I scared my horse by accident

[Ponyfeather]

Last night I was in the pasture with my horse and he was eating his grain, I touched the side of his hind end and scared him half to death I think. He bellowed, all four feet came up off the ground and he ran away from his dish of grain and looked at me like 'why did you do that?'

I feel so bad, but at the same time it was rather funny. I also feel rather lucky since he could have turned and kicked me. Thankfully he was rather forgiving about the whole thing. The other two horses he shares the pasture with thought his reaction was silly, they where looking at him like 'what is wrong with you?'. I think because I'm always there and touch him every night while he eat his grain and I wasn't be sneaky or anything. My moms horse who was eating right next to him didn't even bat an eye and just kept on eating.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think it's helpful to constantly speak softly when around horses, especially behind them. When animals like horses and deer are eating they can't see what's around them.
You are fortunate you didn't get kicked. I know, it's happened to me.

 

[Bunnylady]

Horses, by nature, are flight animals. Most will run from what they perceive as danger if they can.

As CC said, your horse probably didn't see you. Horses' eyes and brains don't process things quite the way ours do; how many times have you seen a horse spook at something that was harmless, and nowhere near it?

You said your mother's horse was standing next to him; is her horse dominant to him? It could be that he thought it was the other horse touching him. When a dominant animal moves into the space of a subordinate, if the lower ranking horse doesn't move, things can get ugly. If your horse thought that was a more dominant horse touching him, his reaction meant, "Okay, I'm going - don't hurt me!" Under those circumstances, they sometimes do kick back just to keep the dominant horse from getting close enough to do real damage, so yeah, you could have been hurt. It's usually not a good idea to move around among horses that are eating, because if they do decide to start moving each other around, you can accidentally wind up "in the line of fire" very fast.

 

[cassie]

Basic rule for being around horses. MAKE SURE THEY KNOW YOU ARE THERE!! Otherwise you can get badly hurt. I used to always sing or talk when I went in with the horses.

 

[Ponyfeather]

Thing is I was talking to my mom on the other side of the fence, and I had been touching him less then a minute before when I touched and scared him. If he thought it was my mom's horse he would have just bit him on the shoulder. Also he is the most dominate horse in the pasture, my moms is the least dominate. I've been in with him pretty much everyday for over 10 years while he eats his grain, every day this is the first time he has ever spooked like this. Which is why I felt so bad.

 

[Bunnylady]

If you've had this horse for 10 years, I reckon you know each other pretty well by now. But that thought brings up another question in my mind; how old is this horse? Is he old enough that perhaps his vision and/or hearing might be starting to go? I know a horse that was recently discovered to be blind in one eye. The owner knew the horse had gotten spooky over the years, but never thought to check its vision.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Horses are unpredictable, big and strong. Work around them long enough and you'll likely be injured.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Horses are unpredictable, big and strong. Work around them long enough and you'll likely be injured.

So true - thus the lovely bruises I acquired almost two weeks ago that are finally almost gone.

 

[Sfraker]

He may simply have been so focused on his yummy grain that he forgot you were there!

My 16 year old 1/2 Arab mare cracks me up with the same silly spook all the time. The barn I have her at has cross ties in the stalls. So I cross tie her, groom her and get her saddle on. I then take off the cross ties, remove her halter and gently toss it on the ground in the corner of the stall. EVERY time I toss her halter she flings her head up and does a small spook. This has been going on for YEARS!. She immediately then puts her head down, I put the bridle on and away we go.

Really?! EVERY time! You haven't gotten used to it yet? I think it may be a game at this point. She is too smart for her own good most times.

Generally I laugh at her, but one time I was standing a smidge to close and the tip of her ear brushed up my face, hooked into my glasses and flung them into a pile of manure. My 9 year old daughter had to sit down she was laughing so hard. I didn't find it quite as funny as she did.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

He may simply have been so focused on his yummy grain that he forgot you were there!
...

That's exactly what I was thinking.
They are big, but they're still prey animals and act accordingly.