now when have Microsoft ever lied before?
I mean, other than the falsified evidence they submitted during their legal battle with the US Department of Justice.
When I worked in a kitchen, i was taught to say "Knife!" any time I was moving from one station to another holding a knife, same with "hot pan". The person who trained me did not respond verbally when I asked if there were any particular reasons for the "knife!" instruction, but I heard from others that there was good reason for it.
I gotta say, that sounds pretty decent to me. Forging a mutually beneficial working relationship with a smart horse is something most people will never do. Kudos to you for it.
a) that sounds like an awesome job.
b) you did right making sure that you rode Asshole Horse.
c) Knowing that people keep asshole horses on purpose kinda drives me, in the same way as when people keep asshole dogs when there are perfectly decent dogs being put down. I've seen a bunch of unwanted standardbred racehorses that would have made perfectly fine riding horses. Breeding for temperament needs to be emphasized more.
Also good advice. There's an area my buddy affectionately referred to as "the kill zone" which is just the right distance away that a kicking hoof can be at full velocity/force; this is precisely where you do not want to be if a kick happens.
but the best advice is to learn things like this from someone In Real Life around horses, because you can see which ones are totally chill and which ones are fucking bonkers. [Insert reference to various kinds of people here.]
Accidentally surprising a horse can lead to sudden injury and/or hilarious internet videos. When moving around them, it's a good idea to talk quietly to them (or to yourself) so that they can hear you and know where you are. if you have to get up close to one, gently place your hand or forearm against them as you move past.
The same advice works if you are around someone concentrating on a physical task like cooking, construction, soldering, etc, especially if they are holding something that could hurt if it poked you. You want them to know where you are without breaking their concentration.
Corporations have also already proved very difficult to actually hold to account. They can basically do as they please, with relative disregard for any consumer protections that may already exist. It's not good, but it can get worse.