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by Ditte Young
Updated on February 6, 2024
Estimated reading time: 6 minutesย
For a horse, kicking is a natural reaction to various situations. Not all kicking requires correction, but kicking while being handled, ridden, or driven can be very dangerous for you and your horse and other horses.
While kicking is often simply a reaction to being startled, it can also indicate more significant problems, such as training issues or, sometimes, even health problems. This makes it even more important to get to the root of your horseโs kicking so you can help your horse kick the habit โ no pun intended.
In this article, I will cover some common reasons why horses kick and what to do if your horse gets kicked by another horse. I will also walk you through how to stop a horse from kicking.
Horses kick for a variety of reasons. They sometimes kick for relatively harmless reasons, such as being annoyed by biting insects or if something like a prickly weed tickles their leg. Often, however, horses kick in response to how they are feeling.
Kicking is, at its most primal level, an automatic defensive response that horses in the wild use when frightened or threatened by predators.
A fear kick is usually preceded by moving away from the threat or trying to intimidate the threat by pinning the ears or raising a hind leg in preparation for a kick. If your horse kicks out of fear, I encourage you to find out what is causing your horse to feel anxious.
In my article, “How to calm a nervous horse“, you can read more about scared horses.โ
Not all kicking is a sign of something terrible. Similarly to bucking, sometimes horses kick because they feel excited and playful. Playful kicking typically occurs when the horse is frolicking in the pasture. This behavior isnโt necessarily something you must correct โ as long as it doesnโt endanger you or any other horses.
You might also be interested in: โHow to stop a horse from rearing.โ
Horses sometimes kick out of pain or discomfort. For example, kicking at the belly is a clinical sign of gut pain. If the horse has a sore back, it might also โcow kickโ when the saddle is placed on its back or the girth is tightened.
Read more: โHow to tell if your horse is in pain.โ
Some horses are quick to kick when frustrated โ e.g., if they think youโre taking too long unloading them from the trailer when you arrive at your destination. A frustration kick is typically accompanied by head flipping, pinned ears, lunging forward, or sometimes even rearing slightly.
You might also be interested in: โHow to stop a horse from cribbing.โ
Most horses become agitated if another horse comes too close to their rear ends. If a horse kicks while ridden, itโs often a reaction to this. This response is dangerous, however, and even if a kick seems justified, itโs important not to let a kick under the saddle go without correction.
In the wild, horses kick as a last resort to enforce the herd hierarchy. However, kicking to assert dominance over a human handler is a problem โ and itโs often a sign of more significant training issues that have taught the horse that intimidation is the best way to deal with handlers.
You might also be interested in: โHow to stop a horse from biting.โ
As I mentioned above, horses sometimes kick each other. Just like when they kick their handlers, this can lead to injuries that require treatment.
Assess the damage: Some injuries are more serious than others. If your horse seems to be in pain, is bleeding heavily, or displaying signs of shock โ such as elevated heart rate and low temperature โ you should contact your veterinarian immediately.
Clean the wound: If the kick breaks the skin, your horse might have a puncture wound or other external damage. Even if it appears minor, the wound can still harbor pockets of bacteria beneath the skin. Clean the wound thoroughly with cold water and flush it with a mild antiseptic solution twice daily. Monitor the wound carefully for signs of infection โ e.g., heat, discharge, and odor. If you see any of these signs, contact your veterinarian.
Treat for tissue damage: Not all kicks break the skin. Even without an open wound, however, your horse is still likely to have sustained deep tissue damage from being kicked. To reduce swelling, apply cold water to the injury and monitor the affected area. If you notice a large, fluid-filled hematoma developing, you can contact your veterinarian.
Massage the site: If your horse has no open wound, you can treat soreness and bruising around the site by massaging the area gently with a cooling liniment such as acetic clay. This can reduce swelling and encourage circulation, helping speed up recovery.
If your horse is a habitual kicker, there are a few things you can do. First, you should take preventative measures to avoid harm from you, your horse, or other people and horses around you.
Handling a horse that kicks requires caution. Inform anyone working with your horse that your horse has a habit of kicking, and make sure that everyone working with or near your horse stays out of range of the horseโs hind legs.
If youโre out in public, tie a red ribbon to your horseโs tail to warn others that your horse is a kicker. When riding with others, ride at the back of the group. If youโre at a horse show, a fair, or a similar event, position your horse far away from other horses and foot traffic.
Some handlers use kicking chains โ a short length of chain strapped to the horseโs hind legs with a soft cuff. If the horse kicks, it will feel the chain rattle against its legs and be dissuaded from kicking.
Before kicking, most horses will warn you with their body language. If you know what to look out for, you can prepare and possibly prevent the kick before it happens.
Observe your horse’s ear, head, and body posture before a kick. When youโve learned to recognize the pattern, be on the lookout for it. This will allow you to get yourself and others out of the way before the kick happens. When you notice the signs, give your horse something else to consider โ this can help stop your horse from kicking.
If you have a sensitive horse, your horse may scare easily, which can often lead to kicking. You can help your horse stop kicking by desensitizing the horse.
Pay attention to what is causing your horse to kick. If a particular object frightens your horse, work slowly and gradually to get your horse accustomed to that object. For example, if your horse kicks while saddled, take it slow and be calm and gentle about the process every time you saddle it.
You can read more about sensitive horses here: โWhat personality type is my horse?โ
As mentioned above, horses kick for a lot of different reasons. You may be able to identify the reason your horse is kicking based on the situation. But more often than not, the best way to understand the reasons behind your horseโs reactions and behaviors is to learn to understand what your horse is trying to tell you. A horse whisperer can help you do just that.
With the help of a professional horse whisperer such as myself, you can learn how to ask your horse what is wrong, listen to what your horse is trying to tell you, and get to the root of why your horse is kicking. Not only will this help you prevent accidents and injuries โ it will also help you strengthen the bond between you and your horse.
You might also be interested in: โ8ย signs that horse trusts you.โ
I, Ditte Young, have been a spiritual coach, therapist, and clairvoyant for 25 years. I am the author of three books about animal communication and am known as the most recognized animal communicator and horse whisperer in Europe. Iโve made various online animal communicator courses for those interested in learning more.
In my online course, โHorse Personality Types,โ I will help you get to know your horseโs personality profile and gain a new, more profound understanding of how your horse understands you, responds to you, and reads your signals. This will help you know precisely what your horse is telling you and how you can stop your horse from kicking. All my online animal communicator courses about horses will help you understand your horse better and develop the relationship between you.
Want to learn behavior techniques applicable to horses from Europeโs most recognized horse communicator? Now is your chance.
You can now participate in Animal Telepathy Mastery from anywhere in the world.
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