Horses protect a girl from attacker?

Article:

KERRI- Lee Mckenzie’s chest was bleeding from a stab wound, and a vicious assailant was whispering in her ear that he was about to rape her, when horse friend Domino and his stable companion Archie, came galloping to her rescue.

The astonishing incident took place at Toti Ranch in Amanzimtoti, when the 25-year-old Mckenzie took Domino, a favourite horse, and Archie, down to a far paddock for some extra grass.

Domino’s owner does not live in Durban, and she is his regular rider.

With Kerri- Lee still recovering from her injuries, her mother and Toti Ranch stable owner Serena Mckenzie, said last week’s attack could have been far worse, if it had not been for the two heroic horses.

“Kerri-lee had taken the horses down to the paddock, when she spotted some rubbish.

“She was afraid that the horses might try to eat it, so she went to pick it up. As she was doing that, this man came up from behind, grabbed her and put a knife to her neck.”

Her daughter fought back, headbutting her attacker and trying to stomp on his feet with her gumboots.

“He was trying to strangle her and, as she fought back, he stabbed her in the chest. He also told her he wanted to rape her.”

At that moment Domino charged, and the attacker took fright and fled.

Another rider, who was in a higher paddock, said she saw Mckenzie crawling out of the bushes and thought she was playing with the horses.

But Domino was already chasing the panicked assailant across the paddock.

“Archie stood over Kerri-lee as if protecting her. Kerri-lee was rushed to hospital. Fortunately the knife had not hit any major vessels or organs, but she had to have a few stitches,” her mother said.

The police dog unit was called to the scene and a tracker dog chased the scent as far as a nearby township, but the suspect had disappeared.

Local horse behaviourist Glynn Redgrave described the incident as “amazing”, but said horses could form an incredible bond with their riders, owners or grooms.

“Horses are masters of body language, and a horse can tell if you are confident, assertive or nervous.

“You are dealing with an active, intelligent animal who is also a teacher of unconditional love, and a horse could definitely sense if someone was being attacked.

“This horse must have a phenomenal bond with the rider,” Redgrave said.

Another Kwazulu- Natal horse behaviourist Patsy Divine, who specialises in equine facilitated therapy and equine-facilitated learning, said it was “absolutely feasible” that the horses helped “with intention”, and not by chance.

“It’s inherent in horses to read energy, and if there was bad energy in that situation, those horses knew it and would have recognised she was in a bad place. They are powerful, gentle animals, and would definitely sense distress. And if I were the attacker, I would definitely run from an attacking horse,” Divine said.

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I once had a mare that save me when a 4 year old gelding charged and tried to trample me in the field. She was on the other side of a 15 acre paddock when he got me on the ground and the next thing I knew she was beside me tearing lumps out of his neck and pounding him with her front feet. Once she chased him off she came right back to where i was lying and pushed me a few times gently with her head. She then helped me up when I grabbed her head collar. All this from a pony that usually spent hours trying to avoid capture (hence being on the other side of the paddock when all the others were at the gate). ;-)

Hello! I believe that as long as you stick by him, he'll become quite protective. Its part of a working dog's mannerisms to protect, and due to the fact that he is a male, he'll most likely be quite dominant (even with his master too). However, you should not completely encourage this as he becomes older, you probably don't want him to be over protective and violent. I used to have a Border Collie, but couldn't keep him due to the fact that he would attack ANYONE that he hadn't grown up knowing and constantly saw. You want him to be friendly, but if things rolled out of control, he wouldn't hold back, right? In my opinion, all you would have to do is keep him friendly and calm, but you could train him to control his senses to the extent that he would be able to instantly read someones mannerisms to determine if they were a threat. Or just train him to attack on command.... Well, that's all the advice I can give, and if you're not satisfied, you could ask a specialist ;-D Hope it works out for ya!!

When one of my daughters was about two and a half, just abe get places fast I had not missed her for a few minutes and when I saw her she was crossing the manger into a corral where we were mothering up some mean old range cows. You did not go into the corral unless you had a face eater dog with you or were on a horse.

I could not run any faster and was quite a way from the corral when she started across the corral, a cow snorted and looked like on the fight and was coming toward my daughter when our small pony came on the run, he grabbed the cow on her neck turned her and spun and kicked her and ran her to the far corner of the corral then came back to the baby.

Had he not been there I do think the cow would have killed or hurt my daughter.

I havent had a horse save my life yet. (that im aware of anyways, for all i know they may have been babysitting me the whole time :) Instead, I had a bond with a spunky (needed a very confident rider), 10 y/o, saddlebred, school horse, gelding named Milton who was my life at 12 years old.

Some boy started taking lessons at that stables and was quite obvious that he liked me. (was not returned) One day I was in Milton's stall grooming him up and had him untied as usual. I had Miltons front foot picked up picking it out farrier style when the boy walked up to the stall. He must have felt my energy change (I did not like this boy at all or want him near me) because when the boy opened the door and started to walk in, Milton snapped his teeth right in the boys face. Like centimeters from taking chunks. Needless to say he backed out of the stall and after that he never really bothered me. Later on I overheard him saying to someone "her horse is crazy".

My 7 year old daughter loves to be out in the corral with our 3 horses and pony. Their all super friendly and love people. So sometimes when she enters the corral they come to see her and "crowd" her. She gets nervous and scared when they do this. It's like being surrounded by giants. Our one horse rusty (an 11 yro standardbred gelding) seems to sense her panick, he will come rushing to her and force the others away (he's the boss of the herd) then he will escort her around the pasture and make sure that the others don't bother her. He's my babysitter :) when were out in the corral.

Well my horse protected me from this creep at a show...I was walking Monet around for a while to get used the area.He grabbed me and I screamed.Monet pinned her ears back and screamed basically at him and he grabbed the lead and tried to get her away from me but she chased him several yards around the grounds before he left and she came back.

I love this mare so much...

Another time she protected me fromher half brother who acts like he's a stallion. he was mad so he charged me and was snorting and then he tried to buck at me. sp she galloped to him and nearly knocked him off is feet. She started lashing out at him and biting. he had a huge gash on his shoulder that healed up quick though.

Yea I read one like that but it was a girl who fell of her horse or something and hurt her head and the horse ran to the parents because they had a big farm and then the parents took her to the hospital

I have a friend whose mare hates me for some reason or another.

We had fires up in the hills (we usually do) and her property was one of those which had to be evacuated. I had plenty of room on my property to keep her horse until things quietened down.

I'm lucky to live in a part of the hills where I'm not too affected by annual fires, and so a few of my friends usually move their horses to my property when the fires come.

My horse Pregio and her mare shared a paddock for a few days. Never had any problems with each other. Played and pissfarted around.

During the third day, after my friend led her horse into his paddock (which I was in), her horse decided to bare her teeth at me, literally SCREAM and squeal at me and lashed out her hooves, I stumbled back - yelling in surprise, to which Pregio came galloping across the paddock, ears flattened back, screaming and squealing as well, spun around and bucked her.

And kept kicking out.

My friend let go of the lead and ran back. I, after a moment of dumbfounded disbelief, yelled and threw up my arms but by that time, her horse had a big gash on her shoulder and had backed off.

I had to urge my horse away.

He was still arched and grunting.

It was chaos. But he came for me.

But jesus christ I have never been so shaken up before in my life.

It's one of those moments that just happen SO quickly and I later on think about what could have potentially happened, had Pregio not come around.

Now that doesn't mean he was protecting me... but I have no real other explanation for it.

Yes. My Arabian mare is my baby :)

It was a nasty winter day and all the horses were cold and pissy. My Thoroughbred and Arabian were standing together in the shed and I was trying to put their hay out. My TB was in the way so I pushed on her rump and clicked at her so she'd scoot it over. Well that pissed her off and she reared up, swung around, and charged at me. I screamed, threw my hands up, and started backing up really quick. All of a sudden Avalee, my Arabian was standing in front of me with her but towards my TB, kicking at her and protecting me. I love my girl :)

Yes.

My little 13hh tank (1200 lb haflinger/QH cross) I was holding her lead shank when some one hurt me and I screamed. She laid back her ears and struck with both front feet.

I think mares who have had foals are more inclined to be protective. My Saddlebred mare was also very protective of me.