What kinds of (non-rabid) animals will attack a horse & rider in the daylight? [Archive]

GettingBack

Jun. 8, 2009, 09:25 PM

Doesn't it depend on where you are located?

In my area, the hazards to man and horse are largely...well...man related. But there are a few dangers to a horse. The 3 pit viper species that we have in the state to start with. A bear could do a number on one, if one got between mother and cubs, and sometimes cubs are attracted due to the horse/man looking strange.

Of course, on horseback the only thing I was ever attacked by were birds. Once, we got attacked by was a really angry grouse. We had ridden right past her clutch of eggs and she was MAD. Cracked me up because she was this tiny itty bitty thing and she poofed herself all up and came running at the horse. Horse and I just stared at her.

Then the tree swallows attacked one day as we were riding by their nests. That was fun - we moved fairly quickly.

The other thing in my area that can be fatal are the 2" Black horsefly attacks. Usually not because you get clawed to death, but rather because you get dumped immediately if you try to restrain the horse that wants to get away from the angel of death.

Hospital visit on that one. That counts, doesn't it? :)

JSwan

Jun. 8, 2009, 09:46 PM

Ground bees. :D

Deer in rut - I've seen it. Out fox hunting. We're standing there minding our business and a buck comes out of nowhere and takes out the guy in front of me. Horse and deer were ok - guy was injured.

TBMaggie

Jun. 8, 2009, 10:36 PM

tkhawk

Jun. 8, 2009, 10:39 PM

Mountain lions. While actual attacks or threats on a horse and rider combo are in the low single digits, they have happened.

Bluey

Jun. 8, 2009, 10:42 PM

Cattle will chase horses sometimes, if mad enough.
Horses know it and scoot out of the way.
Once our aussie made a mother cow mad, was chased by her clear under my horse.:eek:
Happened so fast we didn't have time to scramble out of the way, the cow finally realized the dog was not around and got out from under the horse and ran back to her calf, shaking her head and grumbling unde her breath.
I am not sure she ever noticed the horse was there.:p

That is the only time that happened, as I never again put ourselves in such a situation, learned to be proactive.;)

poltroon

Jun. 8, 2009, 10:42 PM

My DH and I own a 160 farm here in 'trophy buck county.' One late fall, we were riding (but not as in 'horse riding' - so hope this doesn't get kicked off the thread) our 4-wheeler in the hills, and a big buck, in rut, came at the 4-wheeler with his rack down, meaning business. I bet he would've deflated the tires if we hadn't put the petal to the metal!

I try to NEVER trailride during the rut!

To quote our local public radio: "Be on the lookout for deer crossing the highways more than usual, especially around dusk. It's mating season, and the deer are especially stupid this time of year, especially the males." :D

MistyBlue

Jun. 8, 2009, 10:56 PM

Had my helmet pecked to death by a pissed off momma bird before.

Any animal in rut gets Chuck Norris syndrom. Had a tom turkey here last week trying to run down my geldings because he thought they were interested in the same hen he was puffing up for.

A badger or wolverine will stand it's ground as often as it will avoid people or horses. Do NOT mess with either one, just back up and then turn and leave. Both will mock charge and making noises usually only heard in the 9th circle of hell. :lol: And if that doesn't work, both bite. Neither cares if the thing they're biting is over 1000 lbs. They may block the trail once in a while if they have a den, food or babies nearby. When they block a trail and say, "Don't pass" then listen to them and do not pass.

Fisher can be particularly nasty too, although they prefer being up in trees rather than on the ground and they see you a lot more often than you see them. Most will run up a tree to avoid people and horses. But if yoou have a dog with you, they will happily tangle with a dog and the dog rarely wins.

Otter...yeah, they're cute as sin. Operative word there: Sin. :winkgrin: Don't mess with them, stay away from banks on rivers or ponds if you have them in your area. Most will dive and go away, some will stand and fight.

All mustelids (weasels, et al) in general are cocky and have Napolean syndrom.

Bear...we only have black bear around here and they have an excellent sense of smell so will move away if they smell a horse coming. If you see cubs, turn and leave. They don't make sayings about "as bad as a mother bear protecting her cubs" for no good reason. But most of the time your horse will smell them first and let you know they're around.

Coyote may follow trail riders...they actually enjoy that. They're weird, and nosy as hell and like to see what humans riding big animals are doing. But they're not known to attack.

And last one I can think of off the top of my head, orb weaver spiders. They can catch a horse and rider in the wwebs they weave across trails. Neithr horse nor rider will be injured in the web attack...but many a rider has been know to still kick on hard, swiping madly at their face and shrieking, "getitoff, getitoff, getitoff!" :D

Susan P

Jun. 8, 2009, 11:06 PM

Ground hogs! :eek:

My friend was riding my horse near a ground hog hole and mamma jumped out at him and he ran for his life, all 1,600 or so pounds of him. I think he probably jumped aside first, but they can inflict a nasty bite and can be very aggressive at the right time. Normally they are pretty mild and stay away from people.

Watch out for snakes if you are near tall grass and trees.

carla54

Jun. 8, 2009, 11:41 PM

Guinea Hens! When I was a kid, my spooky mare Carmel and I always dreaded riding by Mr. Hunt's Farm. The Guineas would hide in the ditch and come charging out at us in a large bunch right when we got next to them. Then they would chase us down the road for about a quarter mile. It got to be quite a game, at least for the Guinea hens!

TBMaggie

Jun. 8, 2009, 11:55 PM

Had my helmet pecked to death by a pissed off momma bird before.

Any animal in rut gets Chuck Norris syndrom. Had a tom turkey here last week trying to run down my geldings because he thought they were interested in the same hen he was puffing up for.

A badger or wolverine will stand it's ground as often as it will avoid people or horses. Do NOT mess with either one, just back up and then turn and leave. Both will mock charge and making noises usually only heard in the 9th circle of hell. :lol: And if that doesn't work, both bite. Neither cares if the thing they're biting is over 1000 lbs. They may block the trail once in a while if they have a den, food or babies nearby. When they block a trail and say, "Don't pass" then listen to them and do not pass.

Fisher can be particularly nasty too, although they prefer being up in trees rather than on the ground and they see you a lot more often than you see them. Most will run up a tree to avoid people and horses. But if yoou have a dog with you, they will happily tangle with a dog and the dog rarely wins.

Otter...yeah, they're cute as sin. Operative word there: Sin. :winkgrin: Don't mess with them, stay away from banks on rivers or ponds if you have them in your area. Most will dive and go away, some will stand and fight.

All mustelids (weasels, et al) in general are cocky and have Napolean syndrom.

Bear...we only have black bear around here and they have an excellent sense of smell so will move away if they smell a horse coming. If you see cubs, turn and leave. They don't make sayings about "as bad as a mother bear protecting her cubs" for no good reason. But most of the time your horse will smell them first and let you know they're around.

Coyote may follow trail riders...they actually enjoy that. They're weird, and nosy as hell and like to see what humans riding big animals are doing. But they're not known to attack.

QuoteAnd last one I can think of off the top of my head, orb weaver spiders. They can catch a horse and rider in the wwebs they weave across trails. Neithr horse nor rider will be injured in the web attack...but many a rider has been know to still kick on hard, swiping madly at their face and shrieking, "getitoff, getitoff, getitoff!" :D

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Risk-Averse Rider

Jun. 9, 2009, 12:36 AM

Coyote may follow trail riders...they actually enjoy that. They're weird, and nosy as hell and like to see what humans riding big animals are doing. But they're not known to attack.
<determinedly ignoring the spider tale.... eeeuuuwww>

Mr. Blondie & I were riding in McDowell Mtn. Park once and I noticed he was flicking his ears back, as if there were something happening behind us.

Expecting a mountain biker, I turned around and discovered we were being followed by a coyote.

Broad daylight.

I pointed out that we were a tad large for him, but he continued to follow. (Probably dialing Acme Horse Traps on his Bluetooth :D)

Eventually, he strolled off into the desert.

macmtn

Jun. 9, 2009, 08:06 AM

ponygirl

Jun. 9, 2009, 09:23 AM

Wild pigs will. Had that happen twice while trail riding. Had no idea horses can make dinosaur noises. We all escaped unscathed but there was a lot of running and screaming.

Bluey

Jun. 9, 2009, 09:38 AM

Wild pigs will. Had that happen twice while trail riding. Had no idea horses can make dinosaur noises. We all escaped unscathed but there was a lot of running and screaming.

Yes, we are getting those wild pigs here in the last few years and our normally very laid back horses have been since playing giraffe.
I don't blame them, those pigs are strange, smelly and make odd noises.
We are at war with those invaders, as they are very destructive to native species, reproduce incredibly fast and the whole world is their oyster, only humans being their predators.:(

xeroxchick

Jun. 9, 2009, 09:45 AM

<determinedly ignoring the spider tale.... eeeuuuwww>

Mr. Blondie & I were riding in McDowell Mtn. Park once and I noticed he was flicking his ears back, as if there were something happening behind us.

Expecting a mountain biker, I turned around and discovered we were being followed by a coyote.

Broad daylight.

I pointed out that we were a tad large for him, but he continued to follow. (Probably dialing Acme Horse Traps on his Bluetooth :D)

Eventually, he strolled off into the desert.

Sometimes animals will follow a rider because we are stirring up mice or other little creatures. I notice this when I school in certain fields. A hawk follows me around and hunts mice.

gieriscm

Jun. 9, 2009, 09:51 AM

I had a Canada Goose chase us once. I was riding along the edge of a pond, and she must have had a nest in the tall grass. She popped up, hissed, and started coming at us. The TB I was on wanted nothing to do with her, and we left the area a lot faster than we'd entered it!

Inverness

Jun. 9, 2009, 11:24 AM

Never trust a peacock.

BuddyRoo

Jun. 9, 2009, 11:31 AM

Swans. Meanest danged birds ever IMHO.

Oh wait, the red tailed hawk. Had a nesting pair in the back corner of my pasture a few years ago. I was on my steady eddy mare (thank GOD!) when one swooped down and was coming after me. Scary stuff. It was very very close....As soon as I realized where I was, I started galloping out of "range" but apparently not fast enough.

Moose are scary. Elk.

Bears, mountain lions...part of the scary thing with them is that when your horse sees one, your horse may leave without you! (that happened on a trail out in Wyoming-never seen my horse spin and take off the other direction so fast in my life!)

Bicycles. They are deadly you know. So are strollers!!!

I have not been attacked by an ostrich or emu, but they act like they'd like to from the other side of the fence.

Goats.

Llamas

JSwan

Jun. 9, 2009, 11:32 AM

Swans. Meanest danged birds ever IMHO.

Hey - no fair! I'm nice as can be! :winkgrin:

AnotherRound

Jun. 9, 2009, 11:40 AM

Ran across a large male moose on the trail one day. HIS TRAIL!!:mad::eek::mad:
He proved it by chasing us all the way home....right to our pasture. My Arab thought he was the grim reaper.. and he wasn't far wrong.
A definite brown shorts moment...

I was thinking about moose. I mean, how do you outrun a moose? Lets see. 1000 pound TB, if your're lucky conditioned for distance rides, vs. 2200 pound moose of very little brain conditioned for life in the wild, I think I would run the horse home and right up the front steps into the living room. I mean, you can't swim across a pond to get away, sheesh, what do you do to ditch a moose??

I guess is makes pepper spray take on a new meaning?

AnotherRound

Jun. 9, 2009, 11:46 AM

Oh. Black cats. My cat, Kitten! used to practice killing horses all the time. He'd crouch down in the tall grass about 10 feet from the grazing horse, who ignored him, and wiggle his butt down until he was perfectly poised, and wait. And wait. At the unsuspecting moment, he would leap high into the air, toes a-splay, and land somewhat closer. In this way, he would work his way incrementally towards the final death blow for the horse. Who pretty much ignored him, as he was busy eating. Later, Kitten! might try again, from a different angle. Definitely a killer, so watch out for those.

Sleepy

Jun. 9, 2009, 11:53 AM

Barnfairy

Jun. 9, 2009, 12:09 PM

To date I've ridden by deer, moose, black bear, wild turkey, and a myriad of other creatures, domesticated or otherwise, without issue.

The most threatening animal I've ever encountered?: human.

Just this past spring while riding my sweet 25 year old mare, some jerk driving a custom recreational vehicle swerved at us, intentionally, shouting at us to "get the f*** out of the way" (we were on a private driveway -- I have permission to ride there; motorized rec. vehicles do not -- and there were still snow banks so we were trapped.) He came within 5 or 6' as he passed at about 30 mph. Pea kept her head and saved us both from serious injury that day. :no:

asb_own_me

Jun. 9, 2009, 12:56 PM

The most threatening animal I've ever encountered?: human.

Just this past spring while riding my sweet 25 year old mare, some jerk driving a custom recreational vehicle swerved at us, intentionally, shouting at us to "get the f*** out of the way" (we were on a private driveway -- I have permission to ride there; motorized rec. vehicles do not -- and there were still snow banks so we were trapped.) He came within 5 or 6' as he passed at about 30 mph. Pea kept her head and saved us both from serious injury that day. :no:

Agreed. A friend and I were almost run over by a total jackass driving a gravel truck down a private country road we have permission to be on. My green bean 4 y/o was doing okay until my friend's horse freaked....so Atlas thought he should get out of Dodge too. Very nearly directly into the adjoining pasture's barbed wire. Truck blew by at about 45 mph, spilling gravel everywhere and hitting the air brakes, and the jackass driving was LAUGHING. LAUGHING.

I still wish I had carried my gun that day. As he was blowing down the road a half mile back, we started waving at him to slow down. Betcha he would have heeded our request had I leveled my .38 at his dumb laughing face. :mad::mad::mad:

kookicat

Jun. 9, 2009, 12:58 PM

Cows are the worst around here. I hate riding near them. Luckily, Asp thinks she's a QH and loves cows, so it kinda balances out.

dbadaro

Jun. 9, 2009, 01:28 PM

Never trust a peacock.

where i ride there are two males, one female and a bunch of babies. they are always making noise. at first my horse was afraid of the males (the plumes) but now i've taught him to chase them and they usually walk away. they are tame, not wild but the owners let them wander.

citydog

Jun. 9, 2009, 01:40 PM

Black bears are actually quite timid, although their displays (if you do manage to sneak up on one) are frightening. There are some neat videos at http://www.bear.org that made me feel a lot better about riding in bear country--I like knowing how to interpret them.

Lori T

Jun. 9, 2009, 02:04 PM

Deer, or at least that is what my mare thinks. :rolleyes:

I was going to say the exact same thing! A deer jumped out in front of Tucker while on the trail a few weeks ago and he has not gotten over it..he is now to the point of being dangerous while trail riding, he is waiting for the next deer to pop out..yet they graze all the time in the pasture with him!

Amchara

Jun. 9, 2009, 08:32 PM

Seals. All the ones I have ran into have gone galumphing back to the water, but a friend ran into one that was hissing at her horse and was going to go after her dog. Of course, most horses probably could outrun a seal.

MistyBlue

Jun. 9, 2009, 08:35 PM

Seals...now that's not one I'd have thought of. Although they're suposed to be pretty territorial at times and can be nasty as heck if they want to be.
It's just a funny visual of a horse getting chased by what looks like a blob of jello falling down stairs. :lol:
Saw a video once on a nature show of a man getting chased by a bull elephant seal...who the hell knew they were THAT big and could move THAT fast??? My heart would have stopped! :eek:

Catersun

Jun. 9, 2009, 09:39 PM

Hey - no fair! I'm nice as can be! :winkgrin:

I think you count.... for stewing any loose kds ;)

Amchara

Jun. 10, 2009, 12:21 AM

MistyBlue-Benefits of living on an island with the beach just a little jaunt down a path :D.

Seals are funny, the juveniles I see fleeing to the water are basically hurtling themselves down the shore as fast as they can waddle. They're pretty timid at that stage. I've yet to run into a territorial adult, but I'll report back if and when I do.

crazyhorses

Jun. 10, 2009, 01:12 AM

Here? Killer bees! Scary-ness.

2DogsFarm

Jun. 10, 2009, 01:40 PM

Deer, or at least that is what my mare thinks. :rolleyes:

Well, your mare is right - especially in rutting season, steer clear of anywhere you know deer to be.

Angel Undercover

Jun. 10, 2009, 01:51 PM

Coyotes, cougars, fishers are something you definitely don't want to mess with either. And I definitely agree with the Canada Geese!! Those are some NASTY birds!! I have been chased by them before, they hiss and bite and are very territorial.

atr

Jun. 10, 2009, 03:57 PM

Owls. Being swooped at by a big, territorial pair of owls is an unforgettable experience.

I have also had trouble with moose. You really need to stay alert to make sure you don't get between mother and baby out in the woods. That can get pretty serious pretty quickly.

Elk tend to run away, but as they are usually in large herds, that can present a problem too. I was riding quietly through a thickly wooded draw one hot summer afternoon when the entire damned place apparently exploded around me--we'd wandered into the middle of a herd of about 50 snoozing elk. Horse was so astonished he just stood there, frozen to the spot until the world righted itself.

Saidapal

Jun. 10, 2009, 04:05 PM

Man, you folks are making me realize how lucky I am.

I did get spit at by the Bahia Camel once. For the rest of the time we lived in that area my mare absolutely refused to go by his pasture ever again. We had to cross the road.

Oh, and there was the killer turtle sauntering onto the trail to the amusement of me and the humbling of my mare. She heard it rustling and was convinced it was a big bad horsey monster out to get her. I don't think she ever forgave me for laughing when it finally revealed itself.

I live in Mildsville!!! And I'm not complaining.

vacation1

Jun. 10, 2009, 04:23 PM

How about alligators and crocodiles? Big enough, eat large grazing animals in the wild...

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/803164/detail.html
2001 Florida
the owner of the 4-year-old Arabian horse, watched in shock as the alligator bit the horse on the face, chest and front and hind legs and dragged the animal into the water. The alligator eventually let the horse go, and the horse was not seriously injured.

And a shark....

http://www.qt.com.au/story/2005/03/23/apn-shark-mauls/
Australia 2005
Grandchester-based horse trainer Alan Treadwell said gelding Glen-burns Arm was swimming across the river when the shark struck about 9.30am. He said he regularly exercised the six-year-old pacer in the river to improve its stamina and muscle development. "The shark had a couple of good goes at (his rump) ? he was struggling for about 15 seconds before he got free," Mr Treadwell said yesterday.

cloudyandcallie

Jun. 10, 2009, 04:38 PM

OMG, an Inverness sighting! Haven't seen you for ages. Welcome back!

Back to the topic. Rhett and I were attacked on the trail by a VULTURE! I kid you not. The BO's son had disposed of the Thanksgiving turkey carcass by dumping it the woods. About 20 feet off the trail. So this vulture was sitting in a tree, eyeing the remains and dive bombed us. Not a pleasant experience, I can tell you. :eek:

My WB once spent about 10 minutes chasing a buzzard one time, to the delight of the BO and another witness. Sadly, I was not there with a camera to record his victory.
So far the gators and wild hogs have left us alone. Domestic dogs are the worst. And the deer are our friends usually.

Pirateer

Jun. 10, 2009, 05:25 PM

. I mean, you can't swim across a pond to get away, sheesh, what do you do to ditch a moose??

You shoot him and eat him, of course. :)

pAin't_Misbehavin'

Jun. 10, 2009, 06:50 PM

How about alligators and crocodiles? Big enough, eat large grazing animals in the wild...

A croc, maybe. I don't know any crocodiles. But that gator story made me go:eek: in amazement. We have lots of 'em here, and they're usually pretty cautious. Even if a gator went for a horse, I'd expect it to let go once it realized what it had hold of. But the story says the gator bit repeatedly and even dragged the horse into the water? Wow.

The shark story sounds very plausible. I could see a shark biting a time or two, realizing it wasn't something normally on the menu, and going on about its business. And bull sharks are often found in rivers - there's plenty of 'em in the Cooper River in Charleston!:yes: When we'd dive there for artifacts (a very dark, no visibility dive), we were always told: if something hits you above six feet, it's probably a gator; deeper than that, probably a bull shark.