How bad are horsie bites really? Shall i just risk it?

Question

I really want to pat these horses i go by for work. Especially the white ones. So I go over and talk nicely but i am too scared to pat them. Frankly they all seem snobbish and skittish. They are not like cats at all so i can't tell if they like me or are scared or hating on me. Shall i just risk it and pat away? I mean surely they won't bite a finger off right?

Answer 1

horse bites vary from size color how bad it bruises but i think oyu should go pet them the worst thing that could happen is the bite breaks the skin

Answer 2

Food for thought....a story of a young woman trailering a stallion from the Portland, Or., area to a new home in Southern Oregon.....traveling down I-5...decides to give her horse a break, pulls into a rest stop, gets out of her truck and goes back to check on the stallion....opens the "feed" door on a older trailer...reaches in and the stallion bites her on the forearm.  Leaves an ugly gash about six inches in length on her forearm plus much bruising....

A few days later, the wound is still bothering her...she goes into the nearest hospital's ER, (mine), and the doctors flush the wound, give her a tetanus shot and tell her to go see her own physician as the wound appears infected.....they prescribe a routine course of antibiotics/painkillers for her.....more days go by; she completes the course of antibiotics and things are still not good....she consults with another primary care doctor who refers her to another physician, this time it's a surgeon.

The surgeon tells her the wound needs to be cleaned out in surgery....she goes through with the surgery, the wound is again flushed, the necrotic material is removed and she again is placed on a course of much stronger antibiotics.

Two weeks later she returns to the surgeon's office; this time, the doctor recommends her being placed on a IV antibiotic as the wound is still reluctant to heal and is demonstrating a relapse in infection.   So, a pic line is placed and she endures three more weeks of IV therapy.......finally, after all the procedures done on her she begins to make headway in healing....this has taken almost three months of continous care before healing finally begins to take place.  

You should begin to understand, through this story, that horse bites are very serious business.  Not to be taken lightly.  

I'd be very reluctant to reach in a stall to pet a horse I did not know just for the story above .... plus, most horse folks I know would rather that you did not pet the horse on its face.   Wait until the horse owner is around before you pet the horse anywhere; preferably on its shoulder.  

Another thing to remember....when a horse bites..it cannot "stop" in mid bite...it's jaws are not designed to do that...it must complete closing its mouth before it can open its mouth again...if there's a human finger in its mouth you may well lose it .... as the horse  has to "complete" the bite.

http://www.ascro.net/index.php?id=102

Link to photo of a severe horse bite......................

Answer 3

Real bad, if they bite real hard you'll get horsie-itis, that's bad for your s*x life.lol

Answer 4

nah, its not really likely they will bite you unless they have trust or mood problems, which are unlikely. if they dont like what you are doing they will put their ears right back and you will probably be able to tell if they are angry. just give them a nice pat on the nose, youll be fine. i once got bitten by a horse altough the only reason was because i had just eaten and she was trying to see if there was any more food lol

Answer 5

they could bite

Answer 6

Actually they are quite capable of biting a finger straight off. If you don't know them and you are not confident around them then look but don't touch.

Answer 7

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! she wants to pat the little white horsies!

seriously, dont pat a horse you dont know. and this is what a normal horse bite looks like. and this is NOT bad for a horse bite!http://www.american-flex.com/horse%20bit...

Answer 8

it wont hurt just do it.

Answer 9

all you can do is try.

go up to the horses, slowly with your hand held out and see if they stay.

if they lunge or pin their ears back i wouldnt recommend trying to pet them, but if they dont, go ahead!

its all about the horses body language.

Answer 10

I would leave them be. I'm sure the owners of the horses would not apreciate a stranger getting bit by one of their horses.

if they are afraid of you, I doubt you'll get close enough to pet them anyway.

Answer 11

risk but dont go up so fast and maybe bring some treats and once one comes they all will come

Answer 12

A horse bite can be pretty bad, but most horses won't bite you. At your risk, I recommend that you take some carrots with you (cut them in half) and offer them, one at a time, in an outstretched open hand. The way this goes should give you info on whether they will allow you to pet them. They like being stroked on the sides of the neck and the jaw (think muscle), BTW. You'll be able to tell with a little practice and they'll tend to be more comfortable and friendly with carrots as a gift. You can also use apples but carrots are cheaper and easier to deal with - quarter an apple if you want to do the same thing with them.

Answer 13

I hate to say it, but I never pet a horse I don't know.

I *doubt* they would bite, but why risk it if you aren't sure.

And yes, they could very easily bite a finger off.  One of my friends got the tip of her finger bitten off by a horse she was feeding for someone.  The horse did it by accident when she stuck the hay under the stall door, so imagine what a horse could do if it actually MEANT to bite you.

Answer 14

I seriously doubt that they'll bite your finger off, but it is possible (to those who say that it doesn't happen!) a friend I know used to help with a teeth-floater and his finger was bitten off, and he even reached down the horse's throat to get it back! OMG! What does that say about the guy... :-/

But anyway, just say hi! Chances are they'll like someone coming to see them. Maybe bring them a small treat so they learn that new people are good!

Answer 15

Horses can bite, and they do bite, and if you don't know an animal, stay away.  These guys don't sound too friendly to begin with.

Answer 16

You can pet them just be alert with their ears if they go back, pull your arm away. And no, they cant bite your finger off

Answer 17

Just let them sniff you first. Also don't go running up to them walk calmly but not too slow.. they might think you are trying to sneak up on them.

Answer 18

lol sure. If you can reach them trough the fence. Just if you see their ears slicked against their head, you might should stop. I've riden horses for 6 years and I've only been bitten like twice.

Answer 19

i have a sign in the barn that reads "parents please take hold of your children or they may end up being called STUMPY" i wanted one that said "due to insurance guidelines you are not allowed to feed childrens fingers to the horses"

Answer 20

Horse bites can be downright awful!

But most horses won't play with humans as hard as they do with their horse buddies.

Still, if you don't know the horses, don't pet them. I can't tell you how many times random people want to put their screaming three-year-old on our show horses! Not all horses are nice. I know someone who saw a stallion tear out its handler's throat and esophagus!

I'm not saying all horses will bite, but it's better to err on the side of caution when dealing with something that's eight times your size, especially if you don't know the animal and its owner isn't around to tell you it's alright to pet them.

EDIT:

And for goodness sake DON'T FEED THEM!!!!!

You have no idea if their teeth are good enough to properly chew carrots and apples and you could end up choking them! Then you're stuck with a lawsuit!

Also... there's something called Insulin Resistance in horses, it's kind of like diabetes for humans. If you give them any treats and one of them happens to have this (or any other condition for that matter) you can end up killing them.

And... "mild" horse bites really suck and leave you with a huge bruise you cannot forget in short order. I still have teeth marks from getting bitten on my arm SIX MONTHS ago.

Answer 21

Horses have extremely strong jaws and can sever your fingers.

There have been cases of horses actually picking up a person with the teeth. I have personally seen a full grown husky get pick up by a standard sized QH and tossed like a rag doll when the mare had enough of this furry, much too curious annoyance at her heels (neighbors dog by the way) That dog cut it for home and I haven't see it since. (good riddance too) ha ha.

So to answer your question:

Never touch a horse or enter a field without permission from the owner. The a$$ you save, may be your own.!

Answer 22

Consider the size of the teeth. Consider the size of the jaw.

A horse bit can tear flesh and I have heard of fingers being bitten off, people needing stitches and scars that last forever.

Also they are fast and can be sneaky.

Here's a nice one

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/vi...

Edit> And please - don't go feeding other people's animals - you have no idea what issues or allergies they could have.

You wouldn't go out giving peanuts to random children ( I hope) please don't do the equivalent with horses.

Answer 23

Horses do not bite without a reason.  Biting is a sign of disrespect or fear because a horse thinks he has to protect himself.  First of all, you should NEVER touch someone's horses without their permission.  If you do not know the owners of these horses, it is not OK for you to touch them.  Secondly, horses are extremely sensitive and perceptive. If someone around them is afraid, they know it and they feel it about 100X what it actually is.  So if you are afraid or nervous, they are going to be.  They think that if you are afraid and nervous, there must be a threat nearby so they need to be afraid, too.  Because you are not confident around horses, you could get hurt.  Never take a risk with a horse.

Answer 24

i'm just speaking as a horse person: i HATE when people come and give my horses food without my permission! so i definately wouldnt being them carrots unless you get the go ahead from the owner. but about the petting, i wouldnt advise it. you just dont know with other people's horses. horses dont usually bite out of aggression unless provoked, but there might be a protective gelding in there who may think you are trying to "steal" his mares. sounds weird i know, but it has happened. just be cautious, and if you have the opportunity to talk to the owner, i would, just to ask if you can. and if they say its alright, just be cautious, and if the ears go back or they start to get "lippy", dont try to pet them anymore.

Answer 25

first of all if their not your horses, DONT TOUCH THEM

i own 14 horses, 6 whom are in a pasture by nieghbors, the neighborse have been hurt pretty badly from my horses (bites, electric fence, kicking, ect.) and i tell them, your fault dont touch them ever again, but whatever its thier problem

but if you have permission, in a nice manner approach the horses, gently pet them inbetween their eyes, if they try to bite you, if your a horse person you know what to do but if your not walk away,

if they happen to bite you, it will hurt, depending how bad they bit you, even little bites hurt. i have nerve damage in my finger from a horrible bite years ago.

remember horses are and can be very dangerous, if you dont know what your doing, its best to not do it.

(sorry if i sound mean, but its the truth, i am in no way trying to be mean)

Answer 26

no they probably won't bit your finger off.  like your other answerer said, just keep a look out for their ears going back flat against their heads - that means they are angry or ornery and might bite.  otherwise, they might nibble on you, just don't let them nibble for too long or they might get carried away!  if you do give them something to eat, it's up to you to be careful that they don't bite your hand - and i don't recommend feeding them anything anyway since they are not yours and the owners might not appreciate it.

Answer 27

Don't approach someones horses with out their permission.  I have to say that as a horse owner, that is a huge pet peeve of mine.  A horse can crush your fingers or hands, break your glasses or jewelry, tear your clothes or break your nose and all with out meaning to.  If you approach someones horses without their permission and with no idea how to behave around them, then you are asking to get hurt.  Horses aren't horrible killers or anything, but they are dangerous, just like anything else that you don't know how to handle.  TVs are nice and harmless to watch, but take the case off and start tinkering with it and you are going to get hurt!!  Find the owner and ask permission to pet them or give carrots.  Ask if they are friendly and ask how to interact with them.  Sorry if this seems harsh.

Answer 28

Well there is always a risk in messing with other peoples horses, and I dont advise it, especially feeding but a PAT with the understanding that if you get bit its your fault. I dont think would kill anyone. Just be careful and touch the forehead between the eyes and gently stroke the face. Use common sense and if they seem fearful stay away.

Answer 29

I would think its ok to pet them, just be on your guard, and don't be afraid, becasue they can sense it, and they can take advantidge of  you....they need to sense the domince in you. (even though they aren't your horses....I wouldn't dicipline them...but just be careful.) They aren't going to kill you or anything, but just be on your guard, and don't let them sense your fear. If they seem like they will bite you, or if they try to, frown at them, and give them a stern no. Hope you can make friends with them!