I had several horses as a kid and as a teenager. None of them we’re especially mean. When I worked as a stablehand/wrangler even docile herds ran up and trample people (No: they don’t dodge you at the last minute) they’re intent on getting the feed they assume humans are carrying. Likewise with most cattle. Although neither are true “wildlife” I remember reading somewhere that more people are killed every year by domestic cattle than any other animal worldwide. Presumably at least partially because they aren’t wildlife (humans just naturally have more interaction with domestic animals)
"None of them were especially mean"?????
Even though they would run up and
trample you?? And you call that 'docile'?? Jesus - what would a horse have to do to you before you
would describe it as mean?
And I can speak from years of personal experience that horses which have been properly trained
most bloody well DO dodge you at the last minute
- unless the owners / wranglers have allowed them to get away with such aggressive behaviour. So whose fault is that?
If you're dumb enough to let horses get away with that sort of behaviour, more fool you. I've only ever had to deal with a horse like that once, and I walloped him across the face hard enough that my hand was throbbing for hours - but he never tried it again, even though he'd kick and bite the stupid cow who owned him at the drop of a hat. And why did he do that to her? Because he'd tried it on and found she'd let him get away with it.
If I knew I was dealing with a bunch of horses that thought it OK to behave like that, the first time they'd see me, I'd have the heftiest rope or whip I could find, and I'd use it. Horses don't have equals; either you're in charge of them, or they're in charge of you.
Size doesn't come into it; when I started riding in Malta (RAF), there was an 8 year old girl, small for her age, who rode the stallions in the Combined Services Saddle Club at Valetta - and those Libyan Barbs were as tough as old boots, physically and mentally. But Shrimp didn't take any nonsense from them; they tried it on when they first met her, but they soon got the message.
I met a bloke at a party once, and said to him, "You're the bloke who trains troublesome dogs, aren't you?"
"No", he said, "I train stupid and ignorant owners; once I've got them sorted out, the dogs aren't troublesome any more."
Horses (and children) are just the same.