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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
 
| I about got myself plowed down this evening while cleaning stalls.. I have my horses up because it's been raining.. anyway they were eating quietly and I was mucking out the stall and my neighbors started shooting guns. I'm sick to death of their gun fire but I realized my horses NEED TO learn to chill out when it happens. I've fallen off my horse before because he bolted when they fired unexpected. I understand a little jump here and there but these horses will straight up run you over to get away.. thankfully I had my pitchfork and I hit him in the chest to keep him from running over me. Any tips on getting them more use to it? The shooting has stopped but they are all worked up pacing their stalls and not eating. |
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Veteran
Posts: 155
| I used to watch this guy who was starting one for mounted shooting. He used 2 pieces of flat wood and would clap/ hit them together to make the popping sound . He used to attach one to his leg somehow and hold the other and do it while riding too!
At the time I didn't know what the heck he was doing.lol?? |
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
  
Location: ND | If your neighbors shoot frequently they really should just get used to it. I'm a mounted shooter so my horses hear shooting all summer long. None of them even flinch as it's just a regular part of their life. |
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Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| SaraJean - 2017-11-09 6:29 PM
If your neighbors shoot frequently they really should just get used to it. I'm a mounted shooter so my horses hear shooting all summer long. None of them even flinch as it's just a regular part of their life.
They do shoot frequently, but it seems like they've never gotten use to it. When they are turned out they will run when they shoot, every time... it was just that much worse today because they were stalled up. |
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Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | want2chase3 - 2017-11-09 5:38 PM SaraJean - 2017-11-09 6:29 PM If your neighbors shoot frequently they really should just get used to it. I'm a mounted shooter so my horses hear shooting all summer long. None of them even flinch as it's just a regular part of their life. They do shoot frequently, but it seems like they've never gotten use to it. When they are turned out they will run when they shoot, every time... it was just that much worse today because they were stalled up.
I've got one that acts like that when we work cattle, he hears the cows start bellering & he runs the fenceline until we are done. NOTHING helps him.....tying him up or stalling just makes him more upset. But yet the whole herd sleeps when I shoot lol.
One thing I know some of the top shooters do is play a recording of gunshots around their training horses to get them used to the sound, especially the ones that aren't liking the noise. When it plays 24 hours a day they eventually give in! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | I know it's not practical for everyone, but our whole herd got used to shooting because there is a propane pond gun in the pasture with them. It goes off sporadically all day long. Even Sean's flighty horse will now graze right beside it. I would never have believed it unless I saw it. |
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Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| SaraJean - 2017-11-09 6:51 PM
want2chase3 - 2017-11-09 5:38 PM SaraJean - 2017-11-09 6:29 PM If your neighbors shoot frequently they really should just get used to it. I'm a mounted shooter so my horses hear shooting all summer long. None of them even flinch as it's just a regular part of their life. They do shoot frequently, but it seems like they've never gotten use to it. When they are turned out they will run when they shoot, every time... it was just that much worse today because they were stalled up.
One thing I know some of the top shooters do is play a recording of gunshots around their training horses to get them used to the sound, especially the ones that aren't liking the noise. When it plays 24 hours a day they eventually give in!
This is something I could probably try! Honestly I'm so tired of them being afraid of the guns.. we occasionally shoot here too and they stay at the farthest end of the pasture and act stupid for the next few days. I love watching mounted shooting and have pondered giving it a try but I'd probably need a different mount lol! |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| Chandler's Mom - 2017-11-09 10:42 PM
I know it's not practical for everyone, but our whole herd got used to shooting because there is a propane pond gun in the pasture with them. It goes off sporadically all day long. Even Sean's flighty horse will now graze right beside it. I would never have believed it unless I saw it.
Okay - what is a propane pond gun and what's it for? - (I know nothing about fish hatcheries - this is interesting)! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 900
Location: Monticello, AR | There is a shooting range kind of behind my property....my horses dont even flinch, even when they shoot the stuff that explodes! And fireworks dont freak them out either!! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534
Location: Ohio girl moved to PA | I saw a mounted shooting trainer break one of his colts to gun fire by putting him in a small round pen and shooting off a pistol standing near the pen. It didnt take very long for the horse to realize it wasnt going to hurt and the calmer the horse got the closer the trainer would move in to the pen and eventually he was standing right next to the horse and he didnt even bat an eye. I know this would be hard if you dont have a round pen. The idea of playing a recording sounds like a good idea too! idk how mine got used to it lol they just did. good luck! |
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Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| Ohiobarrelracer - 2017-11-10 8:51 AM
I saw a mounted shooting trainer break one of his colts to gun fire by putting him in a small round pen and shooting off a pistol standing near the pen. It didnt take very long for the horse to realize it wasnt going to hurt and the calmer the horse got the closer the trainer would move in to the pen and eventually he was standing right next to the horse and he didnt even bat an eye. I know this would be hard if you dont have a round pen. The idea of playing a recording sounds like a good idea too! idk how mine got used to it lol they just did. good luck!
I wish I had a round pen I'd definitely do that to all of them but especially my personal horse, he's the biggest coward I've ever had! |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| upscowpatty - 2017-11-10 6:57 AM There is a shooting range kind of behind my property....my horses dont even flinch, even when they shoot the stuff that explodes! And fireworks dont freak them out either!!
We have a small outdoor range about a mile from us, plus two neighbors who like to shoot very often. My guys usually don't even flinch. However, there are those times when my guys seem to use the noise as an excuse to flag tail and be silly. They'll run and snort and buck and whatnot for a while, then they give it up and go back to nbd.
Being trapped in a stall will make their reaction worse - no where to escape. And the adrenalin from their fight/fllight reaction will spread to the other horses in the barn and feed off each other and make it worse and worse. |
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Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| My boys like to go out and shoot soda cans with their bb guns, my horses even react to that. I've really got to figure out something before it's too late to ever get them use to it, if it's not already. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 823
Location: East Texas | Just like anything with training animals, make what you want rewarding to them. At feeding time, start calling them up to feed with a loud noise, like banging two pieces of wood together as someone mentioned. |
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