Given that horses are animals of prey, they like to know that they can move their feet in a hurry when they feel they need to do so. The horses' hooves are their means of survival. If a horse is feeling threatened, the first thing they want to do is run. They can't run if they're feet are not able to move. How does this relate to kicking out at the farrier when it's time to have the back hooves trimmed and shod? Think about it. When the horse is in the cross ties, inside an enclosed area, with a human holding up a rear hoove, that horse knows its not going anywhere. It is trapped. Now if the horse is feeling threatened by the farrier, that feeling is only going to exacerbate the situation. The same applies to the horse that is out on the trail. If the horse spooks while under saddle and in bridle, the rider's hand is confining. To compound the situation, if the horse doesn't trust the rider then the horse is not going to listen to the rider's hand, seat, leg or anything else the rider uses as "direction" when the horse is feeling threatened in some manner. Simple. Well, everything boils down to the horse's inherant flee or fight instinct, the horse's instinct is going to absolutely overrule anything the rider may be trying to convey. That is, unless the horse TRUSTS the human to keep it safe.
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