Wild Stallion Off Maryland Coast Lands Kick Where Men Fear Most

ASSATEAGUE ISLAND, MD — There are signs posted to not pet the wild horses roaming the beautiful Assateague Island located off the coast of Maryland. It's not just for the horses' protection, but for the beachgoers' safety, too, which one man learned the hard way.

An older gentleman wearing a black Speedo decided to attempt to pet a beautiful brown stallion walking among the beachgoers. For that, he paid a painful price. The horse wasn't interested in the man's attention and lashed out at him, giving him a quick shot with a hind leg. (See a link to the video below.)

The horse landed a swift kick to the man's groin, causing the man to clutch himself and collapse on the sandy beach. Most everyone standing around watching the brazen man make a foolish mistake stood for a second in disbelief until a few strangers approached him to offer their help.

Wild horses have claimed the island as their own for centuries, reportedly arriving there after a shipwreck caused them to roam the island. While they mingle with humans on a daily basis, they are still wild animals and uninterested in any affection. The brown stallion made the news and footage of the weekend incident has gone viral.

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Patch recently reported that Assateague Island National Seashore, best described as an undeveloped strip of land laced with wildlife trails, is great for camping and observing the wild horses that roam the park. The island straddles Maryland and Virginia, and is home to bald eagles, island foxes, dolphins and whales. National Geographic Traveler named it one of the 10 best U.S. state parks.

The National Park System has tips for how to act around the wild horses in case a person is lucky enough to see one:

• For your safety and the safety of the horses, do not approach, touch or feed them
• Stay at least a “bus length” away, but remember that may still be much too close depending on the circumstances
• If horses approach you, back off and return to your vehicle
• If horses approach your vehicle, roll all windows up
• Don’t open trunks or coolers if horses are nearby
• Assateague horses DO bite and kick, and can carry rabies
• These horses are WILD; they don’t behave like domestic horses and can’t be treated like domestic horses
• Citations may be issued for feeding or petting horses or any other wildlife

Man is kicked in the genitals by wild horse on Assateague Island after he ignores signs warning visitors not to pet the animals https://t.co/QjiPcOOXI8
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) July 20, 2019