As stated on the home page- Always Be Careful around horses. They can inadvertently hurt you in seconds and then go off and chomp grass leaving you stunned on the ground, or writhing in pain. Don't ever directly approach a strange horse, unless the owner is right there. That even goes for horses in a boarding barn. They may look calm, but once you put your hand out, they could be biters. So be careful, because you just never know. Also most horse owners take a dim view of someone messing around with their horse. I know I do. At horse shows I would get annoyed with people who would try and feed my horse everything from cotton candy to peppermint sticks!

If you have to pass behind a horse, stay well clear of the kick zone. When horses kick, they do so straight out and they have long legs. Announce your presence before you pass, so the rider and or the horse knows you are back there. Horses have several blind spots, just like your car does when you are driving. They can spook easily if they do not know you are behind them. When I walk behind my horses, I always walk as close to their body as I can, and I keep my hand on them. But I have done this from day one with them, and they expect it of me.

Always let a horse know where you are. It's best to not get behind them, and when you approach them from the front, do so at an angle- go toward their shoulder. If you approach them head-on they won't see you very well.

Before you ride your horse for the first time, buy a riding helmet. Prior to mounting your horse with this helmet on, wear the helmet when you are out in the field or the barn with him. This way the horse won't be startled if the person they are learning to bond with suddenly looks like a spaceman! Always wear long pants, boots or hard toed shoes. Don't make the mistake of one gal who wore her steel toed boots out to the pasture, only to have her horse step on her foot and grind the steel down into her toes.....OUCH! It was several weeks before she could even walk again.

Keep your eyes open and your wits about you every time you are near a horse, even if that horse belongs to you. It's the only safe way to be.