Horse kicks a chicken onto a roof?

[Barns & No Bull]

Please assure me that this is a faked video. A barnyard scene shows a horse (behind a farmer who is talking to the camera) that seems to not like having a chicken walk up behind it and sort of relocates the bird. The walking casserole seems to be fine after the incident, but the whole thing is hard to believe as being real. A sound effect is obviously added to the launch bit. It's cute and creative and well-done ... and it is faked right? Old MacDonald sounds like he might be breaking into a laugh with his last awkward words.

Look

[Morrigan]

I know I shouldn't be laughing, but I am.

I believe it, though. I've seen how powerful those horse kicks are.

Morrigan

[Troodon]

It looks to me like the horse only tapped the chicken and then the chicken spooked and flew to the roof under its own power.

[snapdragonfly]

Originally Posted by Troodon

It looks to me like the horse only tapped the chicken and then the chicken spooked and flew to the roof under its own power.

A chicken could probably get that much altitude if it had a good jumpstart like that. They can fly just a little bit. Not a lot.

The part that looks suspicious to me is the horse kicking at right that moment. He wasn't looking around and I don't think they can see behind their back hooves without turning their heads - unless it was just a coincidence that he kicked right then.

Poor chook. That sound effect wasn't right though - mine wouldn't sound at all like that if they were booted that hard!

[Barns & No Bull]

Originally Posted by Troodon

It looks to me like the horse only tapped the chicken and then the chicken spooked and flew to the roof under its own power.

Look again. From the point where the hoof contacts the chicken and then we can no longer see it behind the farmer... the wings are not opened. That short "flying" distance is also covered in a fraction of a second - faster than a chicken can move itself.

I want it to be fake because it is so absurd. But I can't see any visual indication that it is faked.

Nothing really wrong with laughing. It's pretty damn funny and the chicken seems totally unfazed. Is that a mule?

[Morrigan]

Yeah, it's a mule.

snapdragon, a horse can see behind him. According to encarta, (and personal experience) a horse can see almost directly behind him.

But if you look, the mule's head is sideways a bit, allowing it to see the chicken approaching. The ears are also back, which indicates that it's not too happy. It would also be able to hear the chicken approaching.

It might have been a warning kick. I'm saying that because there's not much effort into it, and the hind foot doesn't go very high. It could have been a lucky connect.

Morrigan

[snapdragonfly]

Originally Posted by Morrigan

Yeah, it's a mule.

snapdragon, a horse can see behind him. According to encarta, (and personal experience) a horse can see almost directly behind him.

But if you look, the mule's head is sideways a bit, allowing it to see the chicken approaching. The ears are also back, which indicates that it's not too happy. It would also be able to hear the chicken approaching.

It might have been a warning kick. I'm saying that because there's not much effort into it, and the hind foot doesn't go very high. It could have been a lucky connect.

Morrigan

I know they have a very wide peripheral vision but unless they have clear hooves I don't see how they can see something *behind* their own hoof. That's the part that doesn't quite work for me.

Perhaps it saw the chicken approach - before it was behind the hoof - and it was a warning stomp that just luckily connected, as you say.

[Morrigan]

If you look, though, the mule's head was facing towards the left, which would let it see where the chicken was.

I'm guessing a lucky connect, though.

Morrigan

[snapdragonfly]

Originally Posted by Morrigan

If you look, though, the mule's head was facing towards the left, which would let it see where the chicken was.

I'm guessing a lucky connect, though.

Morrigan

I didn't catch that the first time, I was watching the chicken too hard! That would make more sense.

[Morrigan]

I watched a good 6 times. Once to see if it was a horse or mule. The rest to see how it hit the chicken. And to laugh.

Morrigan

[One-Fang]

Originally Posted by Barns & No Bull

Look again. From the point where the hoof contacts the chicken and then we can no longer see it behind the farmer... the wings are not opened. That short "flying" distance is also covered in a fraction of a second - faster than a chicken can move itself.

Yes, and Troodon's still right. Look at that angle. It's not the kick that sends the chicken skywards. The chicken is disappearing behind the bloke at a much lower angle than required to reach the roof. It clearly flaps it's way up there (or another chicken we didn't see that was behind the man got spooked and did it). What it looks like to me is the mule kicks it, and it goes flying, and in reaction to this, it flaps it's way up onto that roof.

Why the focus on what the mule can or can't see? Whatever is wrong with "something is irritating me and is somewhere behind me - **KICK**"?? You never seen an animal simply lash out in the general direction of an annoyance? I don't think we have to give the mule credit for well aimed kick at an adversary. Just a 'something is bothering me' reaction.

[snapdragonfly]

Originally Posted by One-Fang

Why the focus on what the mule can or can't see? .

Why NOT focus on what it can't see? When did what something sees or not sees become irrelevant, especially on something like a discussion that picks apart every trivial aspect such as this?

Originally Posted by One-Fang

Whatever is wrong with "something is irritating me and is somewhere behind me - **KICK**"?? You never seen an animal simply lash out in the general direction of an annoyance? I don't think we have to give the mule credit for well aimed kick at an adversary. Just a 'something is bothering me' reaction.

Nothing is wrong with that, whoever said it was?

[Gavida]

I think it is a fake video.
Since it is an advert for "Smirnoff - Moscow Mule" (using a kicking mule in the label) it makes sense to create an advert where a mule kicks something.

I vote fake for this reason alone

Gavdia

[lynnejanet]

I agree, Gavida. The other thing that bugged me was that the farmer was so stereotypically a hick, and the stuff he's saying is so inane.

[Morrigan]

Originally Posted by One-Fang

Why the focus on what the mule can or can't see? Whatever is wrong with "something is irritating me and is somewhere behind me - **KICK**"?? You never seen an animal simply lash out in the general direction of an annoyance? I don't think we have to give the mule credit for well aimed kick at an adversary. Just a 'something is bothering me' reaction.

I believe I did say something to that effect. Oh yeah, that it was a warning kick.

Yes, I've seen them lash out like that. I've been around horses for more than 20 years now.

But I still don't see a problem with looking at the mule and seeing if it was an aimed kick (which I don't think it was.)

Morrigan

[Sly Dog]

Send the link to the NY Giants, they need a good place kicker!

[Diabolus Ex Deus]

Why are we so thoroughly questioning this commercial?
It's a commercial, of course it's fake.

[izanami]

Originally Posted by Diabolus Ex Deus

Why are we so thoroughly questioning this commercial?
It's a commercial, of course it's fake.

And funny, don't forget funny.


I think the discussion is more like would it be possible in the circumstances shown, as opposed to whether it is a genuine video or not.

Just because it's a commercial doesn't mean it's fake. I'm not saying it isn't fake, but there have been commercials that use video footage that they didn't create.

-Tim