Understanding Why Horses Kick
The reason horses kick is relatively simple—it’s a natural response to feeling threatened. Kicking is a defense mechanism that helps horses create space and move away from perceived danger. It’s quite rare for a horse to kick for no reason at all, but if they feel cornered, threatened, or in pain, they may kick out. For example, if a horse is approached aggressively with a flag, whip, or rope, they may feel compelled to kick as a way to protect themselves.
Horses typically kick when they are startled, frightened, uncomfortable, or feel trapped. However, when a horse is relaxed and confident, it’s very unlikely they will resort to kicking. Horses are generally peaceful creatures, and kicking is usually a reaction to stress or discomfort rather than a natural instinct.
There are several common situations where horses may kick at people. For example:
- When they are startled or surprised by sudden movements.
- If a person is trying to force them to pick up their feet or move suddenly.
- When approaching a foal and its mother. A foal, being unfamiliar with the world, may feel insecure and react by kicking, or the mother may kick to protect her foal.
There is also some misguided advice given by certain trainers that suggests it’s acceptable to “whip” a horse with a carrot stick because horses are known to kick each other with greater force in the wild. This type of advice doesn’t reflect true horsemanship. It can be used by individuals who don’t fully understand equine behavior or who rely on harsh training methods. Unfortunately, beginners may not always recognize the flaws in such advice.
In a natural herd setting, horses quickly establish a hierarchy. The dominant horse, or “herd boss,” will eat, drink, and rest first, while the others will defer. If a subordinate horse doesn’t make way, they may be met with a glare, ear pinning, a bite threat, or even a kick. This is part of a progressive communication system, from warning signals to actual action.
If your horse kicks at you or makes contact, it’s likely that the horse communicated its intentions beforehand—perhaps through body language or subtle warnings. You might not have noticed those signals, which is why the kick occurred. However, if you’re using tools like flags, whips, or ropes during training, the horse might be using a kick as a form of protest. This response is often temporary and will subside as the horse becomes more accustomed to the training method.
Horses are incredibly adaptable creatures and often desensitize to situations that initially cause them stress. However, this can sometimes be to their detriment, as they may become numb to threats that they would normally react to. This is why it’s important to be aware of how our actions may trigger a response in the horse, even if we don’t intend to provoke them.
Tom Dorrance once famously said, “We shouldn’t be concerned with what happened, but with what happened before what happened, happened.” This idea highlights the importance of understanding the triggers that lead to certain behaviors. If we can become more aware of these triggers, we can better understand how to prevent unwanted reactions from our horses.