On the trail, our gelding had been hesitant. That evening, I felt his back for soreness. One-thousandth of a second later, his incisors slammed into my right hip. “Yes, I am sore.”

Steve Nickel, Colorado

As I was picking out our mare’s foot, she turned her head and bit me on the hip. It was bruised for weeks (and I resolved never to buy another mare).

Jade Bartnicki, Utah

In with a group of horses, I used my foot to move some hay closer to a horse that didn’t have any. Not liking this, Johnny whipped his head around and bit me on the butt—treating me like another horse.

Carolyn Holm, Minnesota

I was in the stall with our mare and her foal when the baby latched onto Momma a little too hard. The mare swung around to reprimand the foal and caught me instead—right where the zipper is in my jeans. Hurt like the dickens!

Erika Seybert, Pennsylvania

I was learning to cinch up my first horse, a 20-year-old Morgan mare. She was kindly and patient, but the third time I pulled the cinch up fast and hard—like the cowboys on TV—she reached over and grabbed my arm with her teeth. I never forgot the lesson.

Linda Lanzoni, California

My mare was due to foal. As I squeezed her nipple for the umpteenth time, testing for milk, she reached around, grabbed me by my upper gluteus maximus, and flung me into the stall wall. Message received: no more testing.

Heidi Olds, Oregon

I reached over the fence to brush Queenie’s withers. When I turned my back, she bit me right between the shoulder blades. I always believed she was returning the favor and “scratching” my withers. But, boy! did that hurt!

Brenda Nesbitt, Michigan

While feeding, I got between my squabbling gelding and mare. He meant to bite her, but got my pinky instead—biting it to the bone.

Deb Kirkman, Indiana

I was leading my daughter’s pony, trying to get him to trot, when he bit me on the arm. Stopped me in my tracks!

Amy Strezinski, Ohio

Searching for treats, my gelding chomped the zipper of my jacket just under my chin. I had to cut myself out of that coat.

Julie Underwood, Kansas

I was selecting a 2-year-old to train. My dad went up to pet a filly I liked, and she nipped him on the butt. That’s how we knew she was truly the one!

Megan D’Andrea, Ohio

I was preparing to bridle my pony to ride in my very first show. (Maybe he mistook my bright orange hair for a carrot!)

Maddie Lorenz, Indiana