On “vicious” horses

My blood pressure shot through the roof as I read “The Case of the ‘Vicious’ Horse” (Perspective, EQUUS 448). I felt compelled to weigh in on the unfortunate consequences of a parental lapse in judgment.

The injury to the 2-year-old boy happened because his father, Anthony Vendrella, failed to follow the rules of the farm. The posted signs warned people not to pet or feed the horses; they did not say, “Come Pet the Horses. They Will Love It.”

Vendrella is the person to blame because ignorance around any animal with which you are unfamiliar is likely to get you hurt. It is unfortunate that an innocent child was injured, but the father placed the child in danger just as if he had taken him too close to a bird cage in a pet store and he’d received a damaging peck. (Birds can be vicious!) I have had dogs my entire life, and I would never walk up to one that was unfamiliar to me, nor would I place my child in that danger.

I have been riding and caring for horses of all types of backgrounds for over 42 years and not once have I been bitten hard enough to break the skin. The worst that happened was a nip

from a 1 year old, which was my fault for getting too close to a baby that had not been handled. Sonya Wasson Lawndale, North Carolina

I had to respond to the Perspective on “vicious” horses. I was initially defensive but then realized that this case now puts John Q. Public on notice. To quote your ending paragraph, “he had no reason to think that these placid, thoroughly domesticated animals could be dangerous.” Well, now he does. No more excuses for ignoring signs and warnings. Ruth Porter Lancaster, Pennsylvania