'Gunfire breaking horse methods'

[Henry4440]

Ok, didn't know if this is the right place, and if the question was asked before,but .......
I have the chance to buy a 5 year old Appaloosa Horse.The horse has not been 'broke to gunfire'.Hope these are the right words.

How should i start the training?
Any suggestions?

[Ozark Tracker]

will you be keeping the horse in a stable or acreage, if acreage are you able to shoot on it?

[litl rooster]

  I used Drovers whips from my work horses, while working cattle.  When it came time to try a gunfire Pea Eye just looked to see what I was doing nothing more,  the others took some ground work.  "You can shoot from any hoss.....at least once"

[Lucky Irish Tom]

A lot will depend on how skittish the horse is.  How does the horse react to loud noises?  Some of this will determine how long it will take to desensitize the horse to the noise, if it can be desensitized.  Start with gunfire at a distance and see if the horse is calm after the first few times then gradually work in closer and closer.  Obviously if you can't even discharge a round in the same pasture without the horse freaking out every time, as lr said you will only do it once from horseback.

Before you can even attempt this you will have to reach a state where the horse trusts you, then trusts you as a rider.  Depending on the horse it could take a very short or very long time.  I had one horse that is at a very nice retirement farm now that had been mistreated at some point before we met, that horse never became a reliable mount much less one that could be shot from.

My current horse probably wouldn't have the speed needed for competition shooting from horseback, but he is a stable mount.  I have had hunters discharge shotgun rounds nearby and he just looked to see what was going on.  When you buy a horse you buy all the past baggage that goes with it, good or bad. I hope you have good luck, if you decide to get the horse!

[Black Powder]

If this is obvious, I apologize, but I have seen that hearing protection is available for the horse.  I would think that for starters, you'd want to get your horse acclimated to wearing hearing protecton.

It really bugs me to see the muzzle of a rider's gun within a couple feet of the horse's unprotected ear, blazing away.

BP

[Scarlet Angel]

Howdy Henry,

How solid is this horse of which you speak? If you are looking at a green horse I would say gunfire is something to do later after he is a solid horse.(A 5 yr old can be a handful if they have not been worked with much.) If he's been there done that then:

Do you have any mounted shooters near you? Starting the horse in a herd environment of other horses that are not afraid of gunfire is a good way to start. Your local club should be able to help.

Before I exposed my horse to gunfire I used two pieces of 2x4 and hit them togeather, or two pieces of leather that you can get a good loud noise out of.

We have training blanks that are lower noise level than the blanks we shoot in competition. After having my horse hang around shoots for awhile I started him with these. No hearing protection at that point, but also not shooting close to his head.

I do use hearing protection for my horse when using full loads. There are three different kinds I am aware of and many home made versions.

Tom is right. Trust will be your first opstical and you buy all the baggage too.

Do not be in a hurry. Each horse is different, I've seen some take right to it and others take more than a year of patience. Depends on the horse. I have also seen good horses ruined by riders who push the horse to much trying to force them.

Of course this is MHO.   

[Dalton Masterson]

I've never shot mounted CAS, but did a lot of hunting and just plain old can shooting along the roadways off of my Arabian. With him, our range was in his pasture, so he got used to it and often came over to see what we were doing. He kind of trained himself that way. Once I started working with shooting off of him, I used a cheap capgun, then went to my cap and ball gun with just caps. Figured if I had to drop a gun, they were at least cheap and probably unharmed in the process.
I finally ended up using my single shot .410, and after that, even a full house cap and ball .44 never phased him.
And I learned after one time to never ever ever shoot over his head. Bout got dumped over that one. DM

[Rowdy Roddy]

i agree with what alot of the other folks said.  i would first figure out how far along this horse is then go from there.  every horse is different and they all respond differently to training especially depending on the horses past expereinces.  i have been in the business since i was a kid and its how i make my living.  but as far as being able to shoot off one i would use a whip.  i work cattle all the time and use bull whips, all my horses are use to it and honestly only one gave me some trouble.  i also shoot at least once a week at my place so the horses get use to the gunfire.  i would spend alot of time in the round pen so the horse will gain you trust and start with a rope.  swing  it around until he lets you rope him anywhere, legs, head, and butt.  once he with let you do that without moving off then stand near him and try to swing the rope over his body then work to his head.  i have broke all my horses this way and with in a few days you will be surprised how fast they take to it.  i totally believe in putting a solid foundation into my horses if you have that base your horses will do most anything you ask of them.  for example i bought a 2 year old filly for dirt cheap because a well known trainer in my area said she was a rogue and would never be broke.  she is 3 1/2 years old now and broke to death, i would put my 6 year old nephew on her.  she has never given me any trouble once she trusted me.  i could go on for hours about all the stuff i have experienced with horses but the main thing i can tell you is pay attention to your horses body langauge and work off of that.  good luck and i hope some things i said make sense.       

[Ozark Iron John]

A few things ....

First, A full grown man on horseback with guns is dangerous.  I got a tatoo/bruise the shape of Florida to prove it. Be careful. 

Second, horses are herd animals.  I strongly suggest that you acclimatize your horse in the presesence of numerous other solid gun broke horses.  Get yourself to a CMSA or SASS Mounted Club and work with them boys.  They'll more than likely welcome you with open arms.

Third, Crawl-Walk-Run.  It's not just the gun.  It's the boom and the flash and the cloud of smoke.  And the balloons fluttering in the wind and busting.  Its the barrels and the cones and the patterns.  You can't just jump up on your old sorrel gelding and start plinking away and expect to compete in a CMSA or SASS Mounted shoot.  Get yourself to club and work with them boys.

Finally, I started small by whacking two blocks of wood together.  Then I used #11 caps on a little black powder pistola.  Then I added a little more black powder.  When it came time to shoot the .45LC blanks, my ponies were well acquainted with the whole process.

Good luck.