That draft horse that kicked me in the arm taught me more about shoeing than any clinic

I was working on a big Belgian draft at a farm outside Springfield last winter. The owner warned me she was touchy on her fronts but I figured I'd seen it all. Soon as I picked up her left front she planted and kicked back hard, caught me right on the forearm. Bruised for two weeks but it made me slow way down and watch her breathing before every step. After that I started spending a full 5 minutes just standing with a new horse before picking up a foot. Has anyone else had a horse teach you a lesson the hard way like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

milestaylor2mo agoOG Member

That "taught me more than any clinic" part really hits home. Clinics are great but nothing beats getting nailed by a thousand pound animal to make you actually pay attention.

felixfisher2mo ago

Is it weird that getting hurt actually makes me trust a horse more?

fisher.adam14d ago

Do you think it's because getting hurt proves the horse is real and unpredictable, not just some perfect robot? Like, once they've messed up and you survived, the trust feels earned instead of assumed.