Terrible Horse Accident / Kicking
Posted by johnny Silveira at 6/21/2007 6:59 PM 
Categories: Riding, Barn Animals, farriers, Equestrian, shoeing, Lameness, Horses
Categories: Riding, Barn Animals, farriers, Equestrian, shoeing, Lameness, Horses
I have to make this entry as i have a strong opinion about these things.
i got word two days ago a new client of mine with 9 horses got kicked. The woman i'm talking about was very nice but the kick is severe and life threatening.
She got double barrell'd by a big paint horse , her own horse. WOW !
She's in the hospital with all the ribs on one side broken and hardly breathing cause of the pain. The doctors have told her that not breathing is how people contract Pneumonia and end up dying. Ruptured organs like the liver have happened as well.
When this type of thing happens i hope it serves as a heads up to all people who own and deal with horses that these animals are "Not" to be toyed with . Proper handling is a must .
I have strong convictions when it comes to horses as i ( as a farrier ) have been kicked more times than i would have liked as well and it's in no way a joking matter. I've knows Farriers who have been kicked in the head and i've known people who have died by horse kicks , i've known people who the horse ran up on and grabbed the person by the neck in the horses mouth and shook the woman like a rag doll and broke her neck on the spot.
Hearing of this event compels me to make comment.
Horse handling and horsemanship skills are necessary and paramount.
#1. Horses are "Herd Animals" and as such are always working with the PECKING ORDER instincts. They either "FIGHT" their way up the pecking order or they surrender meekly and fall all the way to the end of the order. It's their instinct. It's the Dominate horses at the top and progressively weaker falling behind . This Domination and pecking order instinct is invariably exercised upon us to varying degrees while we handle our horses. If we the horse handlers "DO NOT" exercise authority over these wonderful animals they will want to take charge and call all the shots.
#2. There is "No" replacement for us establishing ourselves as the HERD LEADER when it comes to handling our horses. If we do not take the "Alpha" position as herd leader the horses will want to push us around just as they do between themselves out in the pastures kicking and biting and competing with each other. Establishing ourselves as the dominant one is indespensible and necessary.
#3. Establishing this position of dominance over our horses is "Not a One Time Event". This is something we must do regularly and on a repeated basis. If we do not keep reminding horses we are in charge frequently enough the horses will think we're loosing our Dominant status and will actually try to push us around .
Now i'm not saying you need to beat your horse up but what i "AM" saying is sometimes for "NO" reason other than as a reminder we need to just take charge of these horses - "Just as a reminder to them" - EVEN if the horse is being "Perfectly Behaved". If we wait to take charge over these animals "Only" when and "After" they have done something wrong - well - "It's Too late"... How are you going to take charge of the animal when it's kicked you and broken all your ribs and you're lying on the ground probably bleeding from your rib cage. YOU'RE NOT !!! and you WAITED TOO LONG to take charge.
I haven't known this new client of mine who just got kicked for very long . I only trimmed her 8 horses Once ! and was called back several weeks later to shoe another . But from the first day i noticed she is the "Soft touch" type who has a problem stepping in and diciplining horses for improper behaviors. Several of her horses were nearly completely unruly and out of control ( and they're small horses ) easy enough to handle .
There's two types of people in the horse world - those who don't understand the value of dicipline and reprimands and those that do . There's two types of people - those that are nearly afraid to administer reprimands and continually hesitate to do so and when they do administer the reprimand it's half hearted and weak - and there are those the go into the reprimand fully with conviction. I'm here to tell you the later method is what works. I'm sorry to have to say had this woman known how to handle her own horses the chance of this ever happening to her would have nearly 99.9/10ths percent been removed.
This is one of those sad truths and i'll suggest to you people who do not know the value of this lesson and understand the principles of horsemanship are predominantly the ones that get hurt from bites kicks bucking and all the other resources horses use to gain dominance over us - including the horse Scraping us off their backs by running us against a tree or barb wire fence.
This woman's life is being threatened - she MAY DIE - from a horse kick !
There is a lesson to be learned here . The "Constant" babying and soft handling of horses by people who do not have a firm hand or firm concept of horse handling is simply not good horsemanship and could cost you your life one day. Don't let that happen.
OHHHH ISN'T SHE JUST THE SWEATEST THING and ohhhh she's my baby on and on and on is going to set you up for a accident . You can Never take for granted the power of these wonderful animals. You can "Never" take the mind set of " OH She would never kick me -she's too sweet " ....
I'm here to tell you ---------
Don't you believe it ! your very LIFE could be at stake of learning this valuable lesson ..
With that said i'd like to say again to you all "Happy and Safe Riding and remember to " www.Care4Horses.com
Best wishes as always
john silveira
i got word two days ago a new client of mine with 9 horses got kicked. The woman i'm talking about was very nice but the kick is severe and life threatening.
She got double barrell'd by a big paint horse , her own horse. WOW !
She's in the hospital with all the ribs on one side broken and hardly breathing cause of the pain. The doctors have told her that not breathing is how people contract Pneumonia and end up dying. Ruptured organs like the liver have happened as well.
When this type of thing happens i hope it serves as a heads up to all people who own and deal with horses that these animals are "Not" to be toyed with . Proper handling is a must .
I have strong convictions when it comes to horses as i ( as a farrier ) have been kicked more times than i would have liked as well and it's in no way a joking matter. I've knows Farriers who have been kicked in the head and i've known people who have died by horse kicks , i've known people who the horse ran up on and grabbed the person by the neck in the horses mouth and shook the woman like a rag doll and broke her neck on the spot.
Hearing of this event compels me to make comment.
Horse handling and horsemanship skills are necessary and paramount.
#1. Horses are "Herd Animals" and as such are always working with the PECKING ORDER instincts. They either "FIGHT" their way up the pecking order or they surrender meekly and fall all the way to the end of the order. It's their instinct. It's the Dominate horses at the top and progressively weaker falling behind . This Domination and pecking order instinct is invariably exercised upon us to varying degrees while we handle our horses. If we the horse handlers "DO NOT" exercise authority over these wonderful animals they will want to take charge and call all the shots.
#2. There is "No" replacement for us establishing ourselves as the HERD LEADER when it comes to handling our horses. If we do not take the "Alpha" position as herd leader the horses will want to push us around just as they do between themselves out in the pastures kicking and biting and competing with each other. Establishing ourselves as the dominant one is indespensible and necessary.
#3. Establishing this position of dominance over our horses is "Not a One Time Event". This is something we must do regularly and on a repeated basis. If we do not keep reminding horses we are in charge frequently enough the horses will think we're loosing our Dominant status and will actually try to push us around .
Now i'm not saying you need to beat your horse up but what i "AM" saying is sometimes for "NO" reason other than as a reminder we need to just take charge of these horses - "Just as a reminder to them" - EVEN if the horse is being "Perfectly Behaved". If we wait to take charge over these animals "Only" when and "After" they have done something wrong - well - "It's Too late"... How are you going to take charge of the animal when it's kicked you and broken all your ribs and you're lying on the ground probably bleeding from your rib cage. YOU'RE NOT !!! and you WAITED TOO LONG to take charge.
I haven't known this new client of mine who just got kicked for very long . I only trimmed her 8 horses Once ! and was called back several weeks later to shoe another . But from the first day i noticed she is the "Soft touch" type who has a problem stepping in and diciplining horses for improper behaviors. Several of her horses were nearly completely unruly and out of control ( and they're small horses ) easy enough to handle .
There's two types of people in the horse world - those who don't understand the value of dicipline and reprimands and those that do . There's two types of people - those that are nearly afraid to administer reprimands and continually hesitate to do so and when they do administer the reprimand it's half hearted and weak - and there are those the go into the reprimand fully with conviction. I'm here to tell you the later method is what works. I'm sorry to have to say had this woman known how to handle her own horses the chance of this ever happening to her would have nearly 99.9/10ths percent been removed.
This is one of those sad truths and i'll suggest to you people who do not know the value of this lesson and understand the principles of horsemanship are predominantly the ones that get hurt from bites kicks bucking and all the other resources horses use to gain dominance over us - including the horse Scraping us off their backs by running us against a tree or barb wire fence.
This woman's life is being threatened - she MAY DIE - from a horse kick !
There is a lesson to be learned here . The "Constant" babying and soft handling of horses by people who do not have a firm hand or firm concept of horse handling is simply not good horsemanship and could cost you your life one day. Don't let that happen.
OHHHH ISN'T SHE JUST THE SWEATEST THING and ohhhh she's my baby on and on and on is going to set you up for a accident . You can Never take for granted the power of these wonderful animals. You can "Never" take the mind set of " OH She would never kick me -she's too sweet " ....
I'm here to tell you ---------
Don't you believe it ! your very LIFE could be at stake of learning this valuable lesson ..
With that said i'd like to say again to you all "Happy and Safe Riding and remember to " www.Care4Horses.com
Best wishes as always
john silveira
Wow! This is very sobering. I am particularly grateful for this blog. I am relatively new around horses. I got kicked by a lesson horse, and knew it was a serious breach. But now I will definitely work harder on being the Alpha around horses. You have driven the point home very well, and thank you, because I needed this. It just may save my life. And I'll pass it on to a friend.
You're very welcome Norma . It's a little bit tough love and i'll be having a few more articles along this line coming very soon. When horses aren't trained and their issues aren't dealt with they become dangerous. Flipping over backwards in trailers and landing on someone all these types of issues need to be considered and thought about . Horses are much to powerful and large to not take seriously.
From My point of view also since i shoe horses many times i have to deal with these bad behaviors in horses and my safety and well being becomes at risk. Horses Stomping while i'm shoeing with nails sticking out their feet are very dangerous - just the other day i had that happen and the nail drove into my shoe and i was hung up on the horse as it was dancing around. That day the stars were in my favor i managed to come out of that one without a nick or a drop of blood - can't say i've been that lucky in the past.
Yes this is very serious stuff we deal with on all accounts when it comes to horses. I love em none the same . it's just sometimes i find myself cursing a bit under my breath when i have a problem horse when i know the behaviors can be traced back to the owner not cleaning up the horses act ... Bending over horses and shoeing is hard enough without having to deal with horses sitting on me or dancing while i'm under them or jerking their legs just out of onryness.
Too many times i see horse owners and handlers when somethings going wrong - either the horse is not standing still or something of that nature they look for something like "oh the ground's not level - or did i pick up his foot wrong - or this or that -------------> Excuse me !!!! NO ! usually it's just the case of bad manners and spoiling the horse. If i have to pander to the horse to always keep it absolutely as comfortable as "IT" wants to be in order to handle it - well - we're going back to the "WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE ANYWAY ISSUE".
Well - more on these things later...
thanks for comment it's appreciated and well taken.
take care and happy and safe riding
john
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good news
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