# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/61 "2010-03-16T15:20:09Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > No way. The horse pins its ears and “snakes” its neck in warning just before going in for the check. Also, very carefully does not step on the child. Horses, do not just “fall down” for no reason, barring neurological problems, in which case the horse would have just gone down and squashed the girl flat. (I promise you, if you have never seen a horse collapse, you never want to - it is scary). This horse is never unbalanced and stumbling. It’s absolutely a calculated act. He didn’t fall down all the way. He slipped in the mud. If the horse wanted to attack the girl, he’da kicked her, not body checked her sideways. I’ve never seen a horse do that as a defensive measure. Has anyone else? And if the horse isnt’ falling, how do you explain the slipping foot? And does the horse lowering his body without bending his knees look natural to you? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/62 "2010-03-16T15:30:34Z")
It doesn’t look like there’s any mud–it looks quite dry and dusty. Anyway, the horse looks like it deliberately runs in the girl’s direction as it does the body check. It’s not like it’s just walking and it slips. That was a pretty quick movement. ---
**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 16, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/63 "2010-03-16T15:37:09Z")
Also, if the horse intended to get away from the other horse, or to continue its slow-motion flight from the little girl, it would have been easier and more natural to just bolt forward rather than running sideways. And that shoulder was dropping well before the pastern knuckled under. Frankly, I give the horse credit for keeping its body under control so well that it didn’t either fall on the kid or stomp her in the scramble as it got back upright. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/64 "2010-03-16T16:06:35Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Also, if the horse intended to get away from the other horse, or to continue its slow-motion flight from the little girl, it would have been easier and more natural to just bolt forward rather than running sideways. Well, yeah. But that’s _my_ point. If the horse wanted to attack, it would have bitten or kicked. If the horse wanted to get away, it would have run. It wouldn’t have shoulder-charged the girl because _horses don’t do that_. I disagree that the shoulder drops earlier than the foot slipping, and you still haven’t explained why the horse’s leg slips out from under it as it steps sideways. It doesn’t “push off”, it just slips. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/65 "2010-03-16T16:11:32Z")
It looks like an accident to me, but chalk up one other reason not to leave a child in a middle of a field full of horses. ---
**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 16, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/66 "2010-03-16T16:26:38Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Well, yeah. But that’s _my_ point. If the horse wanted to attack, it would have bitten or kicked. If the horse wanted to get away, it would have run. It wouldn’t have shoulder-charged the girl because _horses don’t do that_. As others who know horses have pointed out in this thread, the horse was neither attacking nor fleeing. It was disciplining a misbehaving juvenile. The intention wasn’t to harm; it was to deliver a message. And the foot knuckling under comes after a good three steps sideways. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/67 "2010-03-16T16:40:23Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Well, dang. I don’t think we have to blame Grandpa, do we? Sometimes accidents just happen. I hadn’t wanted to say, but alcohol was involved, so yeah, our side of the family is putting the blame on the passed-out grandpa. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/68 "2010-03-16T16:49:42Z")
That was absolutely deliberate. Horses don’t “accidentally” walk sideways into something like that one does. He was actually astoundingly careful. Horses DO “do that”. They will also body-check and/or lean & squash you into a wall/fence/another horse, if they’re either poorly mannered or extremely annoyed. The child is incredibly lucky she didn’t get kicked to blue yonder. The parents (or whoever had that camera) should be strung up. ---
**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 16, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/69 "2010-03-16T17:48:09Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > \ > > So, yeah, horses knocking kids around, yuk yuk. > \ I don’t think it’s funny at all; the usual outcome when an animal hurts a child is for the animal to be killed, and I truly hate that (since it’s usually if not always some adults’ fault, but the animal gets the blame because it’s “just” an animal). ---
**Author:** ![dragoncat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@dragoncat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragoncat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/70 "2010-03-16T17:49:25Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > The real warning sign was the kid tormenting the horse. I didn’t think the child was tormenting the horse – as others have mentioned the child was too young to be quite aware of the situation. The girl probably wanted to “play” with the horse, but the horse was not interested, did not like children or didn’t want to spend time with that one right then. The most striking thing to me about the video was the level of restraint shown by the horse. I don’t know much about horses but in my experience they’re pretty shy and skittish, particularly when approached from behind repeatedly. This horse seemed extremely well trained to me. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/71 "2010-03-16T20:07:38Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > It’s like we’re not even watching the same video here. > > The horse didn’t attack the girl. > > It fell down. At 1:52, the still horse moves suddenly. Precious tries to sidestep this. At 1:53, you can see the front left (our right) foot slip sideways. The rest is the horse recovering its balance. > > This says nothing about the intelligence of the parent or the girl, but the horse certainly didn’t “attack”. Anyone with an understanding of equine behavior and body language can see that this was a deliberate action of the part of the horse. I’ve seen horses do this to each other a hundred times. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/72 "2010-03-16T20:26:55Z")
> [@dragoncat](#): > > I didn’t think the child was tormenting the horse – as others have mentioned the child was too young to be quite aware of the situation. Depends on whose point of view you are referencing. The child most certainly didn’t think she was tormenting the horse. The horse might have felt differently. I wonder if I can pull that move on nieces and nephews at family gatherings? They seem to have a knack for finding the uncle who least wants to be bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/73 "2010-03-16T21:38:01Z")
I’m a city slicker by all standards, but I thought it was comon sense not to stand behind a horse. Let alone let a child harass one. The kid and especially her care takers are lucky the kid isn’t dead. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/74 "2010-03-16T21:51:46Z")
I understand about not walking up directly behind a horse; it’s typical prey animal behavior. But IIRC you’re supposed to mount a horse from its left side, never its right. Why is that? ---
**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 16, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/75 "2010-03-16T22:01:11Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > I understand about not walking up directly behind a horse; it’s typical prey animal behavior. But IIRC you’re supposed to mount a horse from its left side, never its right. Why is that? Well, now, [funny you should ask…](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2123/why-are-horses-traditionally-mounted-from-the-left-side)😉 I should in all honesty point out that the delightfully snarky first paragraph was added by Ed Zotti; but the bulk of the article is, yes, my very own. ---
**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 16, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/76 "2010-03-16T22:47:49Z")
> [@RalfCoder](#): > > 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. And if you go around behind, as was already mentioned, stay close. I make a point of keeping a hand on the rump and pressing my hip against the hindquarters. That way if the horse does kick, he can’t get any momentum. And, just for the record, horses can “cow kick” (kicking out sideways with a hind leg). They don’t have nearly the range or power that a full-on back kick has, but it’s enough to raise a heckuva bruise. And, just to be complete, they can nail you with a front hoof, too. I was in a wild horse race where our horse reared up and lashed out with a front foot. Nailed one of my partners in the forehead and gave him a concussion. All that said, the kicks are pretty rare, but we need to remember that horses are large, powerful animals that are easily spooked. > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > It’s like we’re not even watching the same video here. > > The horse didn’t attack the girl. I respectfully disagree. I own horses, and I’ve watched them fall. At the time he started sideways, he was moving almost straight ahead, and he telegraphed the action with his ears and neck. I’ve also watched dominance displays where horses body check each other. I’ve had one do that to me, although not nearly that hard. He made me stumble back, so I moved in close and pressed my knuckles in behind his ribs until I made _him_ step away. Whoever forces the other to take a step is higher in the pecking order. > [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > IIRC you’re supposed to mount a horse from its left side, never its right. Why is that? The question was well answered by **EddyTeddyFreddy**. I’d point out, though, that people who train trail horses don’t follow that rule. Any good trail horse (or cowhorse) will be trained to accept riders mounting from either side, because there are times out on the trail when you can’t get to the left side safely. ---
**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 16, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/77 "2010-03-16T22:53:23Z")
It actually makes sense to train any and every horse to be mounted from both sides, when you stop and think about it. Not that it’s done, of course; but it really should be. I must say, though, the few times I’ve tried mounting from the off side felt utterly WRONG and I was quite awkward at it, even from a mounting block with a well-behaved horse. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/78 "2010-03-17T00:14:49Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > I understand about not walking up directly behind a horse; it’s typical prey animal behavior. But IIRC you’re supposed to mount a horse from its left side, never its right. Why is that? Majority of horses are right handed ? ---
**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 17, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/79 "2010-03-17T00:43:39Z")
Heh. As it happens, horses indeed are right or left sided; that is to say, they usually are more flexible bending in one direction than the other, which affects how they respond under saddle. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425/80 "2010-03-17T15:28:40Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > It actually makes sense to train any and every horse to be mounted from both sides, when you stop and think about it. Not that it’s done, of course; but it really should be. > > I must say, though, the few times I’ve tried mounting from the off side felt utterly WRONG and I was quite awkward at it, even from a mounting block with a well-behaved horse. It would make sense, but the fact remains that I still have trouble mounting even a bicycle from the right. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-child-harasses-large-horse-horse-carefully-does-not-kill-her/532425.md?page=5)