Horse kicked me--Did I do the right thing?

Ughhh.
This irks me so much. I am more pissed than I am in pain.

I was giving a horse a bath and he was swinging his butt towards me so I tapped him to push him back over.
Guess what he did? He kicked me.
After I got over the pain, I untied him and made him back up... a lot.

I think this would be the proper thing to do. Considering if a lower horse dared to kick out at the lead horse, it would be punished tenfold.

We've had him for at least 3 years now and this is the first time he has ever kicked out. So I know it isn't a respect issue.
I suppose I just startled him and he wasn't paying attention. He should of been fully aware I was there since I was standing off to the side so that he wouldn't kick me and I was running water over him.
It's probably mostly my fault...

He knew exactly where you were and he kicked you on purpose.

No, I don't think it was your fault, and you handled it very well. Many would have just finished off, (in pain) then considered it done. As you've appropriately stated, there would have been far more punishment in the herd for such an act, but you addressed it with a sound mind by much backing up. If it was just a 'fright' response, then you were certainly not harsh at all.

How long did it take you to get over the pain and respond to the kick? Horses have about a 5 second slot for you to get after them, otherwise they don't know what they are getting in trouble for. The response has to be immediate to take effect in a horses mind.

If youve had him for 3 years and this is the first incident, id say it was an just a quick reaction from the horse being startled. Then again, I wasnt there to see what happened.

Im glad your okay. I wouldnt be too angry at him. Chances are it wont happen again...I hope.
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personally I think you handled it fine, but "not a respect issue" I have to disagree with you there. In the middle of a bath? His turning his rear to you(the way you described it) was already disrespect and then a kick...I would put his little tush in some ground manners schooling immediately. Backing was a great place to start ! Glad you didn't get seriously hurt!~

Getting over the pain consisted of bending over for a moment and groaning in pain before getting after him.

It was absolutely a respect issue. He showed you in the most demonstrative way he could that he did not respect you.

You did fine. But, if you were not hurt, I think you should have done more -- like -- pushed his butt around, pushed his shoulder over, tapped his butt again and demanded that he get over fast and far.

If you 'over-do corrections, you don't have to do very many of them.

The other thing you should do is pay more attention to any horse's 'body language'. I really doubt that he has not shown disrespect in the past. Little things like an ear back, a hesitation to respond, flipping or tossing a nose at you, a switch of a tail, shifting weight into the foot you are asking him to move. There are dozens of little things, that if not corrected early and quickly, embolden a horse to do more significant things like the kick you got today.

Actually I'm really lucky. He kicked my left thigh. My right thigh already has a bruise from a horse falling on me.
If I was kicked right where the bruise was, I would probably be on the ground crying.
My parents laugh at me now because I can barely walk now since both of my thighs are on fire.

While you say he should have been aware of you, he may have been dozing too.

And you should have given verbal correction as well as the physical when you told him to get over.

A voice warning and making sure he was watching you would possibly have avoided this.

And the whole backing up thing, for something like this, is a waste of time. Horse should have been smacked on rear, or gotten after by gripping halter and being told to STOP IT.

Next time, watch the horse's ears and eyes to make SURE he knows where you are and what you are doing.

Excellent advice, Cherie - once in awhile I'll catch a little 'disrespect' from my sweet, but willful (at times) QH - must be addressed right away, because as we know they'll never forget when they've "gotten away with it" :)