is based on the theory that if the horse kicks, it will feel the chain against its own legs, and likely be dissuaded from kicking out. Even though I know many horses that have never kicked at a person, they will not hesitate to take aim at a horse who comes up on their backside when out trail riding or competing in the show ring. Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates as well as get access to the FREE resource library! Rub the bruised area to help the subcutaneous bleeding reabsorb. Kicking chains is a method of dealing with kickers in general. Horse Training - What You Can Do With a Two or Three Year Old Horse, A Picture Guide to the Different Parts of a Horse, The Top Ten Beginner Horse Riding Mistakes, 10 Common Mistakes First-Time Horse Riders Make, The 12 Smallest Horse Breeds From Around the World. Others may feel their calf muscles, either along the outside or at the back, tired after a ride. However,, Having grown up around the racetracks of the U.S., I have always known that horses, Miniature Rottweiler Breed All You Need To Know. My passion for animals obviously did not stop there, though! Yellow Bird With Black Wings What Is It? He originated and managed the concept of the project, discussed key ideas with colleagues from different departments that were engaged, participated in data gathering, and prepared the report. As horse and dog owners, we value our animals as family members. It is also very easy to get kicked while being thrown or falling off of a horse. An otherwise healthy foal may be born to a mare before or after the scheduled delivery period. Horses may mimic behaviors if they see another horse rewarded for similar behavior. Now researchers have found that horses also can smell human emotions. Several cases of cardiac arrest have been documented in medical publications after receiving a kick to the chest. When interacting, it is preferable to use your hands. When a horse kicks down with their front hooves, they have the potential to crush your skull. At least in the western hemisphere, where horses were once regarded a work animal and the primary means of hauling big burdens, horses are now predominantly employed for recreational and sporting activity. Your reaction should be instant. They mount and thrust against other animals, people and objects, such as wadded-up blankets, dog beds and toys. The Emergency Medicine Journal owns the copyright for 2002. Emergency room professionals have likened the severity of a horse kick injury to that of being hit by a compact vehicle traveling at 20 miles per hour! Trespass is covered under tort law. Initiating and coordinating the formation of the study, Aristomenis Exadaktylos, the lead author and investigator, addressed the studys fundamental ideas with other departments participating in the study, participated in data gathering, and produced the article. How much pressure from a kick is required to cause injury to the various bodily parts of a human being? Some horses even kick while eating, and if you are in their stalls with them, you may find yourself getting kicked as a result of this behavior. Equines are a fearsome and watchful breed of animal. Humming and harping on anything for more than a minute is counterproductive. It is an offense to allow a pet dog to attack or trigger serious injury to a person or animals, or to behave in such a way that makes an individual stressed that it may attack them. Cold compresses are the most suitable. It is imperative to watch for the warning signs and stay safe when spending time around any horse. If they continue to feel threatened, they may shift their weight to one leg and lift the other in preparation for a kick. Some states also have laws about dogs running at large. Such laws are aimed at dogs that are allowed to roam unleashed, which can pose a hazard to the community. Horse owners with extensive experience employ a variety of strategies to quiet their horses. An further use of a horses capacity to kick has been demonstrated in the realm of farming, where a well-trained ranch horse can protect their rider from assault by enraged cattle when the rider must dismount to tend to an injured calf or treat an injured steer. The horse can also end up getting hurt. If your dog cannot be awakened, they could possibly be experiencing seizures during their sleep which is causing your dog to kick their legs and perform other random movements. Required fields are marked *. Some horses even kick while eating and if you are in their stalls with them, you could potentially get kicked in the process. Carriage Driver Trampled as Pit Bull Attacks Horse in Wild Video Crushing injuries to the human chest can occur when as little as 250 pounds of pressure is exerted over a sustained period of time to the chest cavity. When a horse is attacked by a wild coyote (or by a human who sneaks up on it), it will often kick straight back. "text": "It's vital to assess the damage and decide whether a doctor's needed. It has been more than three decades since horses place in society was fundamentally altered. Horses are able to throw strikes with greater power than any professional boxer because of their size and strength. The animal will do this in order to defend itself from more cruelty and abuse at the hands of its owners. When you consider that a horse kick may deliver up to 2,000 pounds of power, it is easy to see how it might cause your skull to collapse. A lot of equestrians will only use helmets when mounting but, head injuries are possible even when on the ground. In order to escape danger, the most basic explanation for why a horse would kick is to protect itself. Horses bite to defend themselves or to express irritation and impatience. Kick injuries are localised. Sometimes, kicks are accidental, such as when a horse kicks at a fly and the handler gets in the way. It was made up of 11 female patients (65% of the total) and six male patients (35%) (see table 1). Treat the bruising with pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory medications. Your response should be immediate. The jaw strength (masseter muscle) of a horse is about 500 psi (pounds per square inch) Humans are usually less than 200 psi, while a Pit Bull measures 235 psi (#3 dog breed in jaw strength). If the kicking is directed towards people, it is a highly hazardous and unpleasant behavior to have; Ive heard of horses who were purchased from questionable sources that arrived at their new home and revealed a severe kicking tendency. As a result, it is quite simple to be kicked while being thrown off a horse or falling off of it. There were 11 female patients (65% of the total) and six male patients (35% of the total) (see table 1). Horses kick dogs. Horses can kick hard enough to kill. Learn how to create a happy, healthy home for your pet. Unfortunately, every so often one of the animals injures the other, leaving their owners to sort out who is at fault and who should pay for any veterinary bills. It is imperative to watch for the warning signs and stay safe when spending time around any horse. How Hard the Horse Kicks. The best way to keep yourself and others safe around horses is to respect their boundaries and recognize potential triggers so that you can prevent dangerous accidents. However, other softer bones like an ulna or tibia may break much more easilynot to mention the knee! The damage that a horse can get as a result of a kick, on the other hand, make it one of the most dangerous actions that it can exhibit. These restraints will teach your horse that he is unable to kick. In order for your horse to be capable of accomplishing what you want, he must first comprehend what you want. ", Most horses that are used to being around people arent violent towards them, but even a horse that is used to people has the potential to kick if they feel threatened. Horses may defend themselves by kicking when they feel another horse is getting too close to its food, its foal, a special herd mate, or if another horse is acting aggressively towards it. Pet dogs that act precariously may be seized by the council pet dog warden, and their owners' prosecuted. Horses can strike out with their front or rear hooves, and they can strike out backwardand forwards with both. I've personally worked with hundreds of horses, founded an run a successful 501(c)3 and even run a program promoting adoption of wild burros in cooperation with the US Government. Customer: Hello, my dog got kicked by a horse on the head, no broken bones but it touched the eye. A kick has the potential to break bones and cause soft tissue injuries. A horse kick could easily kill a dog, and even a human. "mainEntity": [ The majority of the time, gentle petting on the neck and calming tones are effective. Once youve alleviated his discomfort, the kicking will almost always stop quickly after that. The majority of equestrians will only wear helmets when mounting their horses, however head injuries can occur even when riding on the ground. "@type": "Question", The fact that a horse kicks does not mean they are inherently aggressive, but if it is aimed towards someone or something, it does mean that they feel threatened.