worst kick you ever got

[Petra]

Reading MyMia's post I got thinking...
What is the worst kick you ever got from a horse. Feel free to write your story. Share pictures if you wish...

I only got kicked once...I was 13 volunteering in a racehorse barn.
Several kids used to do this. We weren't allowed to do much with horses, just muck the stalls or brush them. Only few times I was actually allowed to lead the horses.
They had this beautiful black stallion that nobody wanted to tend to because he was "mean" or so they said. He was always nice to me. I’ve seen him trying to bite – he’d stick his head out through the bars if he could reach people, but he never once offered to bite me.
One day they allowed us to take the horses out of the barn to hand graze them. I don't remember details, I think the BO wasn't there that day and whoever was in charge allowed me to take out the stallion. I have been there only a short time and knew absolutely nothing about the different behavior stallion may have.
So we walked on to this grassy patch out of the barn and of course as soon as he noticed mares running in the turn out and calling to him he went nuts.
I was scared I’d get in trouble if he gets away so I didn't let go of the lead rope. I got kicked in a chest with his back hoof. It sent me flying about 6 feet before I hit the ground...still holding on to the lead rope. Miraculously he stopped his fit and I managed to hold on to him. I got up from the ground not being able to take a breath since he knocked the wind out of me. There were other kids close by (Luckily no adults so we managed to keep it a secret). Once I was able to talk again I was trying to get someone hold him for me. You can imagine - they were looking at me as if I was holding a devil on that rope. So I just leaned against a tree as he started grazing. I actually walked him back to his stall and never told a soul about it until years later. I was so worried I wouldn't be able to come back there I didn't want to risk it.
I really don't remember the pain much. Just the huge black bruise. I was very lucky because besides of that bruise and few scrapes I really didn't get hurt.
So that is my story of the only kick I ever got. :)

[lacyloo]

Never been kicked..(Thank God) lol

[MyMia]

Oh my! You're lucky you weren't hurt worse!

Did you ever lead/work with the stallion again, or were you scared of him? I think I'd have been REALLY cautious with him!

[WashingtonBay]

It's been a LONG time, since I've been kicked by an adult horse... but I've had a few babies get me.

I think the worst one really was a mare that didn't kick me, she struck out at me with a front... and it took the skin off all down my leg. Made for a nasty wound that hurt like the dickens. I was about 14. Lesson learned... Don't stand between two horses that don't know each other!

[Petra]

Oh my! You're lucky you weren't hurt worse!

Did you ever lead/work with the stallion again, or were you scared of him? I think I'd have been REALLY cautious with him!

Lol, I think I have some brain defect - I have never been scared of an animal. I haven't even been scared when he kicked me. I had no problem to walk him back. As far as leading horses I don't think I was given a chance to lead a horse more than 3 or 4 times.
I doubt the BO would ever allowed kids leading him. I really cannot remember who was so smart to OK it.
But I continued to brush him and clean his hooves. I knew he liked me. He always treated me nice. That accident wasn't his fault.

[Petra]

It's been a LONG time, since I've been kicked by an adult horse... but I've had a few babies get me.

I think the worst one really was a mare that didn't kick me, she struck out at me with a front... and it took the skin off all down my leg. Made for a nasty wound that hurt like the dickens. I was about 14. Lesson learned... Don't stand between two horses that don't know each other!

Ouch that sounds painful! I have never seen a horse to struck out with a front.

[mare]

When I was 16 I got mono, so I left working at tracks and went to heal up at my parents for a while. A friend and I volunteered to horse-sit for a couple we knew for a weekend. They had a stud in a seperate paddock and 4 mares in another. Anyway, their neighbors had a pony stud. Pony stud gets out. Tears through the gate into the horse stud's paddock. I went running out to break it up. Yeah, real bright.

The studs are sniffing and squealing at each other. About the time I get to their heads they wheeled and let fly with their feet. I took three kicks on my trunk, two from the horse in back, one from the pony in front. My friend said it looked like they were playing volleyball with me.

Almost lost my already inflamed spleen on that one. Had hoofprint shaped bruises on me.

Been clipped a few other times on the shins doing outriding at bush tracks and rodeos, but nothing bad.

[zoel_222]

I've never got that bad of a kick, but the worst one was when I was about 13. I was riding Chica, probably only like my 3rd time on her and this was back when she was ms. loco horse. She used to have a terrible fear of anything with wheels. Everytime a car, bike, four wheeler, dirt bike, motorcycle etc went by she'd flip out into bucking fits. So I was riding her on the beach right next to the road and a motorcyle pulled right up next to us and parked, but didn't shut off the engine. Chica started bucking up a storm and I came off, and jumped up to try to catch her before she bolted. If I let one of of the horses get away from me my dad would chew me out really bad, so I was all panicked because she started to trot away. I ran up behind her and grabbed the saddle horn. :doh: Probably the stupidest thing I could do was run up behind a spooking trotting horse and grab onto the saddle. She bolted forward and kicked me right in the hip. It sent me flying back like 10 feet. I had a HUGE bruise shaped like a horseshoe that hurt for weeks. It left a horseshoe shaped scar, too, but it faded away about a year ago.

[Petra]

When I was 16 I got mono, so I left working at tracks and went to heal up at my parents for a while. A friend and I volunteered to horse-sit for a couple we knew for a weekend. They had a stud in a seperate paddock and 4 mares in another. Anyway, their neighbors had a pony stud. Pony stud gets out. Tears through the gate into the horse stud's paddock. I went running out to break it up. Yeah, real bright.

The studs are sniffing and squealing at each other. About the time I get to their heads they wheeled and let fly with their feet. I took three kicks on my trunk, two from the horse in back, one from the pony in front. My friend said it looked like they were playing volleyball with me.

Almost lost my already inflamed spleen on that one. Had hoofprint shaped bruises on me.

Been clipped a few other times on the shins doing outriding at bush tracks and rodeos, but nothing bad.

Oh wow!

[Miracle Whip]

I was a teenager. I was in the pen, trying to catch Paint probably.

I was behind my horse, off to the side and she just kicked for no reason and kicked up and out to the side... I had no idea she would kick in that direction and she knicked my forehead. They took 8 stitches out, don't know how many they put in.

[Pi and Tofu]

Wow, this brings back memories.

I was poulticing a client's horse's front leg and not paying alot of attention to where I was. This horse never was good about knowing what was in his space, so I should have known better. He went to kick at a fly on his belly and just about cracked my head open instead. I actually saw stars, just like in the cartoons.

Never told anyone at the barn, but I had double vision for a couple of weeks. That one stayed with me.

[horselvr2478]

One I remember wasnt by my horse actually wanting to kick me. I was brushing Bandit Mariah ( dads mare ) desided to start walking around getting in the way and during the time I was picking out right rear she deliberately walked really close rubbing Bandits butt, I dropped Bandits hoof to smack her butt, When Bandit nailed me right behind my right knee. Guess you can say we thought a like..
He was sorry..

It was Spring of 96 I was ponying my dads mare a round when she desided she didn't want to follow any more. So she pulled and yanked away And Bandit started to kick at her and buck and b4 the situation really got out of hand I dropped my reign on neck to untie her she pulled back pulled me off and while Bandit was still bucking I landed underneith he landed full weight on my left leg. I had a nice tattoo of Bandits hoof for months.

[Petra]

The head injuries sound really scary!
I think it's really neat though that even after such terrible experiences nobody got discouraged from working with horses. I guess it shows how much we love them! :)

[alittleoffkey]

Petra, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has never been afraid of an animal! :D

I'm a little afraid to reply to this thread, mainly because of Murphy and his silly laws. :p

I've had a few babies get me... but I've been very lucky to see many adult hooves come just past and to various body parts (including my face once :doh:)... but an adult horse has never managed to hit me.

[KCandAllegro'sMom]

I got kicked a few years ago by accident - KC was out in a paddock and I was walking behind him and he kinda took off playing, kicked out and nailed me in the knee.

But I think the worst was when I got kicked in the stomach - another behind a horse incident in which he was turned out and didn't see me. He was my old guy - and wouldn't hurt a fly on purpose. Just knocked the wind out of me pretty good ...he got me pretty hard.

[valleyrider]

This is an interesting thread.. your right Petra, even after getting kicked or bucked off or stomped on we get right back on and ask for more!
The one time I remember being kick, he really wasn't kicking at me I was just in the line of fire. It was feeding time and our routine as we all walk in the pasture down to the barn is Cloud leads then me and Bones is always behind or next to me. And we all walk nice and slow, I could stop and Bones will stop..Well Bones does not like the dog or the cat in his pasture, always chases him out. Mr. Butters(the cat)was in the pasture coming toward us to say *hi* before I could say No :eek:Bones bolted toward the cat with his head down ears back and bucking.. well my leg right above my knee was in the way of that buck..:doh:I had a hoof print bruise for 2 weeks.. Since that day I always make sure the cat is no where near us when I feed. Bones has gotten better about the cat in his pasture but I will never make that mistake again.

[oursarge]

I will say this now and tomorrow will be kicked to kingdom come but I've never been kicked. My Dommie was so good I fell under him a few times, he had every opportunity to stomp me but never moved a muscle. I've been stepped on by mistake and I've been bitten plenty, Dommie didn't kick at people but he bit, Sarge bites too. He got my arm 2 weeks ago and I still have a huge black & blue mark.

I think most horses will kick out though expecially during bug season, I never walk around the back of them when it's buggy because they will kick at he bugs and might get me.

[Dakota Sunrise]

Wow, you guys have some scary stories!:eek:

I've never been kicked bad *knocks on wood:innocent:*, just knicked a couple times hard enough to make me wonder just what I had been thinking. Both times I did get kicked happened because I did something stupid.:innocent:

The first time was with Kota (who does NOT kick people and would never intentionally hurt somebody, he is the sweetest horse ever)- I was kneeling down next to his front legs, taking of his boots. I was on his right side and reached across to get his left boot off (big no no :nono: :innocent:) instead of going around to his other side like you're supposed to. Well just as I leaned over to pull the velcro off he brought up his hoof to stomp at a fly. I got nailed in the forhead, just above my eyes, with his shod hoof.:doh:

The other time was also Kota, but once again not his fault. When I grain the horses I always lead them over to the adjoining pasture and shut the gate so the goats don't eat their food, and also so the horses don't get too fired up. If I walk across with the grain buckets they get more feisty trying to get to it and chasing each other away. If I walk them over first (and they know their routine, I don't have to halter and lead them, I just walk over and point and they'll go right in to the other pasture) they stay calmer and wait by their feed pans.
Well the one day the Pygmys were up at the shelters and not there to try to sneak in and steal the grain, so I just took the buckets right into the pasture and let the horses follow me over to the other fence like an idiot. They of course got feisty (not with me- with each other. It's the only time they ever fight and nip at each other), and when I went to put Dakota's bucket down, Beauty started to come over to steal it from him (she knows better, but since I through off their routine...). I was walking behind Kota to go give Beauty her grain bucket, just as she came up behind him, stretching her neck out to get his grain. For a split second I was between Kota's butt and Beauty, and of course that's when he pinned his ears and kicked out at her... but got me in the leg instead.:doh: He didn't get me bad, I only limped for a few minutes and had a bruise- I got off easy. It was totally my fault, he didn't mean to get me I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.:rolleyes:

[prissy18]

Well I got kicked one time by SWEETIE IN MY BUTT. Lol It was funny afterwards but i still dont trust thaty horse.

Then the day I bought Abby my saddle slipped and I fell under her and she stopped my leg. I have pics of that one lol

[Steelhorserider]

I worked at a Standardbred breeding farm in my early 20's. I got by a couple of foals but nothing serious. Every year this farm goes to a horse fall out at the Farm Center by Gettyburg Pa. We groom all the sale yearlingsfor months and they always bring along a few mares also. I was showing a mare to a prospective buyer and the buyer asked me to pick up her rear foot for some reason. As I went to pick up her foot, she let one go. I ended up in the hospital emergency room with a concussion and a horse shoe bruise on the side of my head that took some explaining to people who did not know me.

[elevenelevenxo]

I can't read this thread as being kicked is a real fear of mine. As of now, *KNOCK ON WOOD* I haven't been kicked. But like I said, it's a real fear of mine....so I didn't read any of the posts in this thread, lol. I don't want any of them being stuck in my head while working with Rebel - I'm doing better than I used to....but I still get very nervous cleaning his back feet. And he's not a kicker!!! :eek: I have this fear because a mare I used to ride was very spooky and one day while I was cleaning her feet, she spooked while tied....and almost jumped right on top of me - it was scary.

[gabhainn]

as I was reading this post last night I could not decide whether to tell a riding story or a rodeo one, so I decided on a riding story. I was working as a wrangler at a YMCA camp, and was training this awesome little Easy Jet filly, whem she got spooked by something and took off. being young and not so smart I let her run a little ways (we were in an arena) to where the another horses was tied. she ran between the horse and rail and I got swept off the horse by the lead rope of a tied horse as I came of the little filly the tied horse let me have one in the copenhagen can, where I had a perfectly circular bruise for a long time....Kevin

[Joey A]

I haven't been "nailed" by an adult horse yet, but lots of babies like WB. (I'm 100% sure it's gonna happen, it's just a matter of when) But I have had every kind of incidental kick / strike you can think of.

I've been cow kicked plenty of times (actually have a bruise on my leg from that right now)

I got kicked in the elbow twice in one week (same elbow) the first time was when I was lunging a horse and the second was while I was trying to catch a 90% blind horse in a turnout. (that I didn't know until later was blind)

I've been caught in the forehead a couple times by a hind foot while trimming a front foot. (stomping at flies)

But the scariest incident was when I was trying to get one of our broodmares out of a stall. She just had a baby weaned and was in the next stall over. I went to move her to the turnout but she didn't want to leave her baby. I went to catch her, she spun around and fired both barrels. I saw stars, and figured I was dead. Her feet went on either side of my head, scraped my left ear and caught me in the temple with the fetlock. Her legs landed on my shoulders and slid down my sides.... Scared the mother-fathering-excrement out of me!!

I have ZERO trust that a horse won't kick you. I always approach horses like they might kick you, and I suppose that has a lot to do with it. I never let ANY horse turn their butt to me, I always run them off for it. Even my own.

You never know when one might spook and strike out.

[gabhainn]

I can't read this thread as being kicked is a real fear of mine. .
should be cuz it HURTS!!!!....Kevin

[cheval]

Some of the horses at our barn have been allowed to develop really bad habits when they have arena turn out. They are let go before they get to the gate and they blow right through it. A few of us were taking care of the horses when the BO was gone and were leading one of the horses through the gate. I opened the gate and the horse pulled away from the person leading it and he kicked out going through and nailed me in the forearm and hip.

Worst feeling in the world. It fractured my forearm just a tad but the doc said I was lucky it didn't break completely.

http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/43749/2095585800102561126S425x425Q85.jpg

[Petra]

Kevin, feel free to write about the rodeo one too.
I'm not scared of pain, but I don't believe I would ever want to experienced what your kick felt like.

WF, what a story!

Eleven, I really didn't mean to freak anyone out with this thread. I'm glad you decided not to read if it scares you. :)
Hope you'll be a lucky one and never experience a bad kick. :)

[miatapony]

i really dont remember too much of the story but i was kicked in the lower left jaw by my Appy when i was like 5-6 years old . walked up and flew and hit the barn .. then i remember walking into the house and my mom was asking me a question and didnt answer her and she got mad and i was holding my mouth closed to the bathroom then she grabed my arm and blood went all over the place.... that is about all i remember ..

[pasolover]

After YEARS of riding and not getting a kick, two years ago I walked into a stall with a horse I didn't know well and had a turn out blanket to put on him........while he was eating!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't imagine where my brain was. I was far enough away that I got the full throttle of the kick just above my left knee. I still have a hoof outline, really it dents in there on my leg. I think I would rather take a bullet!

[Joey A]

I had a colleauge, a full time trainer, go to pull a blanket off a horse... A sweet horse that she knew very well. Well she didn't "announce" her presence to the horse and walked up to unbuckle the leg straps, spooked the horse and it broke her knee. She'll never use that leg again.

[Equine_Woman]

This is a very painful thread! lol.

I've been kicked at least 3 times that I can remember. The worst one was when my Dad's mare got me when I was in 8th grade. I fed her and her colt, then fed my mare. I went to put a halter on Deer Tari (my Dad's mare) because we were going to ride after she was done eating. She turned her butt to me before I got close and just started double barrel fireing at me. She got my hip which made me double over and then she got me right above my right eye. My horse Gidget turned at that point (I was on the ground) and ran at Deer Tari, which chased her off me, because Deer Tari had turned with her teeth and was coming at me. . . I'll never know why Gidget saved me, I'd like to think it was because she like me but it was probably because Deer Tari was getting to close to her bucket. . . My Dad didn't take me to the doctor. . (which is another story) but later on I had a CT scan, no brain swelling but I had a fractured skull and still have a HUGE goose egg on my forehead from it today.

That mare was insane if you ask me. She was a Doc Tari daughter and I will never own another one in my life. All 3 horses that have kicked me were Doc Tari mares. (My mare Sunny is a Doc Tari grandaughter and she is one of the one's that've gotten me.) Gorgeous and unstable horses in my experiance.

[Palogal]

Although <knocks on wood> I don't have any notable kick stories I have two that were folks I know...

1) The BM was helping me work with my first filly. He had 20ish years of experience with horses at that point. He tapped her on the tail to show her she was not allowed to turn her butt to him. She accepted and turned her butt away. A moment later she turned it back and he tapped her again, this time she kicked him in the groin. He fathered a child after that incident so I imagine there was no permanent harm done although I did not look.

2) My high school best friend had turned her horse out in the indoor arena to cool off. She bent over behind him to pick something up and something spooked him. He kicked her in the jaw, breaking it in two places. Her jaws were wired for 6 weeks, but she has no permanent injuries thank God.

...not that I've never been kicked, but I don't recall any in particular.

[Horserider]

Some of the horses at our barn have been allowed to develop really bad habits when they have arena turn out. They are let go before they get to the gate and they blow right through it. A few of us were taking care of the horses when the BO was gone and were leading one of the horses through the gate. I opened the gate and the horse pulled away from the person leading it and he kicked out going through and nailed me in the forearm and hip.

Owwww! That's why when I had Lady I always led her through the gate and made her turn around and wait for me to unclip the lead. So she couldn't just barge through the gate. Except for a couple times when the others horses were around the gate, then I just opened the gate and let her loose because they do have reputations to kick at other horses and I didn't want to be in the way when they did.

I've only had been kicked once and luckily it wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been thinking back on it. I was at my old jumping stable leading Ross (my leased gelding of the time. He was incredibly spooky and I never should've been trusted with him.) We were going into one of the covered roundpens to do some work with him. The doors were very narrow: only room for one of us to step through at a time. So I went to slip through the door, and just as I did, a bunch of small birds flew out. He flipped and I'm still not quite sure what happened. I felt a thump on the back of my leg (right on my knee) and my leg almost went out from under me. I stayed standing and turned around to calm him down. We continued with the planned lunging and I never thought much of it. I think he must've half-reared when the birds came out, struck out with his front legs, and one of them hit the back of my knee.

[cheval]

I wish they would do that here! It's getting irritating and dangerous. A few of the other boarders won't lead certain horses out anymore. I don't blame them.

[Petra]

EW what a story! You were only a year older than my boy. Not sure why your dad didn't take you to the hospital...I cannot even imagine how much I would be freaking out if it happened to my son.

[natisha]

I was leading a strange horse for a 4-H Halter demonstration. I think I was showing how to end up at the hospital. When I asked the horse to trot, it leaped forward while kicking me square in my knee that I had weight on. I fell so fast I had a mouth full of dirt. It turns out the horse had been stuck in a stall for a few days beforehand, so I imagine he was just feeling fresh. I wore a leg brace the rest of the summer.

Another time I was treating a pony that had just gotten pulled out of a well. It was dark in the barn. I treated his cuts on his left side, went to his right side, touched his hip and he kicked me right in the calf. Turns out he was blind on the right side, his owner never told me that beforehand, then admitted I donkjejejtdufdfnejfududfffopleasejusttellmewhattow rite.

[Country Girl 43]

I've been kicked in the thigh when I worked on the ranch.

we were trying to separate a yearling out of the herd and another horse decided to kick up and caught me on my thigh. I had a nice bruise for awhile. Another guy caught a hoof on his hand that same day, but I can't remember if it was the same horse....LOL

Been kicked plenty of times in the shins by calves and goats...LOL

[HorseLoverOf3]

This may sound weird but in the 14 years Ive been around horses I have never been kicked...ask about bitting and ill have some stories :p