Getting behind a horse usually isn't too bad, but getting between two of them can quickly turn into a bad place to be. Many horses are very quiet and get along with no matter who is around, which can leave your guard down. But, sometimes, horses get mad at one another and the kicking then starts....
True, that. And at the same time, they can surprise the bejeebers outta you. Working a rent-a-ride stable, years ago, and we had a photographer in getting pics for the new brochures and internet presence (Internet was JUST starting to take off - these folks would have been "middle-early" adopters, advertising themselves with a website) Well, said photog brought her (both medically diagnosed, and visibly obvious) FAS 4 year old out one day. Mom got clicking pics, kid got wandering around, somewhere along the line, I came out the door of the tack-shed where I'd been stitching the wrap back on the cantle of a saddle to find the FAS kid *LITERALLY* playing Tarzan down the line of horses tethered to the fence awaiting loading. I got out there just in time to see her take a running leap, catch onto and swing on the first horse in the line's tail, to the second, etc. I was still thinking "I don't believe I'm seeing this!" when I snatched her off the tail of the 5th horse - Musta been muscle-memory kicking in, or something - I don't even remember getting into motion. Kid came away totally unscathed. If she'd gotten to the 7th horse, she probably would have been launched - He was a "red ribbon" boy when he went out in public. Was known for getting light in the hind if he thought you weren't paying attention. The rest flinched, or spooked in place, or did a bit of dancing, but nobody actually threw a hoof. They do say "God watches out for drunks and small children"...
Then you'll get one that you go to walk by and forget she expects you to pat her rump before you cross - so she reminds you with that little "Y'know, I *COULDA* busted yer shin for you if I wanted to" tap... (Mares are evil
- And I love 'em to pieces
)
And then there are the ones that demonstrate themselves utterly clueless with the immortal instruction: "You want to walk about 6 feet away if you have to go behind him". ZOOOOOONK! Wrong answer! When you've got a horse that you don't now how hard his hind end is nailed down, you want to be RIGHT UP AGAINST his arse when you cross. You wanna be close enough to put your hand on the high point of his butt. That way, if he DOES "open fire", you get it as more of a "push" than a "hit" - Get out about 6 feet, and you're in his prime range! Full extension, maximum impact - you're gonna be a seriously hurtin' unit if a horse kicks at you at 6 feet and connects - Likely going to be a head or neck injury, if not brain damage, or in a handful of cases, outright decapitation. If he lets go when you're tight up against him, he's just starting the swing, and since you're practically - if not actually - pressing against his hocks as it happens, he's just gonna be shoving you away, rather than hitting you with the full swing of a sledgehammer (and then some).