A person who practices defensive horsemanship is less likely to be hurt while handling a horse, Robert M. Miller, DVM, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., said at the recent American Veterinary Medical Association meeting July 31-Aug. 3 in Atlanta, Ga.

" horses are always afraid," he warned, and said people must act in a reassuring manner to avoid being kicked.

Many people stand right in front of or right behind a horse, working at arm's length to avoid being kicked, but Miller prefers to work up-close and personal from the side of the horse.

"I like to press myself against the horse’s body; I want the horse to feel me and focus on me. It is concerned and wondering what I am doing. If we work at arm’s distance, the horse continues to worry," he said