Why do horses bite, kick and rear so much?
―Brianna, 12 Horses can bite, kick and rear for many reasons, Brianna. Here are the most common: • Play—Horses often buck, rear and lightly bite each other when they play. This is really just pretend fighting, and they don’t want to hurt each other. • Survival instincts—Biting, kicking and rearing can save a horse’s life if he is faced with a predator, which is an animal enemy. So sometimes when horses play this way, they’re actually practicing in case they get into a dangerous situation later. • Protecting their turf—Often a stallion will bite, kick and rear to defend the herd from other males. • Personal space—Sometimes a horse just wants to be left alone! When a horse wants the other members of his herd to move away from him, he may let them know by biting, kicking and rearing. These actions are a horse’s way of saying “Give me some room!” Why do horses have to wear bits when you ride them? ―Mallory, 11 Mallory, this is a great question. Not all horses do wear bits when they are bei
