Your thoughts?

[cassie_m123]

So, someone posted this on my facebook feed and I thought I'd share it here.

Comments

[midnightsecret]

Wow.. that's pretty crazy! The horse did look like he wanted to kick that guy. Also, it looked like the horse knew when to spin to get him off.

I wish there was more of his round to see what his riding was like prior to his incident.

[kookaburra1701]

Note to self: Arab people have no sense of humor.

[0033232]

I own an Arab. I find that they are mirrors to their riders. I've seen my horse pin his ears and swish his tail at a bratty student doing everything right, and stand with the patience of a saint for a kind-hearted autistic student doing everything wrong.

I bet he could be a real monster under the wrong handling. But earn their trust and respect and treat them well consistently, and Arabians are sweet, kind companions.

I understand both sides of the Arab argument. Any given person's stance tells you more about that person than the breed.

[kookaburra1701]

I was more referring to the obvious joke in the video description that made the Arab owners get their collective panties in a wad.

[greyskyridge]

I think that if the rider had been a quarter sheet or something else that had been dislodged, the horse would have kicked at it all the same.

I don't see vengeful kicking but rather "Something's unexpectedly behind my flight animal back legs."

If the horse had turned around and pummeled with the front feet, totally different story.

[monica1979]

Now I'm not saying you're wrong, it could very well be one of those horse gets spooked and kicks to defend itself. but the thing is, the rider wasn't behind him (?) when he fell. He turned round to aim at the rider then started to kick. To me it looked intentional, but not enough info to say either way.

Now I do know something about almost getting kicked by surprising a horse. In this case, a brood mare. My BO has a small breeding operation, and the brood mares are used to being handled, so some of them will even come to the fence and let people pet them. I once mare a mistake of touching one the mare's croup. Well, even though i was well within sight (we were standing side by side), she did not appreciate being touched back there and if i hadn't jump backwards, her kick would have gotten me right through the fence.

[monica1979]

P.S. OP, for rider critique, you can post in the equestrian community.

[annemaeve]

I see definite deliberate horse dumping and aimed kicking. Something about the way the rider fell off the neck, with his hands scrabbling, makes me think either the horse is a pro at the shoulder-drop and spin, or the rider has no stability when he's not sitting on his back pockets. Then the horse definitely aligns his body, moves in for some well-aimed kickage, then turns and bucks merrily back over and past the rider to what you can only assume is the in-gate/barn. I think if the horse was spooked, he would have kicked out while fleeing in the direction he was facing, but this is different. Thank goodness for helmets. And let's hope the guy deserved it, 'cause boy did he get it.