Back when I was doing a lot of trail riding, I had one horse who wouldn’t kick, no matter what and the other horse would kick because he’s a bully. I learned not to expose the kicker to more than ten horses and those were people I knew, who knew this particular horse would kick and kept their distance.
The one time I took the kicker on an organized big ride, I put a big red ribbon in his tail. Some idiot woman rode right up on his butt and commented how Christmas cute he was with that red ribbon in his tail. I swore at her and told her that means he kicks ---- if she got her horse kicked, don’t come crybaby whining to me.
Can you break it out of a kicker? Probably not without beating them half to death. When I knew I was going to be in a large crowd of horses, it was just easier for me to take my best fella who had perfect manners his entire 27 years.
As as for the kicker ----- he is coming 23 and will be with me until his end time. I haven’t been on an organized ride for ten years so it doesn’t matter if he would still kick if another horse ran up on him — which his 16.1H gelding self (as opposed to the mare theory) probably still would:)
My deal breakers are people who are routinely late by more than a few minutes. And the other is someone riding a known kicker and putting that horse in a position to kick by for instance passing another horse close then moving right in front. While it’s my responsibility to make sure I don’t put my horse in a position to get kicked, you should be just as aware of where you are and other horses around you.
I have no idea. She was NEVER aggressive with any other gender, type, or breed of horse. Only with a QH. I don’t have an explanation; only offer the observation.
Unfortunately, some people (at least three that I’ve known personally) think it is everyone else’s fault for “annoying” their horse, will do nothing to chastise for bad behavior, AND will continue to put themselves in the middle or front of the group where the horse presents a clear danger to others.
One such person was an older lady in my hunt, and her horse was a known danger. She was told time and again to put the horse to the back, but a few minutes later she’d be back to the front. She had her colors, so thought she’d earned the right to ride in the front. It was only after her brute of an animal kicked out at a child on a pony that the Master came back and ordered her to the back and to stay there. You would think she would have taken the hint. But no - the next hunt there she was, back in the front. She thought the tiny red ribbon in her horse’s tail gave her the right to be anywhere in the Field she wanted to be, and said so. She said it was up to others to pay attention to the red ribbon. I liked the lady, but even my outright comments that her horse was dangerous to other people - especially when we were all in a flat out run after the hounds - fell on deaf ears. Everyone knew to stay away from her. In the end, I did, too.
Another was a person who begged me to ride with her group of friends to show them more of the trails in our area, and her mare let her heels fly when my old endurance horse got within 10 feet. I was pissed royally as she didn’t have any warning ribbon, nor did she tell me her mare was a confirmed kicker. When I asked if she was going to correct her mare, she looked back at me and said something to the effect that her mare doesn’t like horses close to her. My jaw dropped. Another member of our party saw my face and leaned over to whisper to me that the mare was a confirmed kicker, but the rider wasn’t going to correct the horse. Hey, no problem. It was the first…and last…time I ever rode with her, despite her asking me again and again for well over 2 years. The answer as always the same. No. You can find your own way around the countryside. I can’t and won’t condone my horse getting hurt because you won’t punish bad behavour in yours.
Both my hunt horse, and my hunt/whip/endurance horse, were the type that others could literally crash into, and they wouldn’t blink an eye. Several times during my years of endurance I would have a rider behind me (on an unruly or rushing horse) asking if they could tail me to help their horse slow down. My guy (and I) never minded in the least, and the other riders were always so grateful after a few miles of our more relaxed speed helped their horses to calm down.
A giving, confident horse who isn’t pressured by others around, is worth their weight in gold.
The best you can do as a rider in a new group - if you are kicked at by an unmarked horse - is make it known out loud that you don’t appreciate being kicked at, and then (where it can be safely done) get in front of the kicker if you can.
If you own a kicker or suspect it might kick if pressed, learn to anticipate problems, and be quick to shift your horse’s rear end away from the straight line kick if at all possible.
When my new (young) endurance horse goes to her first endurance ride, believe me that she’s going to be wearing a whole tail full of ribbons - green, pink, AND red. Long and very visible - even from Space. :yes: I don’t want her to know she has any choice but to be polite in a group; otherwise she’s going to feel my wrath very quickly and it won’t be pretty. And I want everyone behind me to know to give a green mare space, and not crowd her.
Not sure if it broke the kicking, but I met a horse going opposite to me on a bridge, no room to get over. Horse kicked at us midway past. NO WARNING from rider so I was really surprised! I yelled at them but they kept going. Didn’t appear to connect with my horse, but I was really mad about it though I kept going. Did ride for a couple hours, headed back to camp. Halfway across LONG BRIDGE over swamp again, who do I see heading my way? Yep, POS horse and rider again! I blocked the bridge and warned them if horse kicked at us I would push them thru the rail into the swamp!! Said “Keep her @ %#* head UP” so horse was less able to kick while I went by them. I moved forward, again about stirrup to stirrup when I saw rider lower her hands, horse hip started moving. I legged my horse sideways into them so they were hitting into the rail and laced the other horse on the rump a couple times hard, with my long reins. Horse forgot about kicking and jumped forward on past my horse. Rider did not have much control so they kept going. I told the rest of the group to warn that rider to STAY AWAY from me and my horse during this trail ride. If her horse got near us, the rider would be VERY sorry for bringing that POS horse to the ride.
Whether it broke horse of kicking while passing I don’t know. Horse was just being piggy, with no warning of kicking problem or correction by the rider. First encounter I was close to bridge end, would gladly have backed up to let her have all the space, if I had been warned. 2nd encounter, I was way too far on bridge to give way. Mad too, not backing away from them then. I knew my big horse would do as I asked if needed.
I did not meet them again during the week of the trail ride. Did get asked if I “threatened” someone on the bridge. My horse was extremely tall, big all over, good looking, so we were pretty noticeable even among the many riders there. I said yes, told them why and to look out for that dirty kicking horse who was an odd color, easy to spot. Funny part was most questioners KNEW the dirty kicker and rider! They just wanted to see who had gotten after her and warned her off!! Ha ha
I usually ride alone, know what red tail decorations mean, so have not had other kicking horse problems. You probably are not going to cure such an older horse of kicking. I would just ride him at the back of any group, to prevent him reacting. Perhaps remind folks what red in tail means, before departing the parking area.
Holy cow gothedistance! You’ve come across some really rude riders. I wouldn’t want to ride with them. I have ridden with riders who have horses who kick but most let you know and careful and responsible. Of course it only takes that one, right?
I confess I have a kicker. Not the mare I mentioned above. My gelding used to kick at horses behind or beside him. He got popped with a whip any time he thought about it for a while. Now he rarely kicks but I warn people in small groups or have a red ribbon in his tail in larger groups. Even then I’m vigilant.
I know what red and green ribbons are for. What’s pink for?
All the suggestions are very helpful, and thanks for sharing all your experiences. I suspect, as with most stories told over an end-of-the-ride beer, there was a little embellishment going on.
These folks have been riding together for years and, yesterday I learned that although this mare has been threatening to kick all along, this is the first time she ever actually connected with anybody. All the same, I’ll be sure to either stay ahead of her or far, far behind.
I’ve been riding for over 40 years. You meet a lot of different riders when your time in the saddle - in many different yet engaging horse sports- spans many miles and many decades. The number of clueless riders on kickers is a tiny percentage overall, but they make up a disproportionately high percentage of one’s impressionable memories.
Yeah, I’m thinking I’m going to add a red ribbon to my gelding. He has threatened to nip another horse more than kick, but that will help us keep distance. And every time he’s threatened he gets corrected. He is also pretty green to riding in groups so better safe than sorry!
This drives me crazy! I don’t like to ride in groups because of it. My mare does not kick when I’m on her, but she gets really annoyed. For good reason. I try to stay in the back and inevitably, someone will go around behind me. When I ask people to stay off her butt, I have been told things like “oh, I can’t stop Pookie. He’s been kicked in the face before”. Really??? Why on Earth are you on a group ride??? I am completely in the “give the rider in front of you some space” camp. What if that horse in front of you trips and falls? If you’re right up his behind, you’re gonna be in a pile. I don’t tailgate in my car and I don’t do it on horseback. I think it’s common courtesy for everyone to do the same.
If you are riding a kicker they should make that known to everyone riding in the group. That is THEIR responsibility to alert the other riders. I also don’t think kickers should be lead horses. There have been so many times I’ve been out on a trail trotting away and have had to abruptly do a sliding stop (surprise cattle guard!)so all riders should be aware and eliminate the possibility for a situation like that to happen.
I suspect, as with most stories told over an end-of-the-ride beer, there was a little embellishment going on.