12/28/2025
One of the hardest lessons that I have had to learn as a practitioner is when I need to say "No" and walk away from a scenario. Today, had one of those very situations. For the safety of the animal, the owner and myself... I made the decision to stop and just walk away. All equine professionals should remember that they have this option and it doesn't make us less. Clients need to understand that if we are injured in one of these circumstances it's not just their animal that suffers but all the others we cannot see until we heal... if we can heal. Ultimately, no animal is worth our life.
There are reasons why it is best to stop and reconsider if what doing is best. The number one reason for this is safety. Safety applies to more than just the individual but also those in proximity and the animal. I value human safety as the absolute number one priority and these days, I will not proceed if I feel like there is unnecessary risk of human injury. Often dealing with 1000+ lb animals and they can hurt you without even trying and this is just an inherent risk. Additional, risks to safety exist for a couple of additional reasons... environment, handler, and animal are probably the most common causes of safety issues.
Sometimes, the environment creates an unsafe situation where there is not sufficient room or excessive dangers that present too great of risk for injury. Examples of these are small areas with limited escape routes and areas with tons of obstacles. Another issue that arises with the environment creating safety concerns is the weather. With the little bit of rain, paddocks are wet and slick. This creates a safety concern as reactive animals are more likely to slip. That slip can result in injuries to them but it can also result in them stumbling over top of the handler. I would also consider poor lighting as a safety concern for the environment, it's one of the reasons why I encourage night time emergencies to haul in. Having appropriate sized, well lite, secure footing areas for professionals to work is greatly appreciated and will often improve the outcome of calls.
Equine practitioners are at a disadvantage compared to our small animal colleagues. Most of us do not travel at all times with a handler and rely more often on the owner to handle their horses. Other equine professionals like hoof care providers also suffer from this situation. While a number of owners are great handlers, and help to maintain their animals calmer demeanor. There is also a number of them that make the situation more dangerous for all involved. In today's society we have to monitor the handler to make sure they are actually paying attention. Too often the person in charge of making sure the professional lives is watching TikToks or scrolling Facebook and have no idea what the animal is actively doing. Standing position around the horse to optimize the escape routes available to the professional are not understand by most handlers. If the handler is struggling to be a safe position, it compromises the safety of themselves, their animal and the professional. Owners often neglect to think that if they are handling their animal the responsibility for their safety still rests with the professional (yes, the inherent risk laws apply but any good professional is valuing everyone in the vicinity's safety.) A good horse with a bad handler is more likely to get someone hurt than a bad horse with a good handler.
Ultimately, the largest factor in my mind to safety and having to reassess the situation is the animal. A well broke horse under saddle, may not be a safe horse for the veterinarian or other equine professional to work on. Ground manners and personal space are disappearing training basics in today's equine population as we rush to get them under saddle and in competition sooner. Horses often fall into one of three categories... safe, reactive, or dangerous. Safe horses are well handled, they don't react aggressively to basic asks, allow people to approach, pick up hooves and touch most places. Reactive horses take a little more time because they react. Most reactive horses just want to leave when asked to be part of something they don't want to partake in. With the right handler, these are not overtly dangerous in good environments as can let them have their reaction and then reapproach. Reactive horses with bad handlers are the horses that run over the professional and can get someone hurt. Few horses are dangerous but I do come across some. No matter what the history of the animal, there is zero excuse for a horse that violates personal space and shows aggression to people. Behavior that is aggressive includes biting, kicking, striking, and charging. Horses that exhibit these types of behavior are difficult to work with in ideal environments and with competent handlers. If you add in poor environment without necessary exit routes, these can be deadly. These are also horses that injury to the handler is not uncommon. Sedation of a dangerous horse does not make them safe. Sedation does not replace training. Reactive and dangerous horses that are sedated do not warn which increases the risk of injury to people. Sedation might be necessary for certain procedures but it does not make them less dangerous and should not instill a false sense of safety. The horses demeanor can be the most critical factor on when there is a safety concern.
So when is it okay for a professional to say "No". Well, it's quite simple in words and quite difficult in action. But short answer is when the risk of injury to the animal or people outweigh the need to perform the task. This could be because handling the animal in the environment cannot be done without risk of fall, puncture, or other trauma. Environment reasons also include the inability to effectively see such as in low light situations. If the handler, cannot maintain control of the animal to facilitate the examination and procedure necessary without risk of animal getting loose or into position that likely causes harm to people. This is situations such as when the animal is consistently running through the handler. But most common reason for a professional to say no and encourage the owner to seek help from a trainer is aggression by the animal. An equine showing signs of wanting to bite, strike or kick is difficult to treat even in ideal circumstances. And if multiple professionals are repeatedly telling you that your animal is difficult, it's likely not the professional but your animal that is the issue. In all of these situations, the reason for the interaction versus the risks of injury have to be weighed.
Prime example of time to walk away... dim lit stall with owner on cell phone with horse that is cow kicking needing trimmed. The need for a trim is lower priority than the risks to safety of people. The time with a trainer can proceed the trim with limited harm to animal.
Example of non ideal that risk of injury increases but needs for treatment greater... Colic that is down thrashing in a stall. Bad environment with tight area. Behavior that is unpredictable but not directed towards people.
So recommendation for those that have read along. Train horses... reactivity is okay, aggression is not. Develop a working area for professionals that has good non slip flooring, good lighting, and limited obstacles. If handling horse, be in correct position and aware of what is going on (stay off phone).
Here's an example of a "safe" horse
https://youtube.com/shorts/8ChD9ooW11s?feature=share
