When Horses Attack

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Voiceover by Carl Mason: [email protected]

They may be one of the most loved animals on earth but horses can sometimes kill. We bring you some moments when horses attack.

What is it?
Equus ferus caballus or the common horse is a hoofed mammal, also known as an ungulate that belongs to the Equidae family. Horses are characterized by elongated heads, thick long necks that feature long-haired manes, muscular torsos, short body hair and long tails. They’re herbivores whose diet consists of grass and other plantlife. Male horses are known as stallions while female’s are known as mares. There’s over 400 breeds of horse in the world, from hoof to shoulder they can stand up to 6ft and weigh over 2000 pounds and reach speeds of between 20 to 35 miles per hour with the fastest recorded gallop over a short distance being 43.97 miles per hour. Horses have a particularly strong fight-or-flight response and a well-developed sense of balance, their laterally placed eyes are the largest of any land animal and give them a range of vision that exceeds 350 degrees. In addition, their sense of smell is much better than that of humans and their ears can rotate 180 degrees which allows them to achieve 360 degree hearing without moving their heads. Horses are intelligent social animals capable of performing several cognitive tasks on a daily basis. They also have the ability of identifying individuals based on a social system.

Number 4: Christopher Reeve
Star of four Superman movies, actor Christopher Reeve became a quadriplegic following a horse riding accident that took place during an equestrian competition. Reeve first become involved with horse riding in 1985 after learning to ride for the film Anna Karenina. Despite being allergic to horses he soon overcame his allergy and by 1989 he was taking part in riding events. In 1995 he rode his thoroughbred horse, nicknamed ‘Buck’, in an event at Culpeper, Virginia. After placing fourth of 27 in dressage, Reeve entered the cross-country course. On the 27th of May, 1995, his horse made a refusal, meaning that it stopped before executing a jump. The sudden stop caused Reeve to fall head first in the far side of the fence. The impact resulted in a cervical spine injury that shattered his first and second vertebrae. Paralyzed from the neck down Reeve had breathing difficulties as his skull and spine weren’t connected. His lungs were filling with fluid that had to be drained through an entry in his throat. This is often referred to as the most painful part of recovery. Despite extensive surgery that brought some improvement to his condition, 6-foot-4 Christopher Reeve would be confined to a wheelchair until his death on the 10th of October 2004.

Where is it located?
The evolution of the horse as we know it today began around 50 million years ago and they’ve been domesticated for at least 5,000 years. Throughout time they have been used in warfare, agriculture, transportation, sports and entertainment. The idea of wild horses refers to domesticated populations that live in the wild as feral horses. These feral specimens are not truly ‘wild’ as they’ve been previously domesticated. The endangered Przewalski's horse, another subspecies of the Equus genus, is the only remaining wild horse species. Because of domestication, horses are found on every continent around the world, with the exception of Antarctica. Although still used for work and transportation in certain parts of the world, their main current use is in equestrianism in sports such as dressage, horse polo, show-jumping or cross-country. Other uses include therapeutic horseback riding as experiments have revealed that association with an equine companion has improved the lives of people suffering from anxiety disorders, mental illness, psychotic disorders or behavioral difficulties.

Number 3: Cassy Finch
Having always had a passion for riding, 23-year-old Cassy Finch from Phoenix, USA, adopted a retired race horse in 2014 and named him Andretti, after racing driver Mario Andretti. When she adopted him, the 6-year-old stallion was on his way to the slaughter. On the 16th of July, three days after rescuing him, Ms. Finch took Andretti for a walk. He became startled when a jogger passed by, and, unfortunately, Ms. Finch held on to him and ended up in his blind spot. Andretti kicked out and struck Ms. Finch in the head which, according to her, sent her ‘flying’. Blood began pouring down her face. A passer-by called the emergency services and Ms. Finch was taken to the hospital. The kick left Cassy with a fractured skull, brain swelling, a crushed sinus bone and a broken nose. She also had an inch-deep gash on her forehead that needed surgery. 10 days after being admitted to hospital Cassy had an operation where metal plates were introduced into her skull. Even after she was released from hospital she continued to suffer from memory loss and headaches. ‘I felt like I had been hit by a train, I'd never felt a pain like it in my life and I will never forget it, but I was determined to start riding as soon as I could’, Cassy told a reporter. 12 weeks later she was back in the saddle and continued to ride Andretti, who she didn’t blame for what had happened.

How will it kill you?
Despite the many benefits that they bring us, horses are still big powerful animals that can kill in a number of ways mainly due to their strong fight-or-flight response. Their muscular bodies can deliver explosive kicks capable of instantly killing an adult. Horses have a blind spot behind them, which means that should they ever get startled and kick with their hind legs, the person in their blind spot is in danger. Depending on where and the force of the kick, death or long term damage is possible. Kicks are not the only possible dangerous outcome of interactions between horses and people, as there’ve been cases of horses trampling people to death. Other dangers are the unpredictable behavior that still exists to a certain degree and that can manifest itself, as situations have shown, even in cases where the horses have been with the same owner for years. Riding a horse may be extremely therapeutic and even functional, but the possibility of being thrown off is still present. A 2017 study from the Melbourne University in Australia has revealed that, in recent years, more people have been killed by horses than any of the country’s many venomous creatures. According to records from 2000 to 2013, 74 Australians were killed after being thrown or trampled by a horse. The speed, endurance and resilience that horses posses have been great factors in their use in warfare from as early as 4 or 3000 BC and up to the 21st century, when they were used during the War in Darfur. During this time various weapons, armors, chariots and riding techniques have been developed around horses in order to obtain an advantage in conflict.

Number 2: Jocelyne Campos
In June 2017, a teenage girl from Texas died in a tragic riding accident after she was thrown from her horse. 19-year-old Jocelyne Campos sustained multiple blunt force injuries as a result of the fall. The teen and her friends were riding near Echo Lake when something startled the horse causing it to throw Ms. Campos to the ground. A report from the Centers of Disease Control noted that her injuries were consistent with around 60% of fatalities from horse riding incidents. According to her friends Jocelyne was an animal lover. Her grandfather owned a farm and she reportedly enjoyed going there to see the animals. It’s unclear whether the teen was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

How to survive?
Most trainers would agree that respecting what the horse is capable of and understanding what an interaction with it implies are key elements towards ensuring a safe experience. The concepts that most trainers operate with are ‘respect’ and ‘control’. There are, however, tips that beginners may benefit from as well. You should always start working with a horse that is calm and quiet. Loud noises or sudden moves are not recommended as this may cause the horse to kick out or jump sideways. Leading a horse should be performed with a halter and lead rope and you should never tie yourself to the animal in any way. Protective equipment should include an equestrian helmet and sturdy shoes or boots to protect your feet should the horse or pony step on them. Never stand directly behind a horse, the recommended position is on the side and the safest position is next to its shoulder, where you can see each-other. Treats should be given from tubs or buckets as horses tend to quickly become greedy and may mistake fingers for carrots. When cleaning its stall and during grooming or saddling up, the horse should be tied up and not let loose in the barn. The doorway that you lead the horse through should always be wide enough so that it doesn’t hit itself. This can result in it becoming startled and cause it to drag or trample you.

Number 1: Bonnie Armitage
On the 2nd of April 2016, 9-year-old Bonnie Armitage was taking part in a trail hunt meant to simulate a fox hunt while riding her Shetland pony. The schoolgirl was a competent and experienced rider and had reportedly first sat on a pony when she was six weeks old. She was equipped with a riding hat as well as a body and shoulder protector. She was also under the supervision of a family member. Around 50 riders took part in the event. Fairly early in the hunt Bonnie’s pony approached a bigger horse, ridden by circus boss Toti Gifford. The bigger horse kicked out and struck little Bonnie in the chest. “My horse is really big and there was this really little horse, the Shetland, underneath my feet almost. It went really fast, past me, and then carried on. Then I looked back and I saw Bonnie.” said Mr. Gifford. Bonnie had fallen from her mount and lost consciousness. Paramedics were called to the farm and made desperate attempts to save her life, but, tragically, Bonnie died a short time later. The medical report concluded that she had died from haemopericardium, which is blood accumulated in the heart sack. This was triggered by impact trauma to the front lateral chest. It remained unclear as to what made the horse kick out.

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