[wcporter]

Tonight, while I was scrubbing the knee/hock high mud off of my horse's legs, I found myself in compromising positions (crouching either in front of or behind him and "under" him) more than once.

While I am always VERY aware of where I am at all times (i.e., not zoning out) and ready to quickly move out of the way at any second, I know if he were to move suddenly or strike or kick, I could be a goner.

Further, I would never attempt to position myself that way around almost any other horse. But the barn was empty and quiet and I know my horse very well and trust him.

But still, am I insane? Does anyone else take "safety" risks with their horse that they would't dare attempt with an unfamiliar horse?

I am not sensitive, so if you feel I deserve a lashing, by all means, have at it! lol

[msj]

Well, I won't give you a lashing for being in some compromising positions. I think we all have done it at some time or another. But do be careful. At least you're aware you could be in a compromising position.

While the barn might be quiet what if someone unexpectedly came to visit and the barn door banged open or shut? It wouldn't take much for the horse to suddenly move and knock you over.

Just this fall, treating my horse for scratches and trying to scrub up his heels, he could very easily have kicked the living daylights out of me or knocked me over trying to get away from the pain. Turns out it wasn't scratches but vasculitis and the treatment is NOT scrubbing the scabs off! So, I was just as guilty as you were but I also was aware after a couple of bad attempts I couldn't do it even with him sedated with zylazine. After having the vet out several times to do the work, I finally suggested doing a biopsy and that's when it was confirmed he had vasculitis and not scratches.

I know I try to be as safety conscious as concieivably possible around the farm but then I'm all alone and know that if something happened, no one would know it. Hopefully if the mail wasn't picked up in the mailbox the postwoman would have enough sense to do something like check to see if there was anyone around the house or barn.

The current horse I have is wonderful and I've had one before that I trusted even more but I do know that I'm no match for a 1200 lb horse.

[HeartsongHorses]

I have done similar things around my horse. Maybe I am too trusting? I have owned her a long time and I know her very well. Most things I would never do with another horse. Still if something were to happen it would be all my fault, because horses are well, horses.

[dbolte]

I have done things like this- sitting on buckets to cold hose, etc.- but always with horses I know well and can somewhat predict how they're going to behave. It is NOT something I would do with a horse I did not know well or any young horse.

[flowersmom2]

I got caught on one of those this summer. Was bending down working on his hooves, saw something I missed on the first one and leaned over to add an extra splash. For some reason, he decided to lift a knee at that point and got me in the face. Glasses were never the same. And yes, he's very trustworthy, but I was stupid.

[KitKat987]

Yup. I have trusted too much in the past... And I took a number of poop balls to the top of my head as a result.

[flowersmom2]

I got caught on one of those this summer. Was bending down working on his hooves, saw something I missed on the first one and leaned over to add an extra splash. For some reason, he decided to lift a knee at that point and got me in the face. Glasses were never the same. And yes, he's very trustworthy, but I was stupid.

[msj]

Yup. I have trusted too much in the past... And I took a number of poop balls to the top of my head as a result.

Sorry, but I couldn't help laughing...

[Simkie]

Oh, all the time. I'm pretty good when I know a horse is "risky," but once they've proven they can be trusted, I find myself in all sorts of STUPID places. Luckily, nothing terrible has happened, but every now and then I catch myself wonder "WTF are you DOING?!"

[abv1269]

Omg, I am totally guilty of this!! No excuses, really. Yes, I know my mare well, but really, some of the stuff I do with her could be called flat out stupid. Need to climb halfway under her to straighten that surcingle? Sure! I would yell at my kids if I saw them do it, so why do I instead of walking around to her other side? The other really stupid thing I do is kiss her lips. She loves doing Smoochies, and while it's cute ( weird?) as heck, I do know it's one of the dumber things I do. Speaking of dumb things, why did I admit to doing this stupid stuff on COTh? lol!

[Arab_Mare]

I am very trustful around my main mare. I am always cautious and looking out for bad situations, but I trust her enough to sometimes put myself in those situations without getting hurt.

I also trust my mare to let me know if I am hurting, etc., her by sending a message without kicking/biting/etc. that is dangerous. If I am cleaning her "under area", and she snakes her head and glares at me, I know I am touching a sensitive area and need to back off.

I rely on those types of signals to keep both me and my horse safe.

[wcporter]

Oh, all the time. I'm pretty good when I know a horse is "risky," but once they've proven they can be trusted, I find myself in all sorts of STUPID places. Luckily, nothing terrible has happened, but every now and then I catch myself wonder "WTF are you DOING?!"

YES. That's exactly what I was thinking when I was bent over and my face was 3 inches from his knee. I stopped for a moment and heard my old, childhood trainer coming up behind me and yelling, "What is WRONG with you?! Do you have a death wish?!

[Snugglerug]

I think we all do it. I know I'm guilty. I remember hearing somewhere that your best horse is also the one most likely to accidentally hurt you, because you let your guard down.

[Simkie]

Sometimes I even tell my husband (who is a horse neophyte, but learning) "see what I'm doing right here? THIS IS STUPID. Don't do this."

[ambar]

I stopped for a moment and heard my old, childhood trainer coming up behind me and yelling, "What is WRONG with you?! Do you have a death wish?!

Yep, my old 4H leaders ride on my shoulder and say much the same when I'm doing something overly trusting!

[shakeytails]

I trust the ones that are trustworthy. I stand directly behind them in prime kick range while washing tails (while wearing Crocs! ) , and have no issues with kneeling or sitting on a bucket beside them for whatever reason. I feed treats improperly using my fingertips. I'll sit on the ground or a bucket when hand-grazing certain horses. Yeah, I'm bad. But in my defense, I don't do any of the above when there are novices around, so at least I'm not setting a bad example.

[Texarkana]

Sometimes I even tell my husband (who is a horse neophyte, but learning) "see what I'm doing right here? THIS IS STUPID. Don't do this."

I say that ALL the time when folks who are new around horses are watching me!

My horses have spoiled me, I CAN do stupid stuff with them and trust that they probably won't intentionally kill me. And I take it for granted.

I did have a rude awakening a few weekends ago. I was run over by one of my loose horses in the pasture. The horse was walking loose behind me in the field and spooked-- I just happened to be in the way. I was very lucky I wasn't hurt.

It was a freak situation that I couldn't have truly prevented, but it was a reminder that even the best horses that you know well can act unpredictably.

[PNWjumper]

Yup. I have trusted too much in the past... And I took a number of poop balls to the top of my head as a result.

Ahaha! I've been there I had my big jumper in the tack/grooming stall at a show this summer where he really didn't fit (since I keep my trunk, saddle stands, etc. in there as well....and not in a nice orderly fashion like "real" barns). He had me crammed against my trunk and I was freaking exhausted after a big class in the heat. I decided to sit on a bucket and prop his back foot up on my leg to take out his studs. Well, he started jumping around like a loon, but he's kind of an ass like that under the best of circumstances so I just growled at him and held onto his leg. Lo and behold, precious had to poop. Because I was wedged between his hind end and the tack trunk I had no place to crawl away from it and about half of his poop bounced off of my shoulder/arm before I literally scaled the side of my tack trunk and made it to safety.

There were so many WAY WORSE things that could have happened to me doing something that stupid. But then again, I was wearing my whites....which are just *that* much less white now...

[danceronice]

I am vastly too trusting (most notably letting my mind wander while riding) because Lucky is, as a general rule, such a laid-back horse and slow to react it never occurs to me to worry about him. Which makes it that much more alarming if he DOES do something unusual.

[NBChoice]

I think everyone with horses has done something dumb like that before. I do things all the time that I know I shouldn't do.

Like others have said, I've been working on hooves and lean over to fix the other one and bam, I get hit in the face or shoulder with a flying knee. More recently I was doing a bib clip on my pony that is blind in one eye. I stupidly sat in front of him because I was having a hard time seeing what I was doing. Really dumb... thankfully he didn't move or anything, he likes being clipped... but it could have ended in a disaster.

I also sometimes stand right behind when I'm picking through/washing/braiding my gelding's tail. I usually stand off to the side, but there are times when he shifts and I don't even realize I'm right behind him.