A man wearing Speedos got the shock of his life recently when he was kicked in the balls by a wild horse while on a day out to the beach.
The Speedo-clad man was relaxing on a beach on Assateague Island, located off the coast of Maryland, last month when the toe curling incident was caught on camera by an onlooker.
Despite beachgoers being warned not to touch the wild animals – to avoid instances such as this one happening – the man can be seen approaching the horse and reaching out to pet it in the video.
You can watch what happened next below:
Yikes. As soon as the man manages to touch the horse’s side, gently patting it as the brown stallion walks past the crowd, you just know it’s not going to end well for him.
Clearly not appreciative of the attention it was receiving, the horse raised its back left leg and kicked out, launching its foot in the man’s direction.
Unfortunately for the man, the horse’s aim was spot on and the kick landed squarely in the unlucky man’s testicles, sending him flying to the ground as he tried to compose himself before onlookers rushed to his aid.
Well, at least he’s got a good story to tell. ‘How was your trip to the beach, Gerald?’ ‘Well actually it ended with me sprawled on the floor after getting into a fight with a giant horse’. ‘Erm, right, okay then’.
Assateague is famous for its wild horses, which are feral animals descended from domestic animals that have reverted to a wild state. It’s thought they are the descendants of horses that were brought to the island in the late 17th century by mainland owners, to avoid fencing laws and taxation of livestock.
Because they’ve had to survive the tough conditions on the island – scorching heat, mosquitos, and limited food – the horses have learnt to protect themselves and will do so under any circumstances.
The National Park Service urges visitors to ‘enjoy their beauty from a distance,’ adding that feeding or petting the animals is ‘detrimental’ to both visitors and horses.
They warned:
Visitors are kicked, bitten and knocked down every year as a direct result of getting too close to the wild horses. Treating wild horses like tame animals takes away the wildness that makes them special. Protect your family by respecting theirs. Give the horses the space they need to be wild.
Well, I bet Gerald (for that’s what he’ll be known as from now on) won’t be attempting to pet another horse again in a hurry.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).