If you’ve been around horses for any length of time you’ve had your toes stepped on, it just goes with the territory.  Now I always advocate wearing boots around the horses.  You still get stepped on but there’s something resembling a foot and toes left after the incident.  I’ve seen kids with flip-flops or barefoot, not at my barn, but when I see that my heart rises to my throat.  My grandchildren would run through the barn barefoot with me yelling at them, but the horses were out in the pasture, nowhere near the barn.

No matter how careful we are there is always that possibility.  All though I hurt my toe last week, ( which became a beautiful combination of colors of purple and blue and pink and red and finally yellow and green) slamming it into a chair leg.  My toes have been stepped on so many times they are all different lengths and shapes.  One bends both ways.  All this with boots on.  I’m very talented.

Several weeks ago I was putting a fly mask on one of the horses in the pasture and the horse next door spooked at something, invisible of course.  My horse felt or heard him spook and reacted putting one foot to the left to run.  He then realized I was there and stopped.  Yup, you guessed it, right on the arch of my left foot.  He froze, yup on my foot.  I stood there going ouch!, ouch!, ouch!, and simply pushed his shoulder and he removed his foot from mine very slowly and carefully.  Thank you God that I have all reasonable horses to work around.  They try at all times to be careful around people, but there is still that fight or flight instinct in them.

I always tell my students to pay attention, and do everything properly, even if you have the sweetest, best, kindest, smartest, horse in the world, because some day you may just be holding another horse that isn’t.  If you get in the habit of doing everything the right way, it will always come natural and instinctual.

Boots are always a good idea, and stylish too.  I like my toes, I use them everyday, just like my brains (well actually the jury is out on that lately.  I Hate Old Age!)

I tell the children to walk along side of the horses neck, just behind the head, holding the lead line or reins short, close to the halter or bit.  Don’t ever let them walk behind you, because if something frightens them they will probably run you over trying to get away from it.  Or never let them walk ahead of you because then you have no control.  I also tell them to look ahead to where they are going, not at the horse.  If you trip and fall, the horse is going to trip and fall over your body.   Double Ouch!

Be mindful of where your feet are, more so than theirs.