Horse Kicks: Reading the Warning Before It Happens

Kicking is normal horse behaviour. In the herd it sets a boundary, moves a pushy horse away or defends against a predator. The problem starts when that boundary is aimed at a human, because we do not have the speed or the body to survive it without damage.

The most important skill is reading the warning. Before the strike the horse almost always lifts or clamps the tail, tightens the hindquarters, turns his rear towards you, pins an ear or shifts weight onto the forehand. People who learn to see this are almost never hit.

There are usually three causes. The first is pain: a sore back, joints, the sacroiliac area, or discomfort when the hind legs are handled. The second is fear, especially when you approach through his blind spot or when he is shut in a stable with no way out. The third is learned behaviour, when kicking once made a human go away and it worked.

In K3P work the solution is moving the hindquarters. A horse who steps his hind legs sideways on a calm request cannot kick at the same time. That single exercise, taught well, resolves most cases because it gives control without conflict.

Safety first. Use a long enough rope, stand at the shoulder, never directly behind the horse, and never enter a space with no exit. If the horse is already seriously dangerous, do not sort it out alone.

The goal is not a horse who does not dare to kick, but a horse who has no reason to.