Leaning forward on front limbs and kicking back or out with one or both feet (1, 2)
Lifting leg to kick up towards stomach (2)
Kicking is a normal behavior the stems from survival and reproduction, much like Bucking (1, 2). Horses develop the ability to kick early in life, and the behavior will continue throughout its life. Before kicking, horses may show threatening behaviors:
Kick threat
Backing
Presenting rear
Facial expressions (ear pinning, muscle tension)
Vocalizations
Head tossing
Slight bucking
Tail swishing
Below is an example of a horse kicking after threatening. It is a quick threat before kicking, and it shows how quickly horses react compared to humans.
There are many reasons why a horse might kick, but they mainly break down to some kind of excitement or stress. Horses kick during play as well as in self-defense, much like dogs play fight.
Social Relationships
Kicking is a common occurrence when horses are meeting each other. They may not be kicking at each other, but the excitement could cause them to kick out (1, 4, 5). Don't panic!
Some aggressive behavior is normal when horses meet and need to establish their relationship. Once they figure it out, they typically settle (4, 5).
Note: Some pairings might not be suitable for housing together, and that's ok. Test out other pairings instead.
Kicking is also seen around mating time for a variety of reasons, including:
Mares rejecting stallions (1)
Mares protecting foals
Stallions protecting mares from other stallions
Stall Housing
Limiting a horses exercise is known to increase unwanted behaviors like kicking (3, 4)
Pain/Discomfort
Pain is a very common reason for a horse to kick (2, 6, 7).
Self-Defense
As a natural survival method, horses may kick out when they feel threatened (1, 2).
Training
Training that is rushed or not focused on the stress signs the horse is showing can increase kicking if the horse feels threatened (11).
Trauma
Horses can retain traumatic memories and show signs of PTSD similarly to humans. If a situation triggers the horse into remembering a traumatic event, it may react explosively with kicking (12).
Restricted access to forage can cause an upset and pain in the gut, which can affect their whole body and increase aggression and issues in handling (5, 6, 7).
Give your horse 24/7 access to forage, or maximize its access to forage where possible (i.e. increasing feedings throughout the day).
Stalling has been linked to increased aggression and issues handling as well, and it increases their risk of injuring themselves on turnout when they are excited and burst into play and running (3, 4, 6).
Maximize your horses turnout time, ideally 24/7 pasture-housing.
Social isolation increases aggression/frustration and affects the horse's ability to learn and interact with other horses later on (3, 4).
Maximize time with friends, again ideally 24/7 turnout with buddies!
Kicking can indicate some kind of pain (7, 8, 9). If the kicking response is consistent and local to you touching a specific area, you may need to call the Vet or Farrier to address an issue causing pain.
Understanding Stress and LIMA
Horses will only kick when they feel the need to because it is a defensive behavior, so it is important for handlers and trainers to learn how to read the minor signs of stress (2, 4).
When we can read those minor signs, we can adjust what we are doing to lower that stress before it escalates into kicking or another dangerous behavior.
Ill-fitting tack or improper training tools and methods can cause a horse to kick (9, 10).
As trainers, it is essential to choose the appropriate equipment to minimize pain and distress, which will then decrease those unwanted behaviors.
McDonnell, S. M. (2003). A practical guide to horse behavior: The equid ethogram. Eclipse Press.
Torcivia, C., & McDonnell, S. (2021). Equine Discomfort Ethogram. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 11(2), 580. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020580
Christensen, J. W., Ladewig, J., Sandergaard, E., & Malmkvist, J. (2001, November 20). Effects of individual versus group stabling on social behaviour in domestic stallions. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159101001964
Dierendonck, M. C. van. (2006, April 19). The importance of social relationships in horses. DSpace Home. https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/8671
Heitor, F., do Mar Oom, M., & Vicente, L. (2006, May 19). Social relationships in a herd of sorraia horses: Part I. correlates of social dominance and contexts of aggression. Behavioural Processes. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037663570600146X
Hockenhull, J., & Creighton, E. (2014). Management practices associated with owner-reported stable-related and handling behaviour problems in UK leisure horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 155, 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2014.02.014
Ermers, C., McGilchrist, N., Fenner, K., Wilson, B., & McGreevy, P. (2023). The fibre requirements of horses and the consequences and causes of failure to meet them. Animals, 13(8), 1414. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13081414
Mach, N., Ruet, A., Clark, A., Bars-Cortina, D., Ramayo-Caldas, Y., Crisci, E., Pennarun, S., Dhorne-Pollet, S., Foury, A., Moisan, M.-P., & Lansade, L. (2020, May 20). Priming for welfare: Gut Microbiota is associated with equitation conditions and behavior in horse athletes. Nature News. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-65444-9
Fureix, C., Menguy, H., & Hausberger, M. (2010). Partners with bad temper: Reject or cure? A study of chronic pain and aggression in horses. PLoS ONE, 5(8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012434
Dyson, S., Bondi, A., Routh, J., & Pollard, D. (2021). An investigation into the relationship between equine behaviour when tacked‐up and mounted and epaxial muscle hypertonicity or pain, girth region hypersensitivity, saddle‐fit, rider position and balance, and lameness. Equine Veterinary Education, 34(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.13440
Sankey, C., Richard-Yris, M.-A., Henry, S., Fureix, C., Nassur, F., & Hausberger, M. (2010, May 21). Reinforcement as a mediator of the perception of humans by Horses (Equus caballus) - animal cognition. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-010-0326-9
Foa, E. B., Zinbarg, R., & Rothbaum, B. O. (1992). Uncontrollability and unpredictability in post-traumatic stress disorder: An animal model. Psychological Bulletin, 112(2), 218–238. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.2.218