Soule: Two ways to be safe behind a horse or cow

Every myth has at least a grain of truth. It doesn’t matter how small that truth might be; it gives life to the bigger myth. Here’s one I hear from almost every visitor to the farm. “Don’t stand behind a horse. You’ll get kicked.”

One of my readers wrote, “This is the second time I’ve noticed kids in your pictures at the hind end of the calves. I grew up around horses and cattle and was taught not to be in their kick zone.”
Watching YouTube, you’d think anyone standing behind a horse would get kicked. I’ve seen some horrendous videos of kicking horses. Yes, it happens, but it doesn’t have to.

When cows and horses kick, they do it for a reason, not just because a human is behind them.
Just like people, they can’t see behind themselves. If a horse doesn’t see or hear you walking up behind, it might kick without thinking. The trick is to let the horses or cows know you are there. Talk to them, and they won’t be alarmed and won’t kick.

If you startle a stranger from behind, that person might strike out without thinking. Startling a person or animal is not polite and can, in the case of a four-legged creature, get you a kick.

Click here to learn what to do.

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Carole Soule's book, "Yes, I Name Them," will be available in September. She is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm in Loudon, N.H., where she raises beef and shares the joys of her farm with kids and adults. She can be reached at carole@soulecoaching.com.