# Small child harasses large horse; horse carefully does not kill her **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 14, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425 "2010-03-14T05:17:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/21 "2010-03-14T17:07:05Z")
Another clueless kid and a horse. It’s not a good idea slapping something that out weighs you by 900 lbs. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqYF6UeHy3g) Amazing that the horse didn’t actually bite her. He did get a good grip on her hair. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/22 "2010-03-14T17:16:36Z")
900 pounds? Looks like a draft horse; more like 1500 pounds, I’d guess. There’s another video linked on that page, of a horse in a full-on rage attack on a human. Very small horse; decent-sized guy (who the caption tells us had been abusing the horse), and the little mare knocks him about like a ragdoll. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/23 "2010-03-14T17:33:15Z")
> [@Roland\_Orzabal](#): > > Ahem. I believe you mean “pwni3d”. /thread ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/24 "2010-03-14T17:55:05Z")
With kids and large animals, it is always hard to tell how they will interact. Not growing up on a farm, I would of course always err on the side of caution, and keep them apart. Reminds me of an incident that occurred many years ago - I was into shooting off model rockets, only my dad’s cottage was no good for this - covered in trees - so I went and asked permission from a neigbouring farmer (who had a huge open field). He said yes, though he was too busy to watch; could his six year old son watch? Of course. So we set off some rockets which was lots of fun, sending them higher and higher with more powerful engines, until finally the last one caught a breeze and drifted _really_ far - finally landing in a fenced enclosure full of bulls. I walked to the fence: it was obvious that the bulls did not like me. One put his head down and snorted at me in an angry way. He looked to weigh about two tons. How to get the rocket back? I said something like ‘I’ll go get your dad’, and started walking to the farmhouse; the kid says ‘oh, no need for that’ and before I knew it he’d slipped under the fence any was yelling “hyah!” at the bulls. They all ran from him and cowered at the other end of the enclosure; he walked, calm as you like, and picked up the rocket as I nervously ran after him. Me, I was pretty certain that if I’d tried a stunt like that, the bulls would have trampled me flat; but maybe putting a bold face on it would work? Never having been around bulls in my life, I’ve no way of knowing. The kid claimed he worked with the bulls all the time, and knew how to handle 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/25 "2010-03-14T18:26:54Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Me, I was pretty certain that if I’d tried a stunt like that, the bulls would have trampled me flat; but maybe putting a bold face on it would work? Never having been around bulls in my life, I’ve no way of knowing. The kid claimed he worked with the bulls all the time, and knew how to handle 'em. Cows are generally easily intimidated, but bulls tend to be a bit more assertive. I’ve never had a bad experience with them, but when I was about 10 a friend’s farm had a big bull that was clearly dangerous to piss off and we certainly didn’t try and get in his stall. I’ve also heard that some of the wild cows that are in a local nature reserve tend to get fed sweets and stuff by the (amazingly naive) visitors. Those beasts are big. A female is as least as big as a big dairy bull, and if they hear anything that sounds like a candy wrapper they’ll expect a treat and they’re not exactly shy about getting it. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/26 "2010-03-14T18:29:22Z")
Ha! Check out your typical horse who hears a peppermint being unwrapped! Ears pricked, eyes alight, noses snuffling as they zero in on the peppermint-bearing human. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/27 "2010-03-14T18:55:28Z")
Hubby tells a story from when he was a boy. He grew up on a dairy farm; his daddy always kept one bull. One day the bull got out and went wandering down the road to a neighbor’s farm. The neighbor called and demanded that someone come get the bull. Hubby protested that his Dad wasn’t at home, there was nobody there but him (he was about 10 years old). The neighbor got belligerent and threatened to “turn him aloose” so … Hubby grabbed his cow stick and hopped on his bicycle. He went to the neighbor’s and herded the bull back home - on his bike. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/28 "2010-03-14T19:32:01Z")
Regarding the video in the OP: That’s quite a horse. My gelding would have kicked the kid. The parents were flat-out irresponsible letting the child harass a thousand-pound animal like that. Regarding the bulls: Cattle and horses are herd animals. If you work with them, you become a part of the herd. If you know what you’re doing (and want to be safe), you become the herd leader. That doesn’t mean you’ll never be challenged or attacked, but they will show deference to you. An unknown person, not part of their herd, will be challenged. Probably not by a young cow, but by a bull or a cow protecting a calf. It can take weeks of working with a bull before he starts showing you deference. Some never will–and they belong either in a rodeo or someone’s freezer, because they’re too dangerous to keep with the other cattle. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/29 "2010-03-14T19:44:50Z")
To the OP link: Yup, looks like the horse is carefully administrating a warning. I have no experience with cows or bulls, but I learned from my grandparents first thing upon seeing my first horse that you never go anywhere near a horse’s rear and you never do anything to surprise them. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/30 "2010-03-14T20:33:33Z")
My horse Holly was generally gentle with children. She knew they come equipped with treats and would _carefully_ sniff a child up and down in hopes of a score. She didn’t bite or push or get too close, just extend her neck down and render a thorough, hopeful, sniffing. However, she had an alpha personality and did not tolerate rude treatment. Her previous owner, told me that on one occaison a girl about 12 – certainly old enough to know better – lost her temper and was yanking on her reins, to punish Holly by making the bit hurt her mouth. (a stupid, cruel, and ineffective act). When the girl turned her back, Holly picked her up by the collar with her teeth and shook her. A lesson I am sure the girl never forgot. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/31 "2010-03-14T20:38:25Z")
It often occurs to me how amazing it is that more people don’t get trampled, bitten, kicked, or otherwise dealt harshly with by horses, given how often horses are abused, mistreated, or simply handled cluelessly, and how big and powerful they are. They are, on the whole, an astoundingly forgiving species. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/32 "2010-03-14T21:22:13Z")
That reminds me of this recent video from lolcats - [horse plays with cats.](http://www.viddler.com/explore/cheezburger/videos/355/50.817/) The horse could obviously kill the cats with almost no effort, but they all seem to be enjoying the play. I’m not a horse person, but even I could see the horse in the OP video was eager to be left alone. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/33 "2010-03-14T21:32:20Z")
Was the little girl saying “Precious” to the horse or “press start” to the person with the video camera? I couldn’t tell, I thought maybe she’d asked to be videoed giving whatever that was in her hand (a pretzel stick?) to the horse. In any case, a rampant case of parental negligence, and a very good horse. No one in that family of stupids will ever do something so blatantly dumb again. I hope. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/34 "2010-03-14T21:46:47Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > **rhubarbarin** , I do feel for the kid. But if the adults aren’t going to teach her to respect the horse, but the _horse_ can without harming her…then go horse. Perhaps she will now know better than the adults who damn well should about bugging the horses. I think everyone learned a valuable lesson here! What’s important is that the kid wasn’t (seriously) hurt. Don’t get me wrong, I feel bad for the horse too! His reaction was totally appropriate and like PPs have said, remarkably gentle. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/35 "2010-03-15T16:55:23Z")
After watching the vid a second (and third, and fourth, Go Horse!) time, it’s obvious that the horse gave _multiple_ “LEAVE ME ALONE!!” warnings, this comment on the YouTube comment list sums up the warnings given; > [@](#): > > GitaYasu (2 days ago) > At 0:09 the horse and girl are first shown in action. I saw the first clear warning from the horse at 0:11. At 0:16 another warning with the ears. At 0:20 he swings his butt at her… BIG WARNING there, get the kid out NOW. Then the horse tries to remove himself, gets chased, so he tries to remove himself AGAIN and gets chased again. Then he tells her to go away in a much louder voice. Horse gave ample warning and I though this was going to be a nasty kick, not just a knock down. As GitaYasu posted, at the :20 mark, when the horse’s rear end was pointed _DIRECTLY_ at the brat, I was expecting (and dreading the resultant outcome/damage) the horse to kick at “Pwecious”(the little brat) ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/36 "2010-03-15T17:50:09Z")
It’s been a LONG time since we owned horses - like over 40 years. But one of the first things I was taught, and still remember, was to NOT walk up behind one. If you had to walk around it, go around the front, or give it lots of room, or at least talk to the horse, and keep a hand on its rump so that it knew you were there. IMHO, this kid was in the wrong. She probably didn’t know it, of course. At 4, some kids have problems remembering to do more than breathe regularly. The horse gave several warnings, and when they didn’t work, gave a more blatant warning. Hopefully, someone won’t see this as a sign that the animal is rogue and antisocial and needs to be put down. Unless, of course, they can tie any punishment inflicted on the horse to the person who was supposed to be supervising the kid. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/37 "2010-03-15T18:08:57Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > Was the little girl saying “Precious” to the horse or “press start” to the person with the video camera? I couldn’t tell, I thought maybe she’d asked to be videoed giving whatever that was in her hand (a pretzel stick?) to the horse. In any case, a rampant case of parental negligence, and a very good horse. No one in that family of stupids will ever do something so blatantly dumb again. > > I hope. I thought she was saying “Precious, stop!”. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/38 "2010-03-15T18:24:43Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > However, she had an alpha personality and did not tolerate rude treatment. Her previous owner, told me that on one occaison a girl about 12 – certainly old enough to know better – lost her temper and was yanking on her reins, to punish Holly by making the bit hurt her mouth. (a stupid, cruel, and ineffective act). When the girl turned her back, Holly picked her up by the collar with her teeth and shook her. A lesson I am sure the girl never forgot. Heh. Not questioning this story, exactly - but I’m always a little skeptical about whether anecdotes like this one haven’t grown in the telling. As I understand it, a horse looking straight ahead can’t even _see_ the human on its back. In this case, it seems like the horse made the connection between the pain in its jaw and the (hard-to-see) human on its back, and then _formulated a plan_ to enact a proportionate response as opposed to a panic reaction. Moreover, a proportionate response that would have been difficult to pull off correctly - easy enough to accidentally bite flesh, or miss the human entirely. That seems like awfully sophisticated thinking. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/39 "2010-03-15T18:37:41Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > As I understand it, a horse looking straight ahead can’t even _see_ the human on its back. When I read this I got the mental image that the human was standing on the ground in front of the horse. When the human turned around, the horse grabbed the collar. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/40 "2010-03-15T18:50:20Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I think everyone learned a valuable lesson here! What’s important is that the kid wasn’t (seriously) hurt. > \ That’s funny - for me, what was important here was that a horse wasn’t put down for behaving like a horse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425.md?page=3)