can horses kick straight backwards or just out to the sides?

Question

i heard that horses can only kick sideways not straight back but there are rules to stand on the side not behind the horse. im confused!

Answer 1

yes horses can kick to the side but most of the time it is straight back ,if you are standing to the side of a horse and being calm and just touching or brushing or petting most horses will not kick out, as to the barrel racer lori, i dont know where you come from but i have been on a ranch all of my life and and run over a 1000 head and can tell you for sure that cows Do cow kick very hard and it is not a low kick, i have had many bruises to prove it, i also do large animal vet work and this is why we use a stantun to run cattle, and have a bar behind them to keep them from kicking when working on them, they can reach fairly high....horses can do some serious damage from kicks...i barrel race also and have seen many people get kicked, when you go to a larger barrel race you will notice many signs on stalls and around the horses warning horses may kick...some answers on here just never seem to amaze me........

Answer 2

Horse can kick both straight backwards and to the side. Both kicks are dangerous, however kicks to the side (cow kicks) are generally aimed at the lower legs and are produced with less force. Those who believe that horses cannot kick to the side should reconsider how a horse can side step with their hind if they cannot adduct (move a limb away from the median or center of their body) their hind limbs.
The straight backwards kick is the most dangerous if the target is standing a few feet behind the horse. The main force of the kick is at the end of the extension of the limb, a few feet behind them. Therefore you are safest if you walk directly behind a horse, keeping very close to the hind end with a hand on the horse constantly so that they know you are there; or walking out 5 feet and around so that you stay out of the target zone.
Whenever working around a horse remember to stay alert to their body language, which will let you know whether they are happy, scared, worried, excited, etc. This should give you a good indicator of whether the horse is liable to kick, however this can also happen by surprise in situations where a horse is stung by a bee, etc.

Hope that helps!

Answer 3

Horses can pretty much kick in any direction. When they kick to the side it's called a 'Cow' kick. The rules about walking around a horse are very confusing, but if you think about it the less of a wind up for a kick, the less the chance of a horse injuring you if he does kick. Try throwing a ball and see how far it goes if you let it go sooner during the throw than if you let the ball go when you are supposed to. I'm not telling you to try and walk practically under your horse, just close enough to be able to feel when your horse is going to move around, shift his weight or get ready to kick. Plus, horses feel safer if they know where you are and aren't surprised by you accidentally.

Answer 4

Horses can kick in just about any direction possable. Think of a direction in which they could kick, and they can probably do it.

That rule about standing beside the horse and not behind it is actually almost a myth now days. But its still probably not a good idea to stand directly behind them, especially if they don't know you are there, since a horse's natural reaction to something startling them from behind is to kick. Though keep in mind that the same thing can happen if something on its side startles it.

They can even kick out with their front legs, so its never a good idea to walk underneath the neck of a horse that you don't know.

Answer 5

Horses can kick straight backwards and out to the side (though not as good as cows can do it ;o) For the girl who laughed at everyone elses answers, LoriAnn, you should speak with my farrier and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to attest to the fact that yes, horses can in fact kick out to the side (and a little heads up...it's never nice to make fun of someone else, especially when you aren't sure what you're talking about). Usually when a horse kick out to the side, they bring thier back leg forward, lean to the side and kick back, which makes a sort of arch out to the side. My 2 year old was famous for doing this when I purchased him! I've since corrected the problem!

Answer 6

Horses can 'cow' kick and I can attest to that. I was cow kicked while when loading a horse in a trailer. I was out before I hit the ground and broke my nose on impact. Be careful and pay attention at all times. The horse I was hurt by was generally placid and easy going. She spooked and I was in a bad spot. If you do have to go around back of a horse, stay close as this will lessen the impact should they kick out.

Answer 7

Hmm, mine would probably be tack failure. I was riding my little arab bareback and I had invited my friend over to ride him as well. He was, well, still is quite green, so, since i was the more experienced rider and he was my horse i resolved to ride him first. He was doing excellent, so i kissed him to a lope, which was fine. Then my headstall broke, the screw holding the bit. The bit flung out of his mouth and hit him in the head, and like any sensible horse, he panicked. I am far more comfortable in a saddle and i had only learned bareback about two months ago, so I was immediately off balance. I yelled whoa and tried pulling back on the reins, but I only succeeded in swinging the bit around. I was soon bucked off and found a large rock with my hip. How is this funny you ask? The entire time my friend was laughing her @$$ off and didn't even ask if I was okay for about a minute, so it must have been humorous. At least she went and caught my horse. I am not sure what is worse though, that she is still one of my best friends or that i still use the same headstall with the same screws.

Answer 8

Both and believe it or not, the closer that you are to the horse the less force you get hit with.

I've been kicked twice, once when I was riding another horse and once when a horse went to kick another horse and stupid me was between them.

No matter which direction the horses leg is going (sideways or straight back) it hurts either way! LOL

Answer 9

They can kick with one back leg straight out or both and also cow kick. I've had horses for the past 35 yrs. and have seen some very talented kickers... I have had racehorses for the past 25 yrs. Usually they are not kicking to be mean but have seen a few that aim.

Answer 10

horses can't (or have a very hard time) kicking sideways. i'm pretty sure only cows do that. whenever a horse is going to kick you (if you dont have time to get out of the way) step toward their legs. you will only get kicked by their hocks then and it doesn't hurt near as much. don't hang around horses that have a habit of kicking. or when you do be very careful.