All the talk about aggressive dogs brought back a reminder from when my horse was alive. Woman who lived up the street was walking with her dog off leash (required for state management lands). Aggressive dog kept trying to get in my horse's blind spot and he kept circling to prevent it. I told her to leash her dog or control it but she did not.
My horse couldn't really defend himself with me mounted, so I got off, and warned her again. I think I even said the dog could get kicked. You should know that under the right provoation, any horse will bite, kick, or step on you. Nick wasn't a particularly big saddle horse at 1200 pounds. The dog got kicked and went home yelping. Stupid owner. I was carrying at the time. 3" M66 and I was considering deploying it to protect my horse but he solved it first with a pair of steel shoes.

My farrier's brother was nearly killed by a horse that kicked him in the head when he was trying to shoe the horse. My farrier, Jack, had a saying for uncooperative horses... "For the same cost, you could own a good horse."
My ex's horse kicked me once, right below the belt buckle (perhaps confused me with her previous ex) but knocked me flat. I've been bit by a friend's jealous Appy and accidentally stepped on by my own horse. Each event was unforgetable.

EDIT: Horsemen will tell you that they are trained 'not to buck'. It order to kick, the horse pretty much needs to buck. So by getting off, I gave him back the freedom to defend himself by kicking.

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NRA LIFE
Reserve Officer 9yrs