Gun training for horses?

Question

Ayla mentioned that her horses are gun trained.

This is what prompted this question (Galloppal wanted to know how everyone's horses faired for 4th of July)

My horses are spooky when they hear gunfire. I've practiced with a cap gun over and over. My son fires his .22 at targets and they spook. When they quit spooking we quit.

Now we can fire our cap gun and the .22 but if we are out riding and someone shoots a gun...oh man we are buggering all over the trail! My mare is shuddering from head to toe and panicked. She wants to spin and bolt.

Give me some ideas of what I can do. Now where I go riding is not my land and there are other riders out there...I cannot take a gun with me.

SPEAKING OF BOOMS..we have a huge storm going on and the horses are cowering in their barn. sheesh

Gimme some ideas people! I'm fresh out!

Answer 1

Try these sites and go to Getting started they maybe able to steer you in the right direction!

I know that some of these people use ear plugs for horses! but of course those guns are going off right near the horses ears!

http://www.cowboymountedshooting.com/

http://www.newmsa.com/

Answer 2

Try firecrackers.  Horses learn when they see a gun to expect load noises, the same way they learn to come to you when they see a feed bucket, or run away when they see a halter or lead rope. Heck I've got a mare that you have to catch before you hook up the trailer, I've had her watch me hook it up more than once then when I go to catch her, forget it, no matter how or what you do. I personally have had good luck with the firecrackers. It doesn't give them the visual stimulus for warning. At this years Road To The Horse there was a vendor set up selling cassette tapes of different noises, you play them while they are in a stall or paddock for desensitizing. Sounds like a good idea. Some people may not agree with this but like I said I've had good luck with it, but I might not on the next horse either.

Answer 3

Hello,

WELL, I vote for MORE ground work Clinton Anderson style.  My gelding, WOW, you can crack a bull whip off of his back, tie plastic bags on him, walk over around through anything, HE doesn't SPOOK, haven't seen him do anything but glance at something occasionally.  I can ride him during storms, HE doesn't care...  

IT is all a matter of sacking them out and bomb-proofing them!!!!  Clinton Anderson is GREAT, and I am a TRUE believer in the outcome of a RELIABLE, level headed, eager to please horse!

IT helps SO much!  He is totally RELAXED and doesn't give a hoot about what is going on.

Answer 4

Can your brother or a friend come out and fire the cap gun whilst you are riding so your horse gets used to it? Make sure there are no other riders about though as they may not appreciate it!!

Answer 5

Not much bothers our herd.  Either not smart enough to care or don't figure it's worth bothering with. Our dogs are the same way.

Grandad & dad use to go hunting when I was a kid & grandad taught the horses from a yound age.  I do not know how since I have never done it, but I know when they were hunting & shooting off their backs, he always put tampons or rolled cotton in their ears to help muffle the sound.

**EDIT**

O.K. BB now I know you are a sharp shooter, MAYBE I'll watch myself!!!  MAYBE!!  LOL!!

Start calling you Belle Star!!

Answer 6

Try the old tarp trick. I know tarps have nothing to do with gun fire, but chances are, if your mare will walk over a tarp with no problem, you'll be able to tell how easy she'll be able to gun train.

You should try getting a cap gun. Practice by shooting it around her, and every time you shoot it, give her a treat. But only if she behaves in a way thats acceptable. (if she throws her head up, than give her a treat. If she rears, or spins, or tries to drag you, then don't)

I would suggest doing this in a round pen, where the mare can run around at leisure. Eventually, she'll calm down, and associate gun fire with a cookie!

:]

That's how I did it with my gelding.

Horses + food = anything you want.

(except in my case loading him onto a trailer <3)

Answer 7

Buckin,

Mine ended up getting trained to tolerate gunfire by a group of shootists (?), who were basically holding a competition at the stable on the coast where I used to board (Pacific Dunes, Oceano, CA).  They came out once a year for a weekend and tied up one of our areas.  

It got to the point that the horses could care less, it was the balloons that really scared my little Azteca!  LOL

Answer 8

I have a boarder who attempted to gun train her horses about a year ago. If you wanted to know what NOT to do I could tell ya that story. Ha, she went about it in the worst possible way, ended up with two slipped disks in her neck and a broken tail bone.

Black B had some great advise... I would definitely have a partner and someone to help you, otherwise it's a wreck waiting to happen. Being competent with guns is also an absolute must.

I've never tried to gun train any of my horses myself, but I would love to, if I only knew the right way to go about it. Most of the horses we have would probably not even bat an eyelash at a boom or gun shot. During forth of July we have tons of idiots running around shooting off this and that, and to my surprise the horses never get upset. Ohhhh but have a little dog bark at them down the trial and its a whole other story... Haha

I know I wasn't much help on the matter, but I thought I'd comment anyway... It's an interesting question!

Answer 9

Mine are trained for it...hang on...

Mine are trained from a young age, not to be afraid of gunshots.

We start by target shooting near their pasture, gradually working up to someone holding the horse on a halter and lead rope, while someone else shoots.

When horses are desensitized to sounds, we move to shooting over the horse's back...with NO tack on...don't want accidents!

Gradually working up to a rider on horse, while someone else shoots.

Eventually...rider shoots with a pistol.

If no problems...graduate to shotgun or rifle.

NEVER NEVER NEVER do this with a horse, unless you are absolutely, 100%, competent with guns and horses!!!!

I've done competitions/playdays where we ride a pattern...shooting at targets. It's GREAT!

Another bonus...I live where there are bear and cougars, and I ride into the forests and mountains. Many times by myself...I ALWAYS carry a pistol.

If all you can use is a .22...then keep trying to shoot closer to the horses.  We use one person to shoot, and another to calm the horse.  The shooter never stops completely...while the holder [someone the horse trusts very well] continues to soothe and even do some groundwork to keep the horse from getting to wound up about the noise.

Answer 10

I do about the same thing as BB, just a couple more ideas here.

Is your mare spooking more than the rest of the horses and getting them wound up?  If she is, maybe separate her and then see if the other horses react better.

I've never tried tampons or cotton balls in the horse's ears, but I've seen several people recommend it, so it must work.

My old gelding I've had since I was a teenager is my key.  He's real good around guns, and the younger horses look up to him and if he don't freak out, they usually don't either.  

We also have a target range set up out back.  Usually the horses will jerk their heads up at the first shot, but that's it.  We do have a friend who comes out a couple times a year with his "cannons" so maybe if your horses are handling the cap guns and .22 try something bigger without your mare out there.  Once they are dealing with it ok, then maybe turn her out with them and they can teach her not to stress so bad.

We have a lot of deer and pheasant hunters around here, and they get bored.  They will pop off a couple on the road (pisses me off) and my horses don't do anything.  No freaking out here!

E-mail me if I can help you more!