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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
   
Location: North Dakota | Actually, it's 2 questions. First, how do you get ear plugs to stay in your horse's ears? I tried them today for the first time. Cash shook them out after a minute or 2 every time. Then he caught on and I had a hard time getting them in at all. Second, I introduced him to gunfire, balloons, the whole 9 yards last Tuesday. He could not care less. He was 100% fine with everything after about the first 5 minutes. Now we have a shoot tomorrow... aSks I just hang out again or should I take the next step and see how he reacts to being shot off of? My whole barn us involved with it so I'll have help tomorrow.ii
Edited by cavyrunsbarrels 2014-08-30 5:11 PM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
Location: Up and over to the right | I'd say a fly bonnet on top of the ear plugs, may not look so fashionable but would keep them in |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | I never heard of ear plugs for horses until I watched Zenyatta run. She always had something white in her ears.. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | komet. - 2014-08-30 8:02 PM
I never heard of ear plugs for horses until I watched Zenyatta run. She always had something white in her ears..
I never noticed that on her! I never heard much about them until I found out about mounted shooting. EVERYONE uses them in that. |
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | We bought some Cashel earplugs for one of our racehorses and they are awesome, we just squish them down and push them down in his ear. He tried really hard to shake them out the first time but they stayed put, ours had a string attached to them so if he shook one out we wouldn't lose it. |
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| cavyrunsbarrels - 2014-08-30 5:06 PM
Actually, it's 2 questions. First, how do you get ear plugs to stay in your horse's ears? I tried them today for the first time. Cash shook them out after a minute or 2 every time. Then he caught on and I had a hard time getting them in at all. Second, I introduced him to gunfire, balloons, the whole 9 yards last Tuesday. He could not care less. He was 100% fine with everything after about the first 5 minutes. Now we have a shoot tomorrow... aSks I just hang out again or should I take the next step and see how he reacts to being shot off of? My whole barn us involved with it so I'll have help tomorrow.ii
I haven't had any luck getting the earplugs that I have bought to stay in - all of our horses shake them right out. The ones we made from foam cat ball toys stay in great though. Just take 2 foam cat ball toys, 2 pieces from a pair of nylons, wrap the nylon around the cat ball and secure with a string. Make sure the string is long enough to go from ear to ear - and I make ours a little longer to wrap around the top of the headstall so when I take them out and take the bridle off, they stay attached to the bridle. They work great and are cheap!
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | What I've found works the best with the ear plugs is to put them in & immidiately get the horse moving, either by riding or lunging. Get the feet busy & they don't have time to stand there & shake their head. Odds are we'll have you shooting off your boy before the afternoon is over. Now start hoping the rain stops soon so tomorrow doesn't get cancelled!!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1257
Location: Colorado plains standing on a goat head! | When you are starting out with the earplugs it can take some time for the horses to get used to them. As mentioned above give them something else to do after you put them in. Also, you can take them out before she shakes them out.
It sounds like your horse will be fine with the gunfire, but starting out you can have an experienced horse ride along on the 'off' side, the one you are not shooting on.
It is a blast, I hope you get off to a great beginning! |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Well I might as well update...let's just say Cash is gathering quite a fan club. He didn't wear ear plugs and didn't react AT ALL to being shot off of. He didn't even flick his ear back. I'm so proud. |
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Expert
Posts: 1257
Location: Colorado plains standing on a goat head! | cavyrunsbarrels - 2014-08-31 8:10 PM
Well I might as well update...let's just say Cash is gathering quite a fan club. He didn't wear ear plugs and didn't react AT ALL to being shot off of. He didn't even flick his ear back. I'm so proud.
That is great! Some horses do just fine without the plugs. Just keep on with him and focus on helping your horse figure out the sport at the beginning, the shooting will come once you have that good foundation on your horse. Welcome to the wonderful world of mounted shooting! |
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Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | cavyrunsbarrels - 2014-08-31 8:10 PM Well I might as well update...let's just say Cash is gathering quite a fan club. He didn't wear ear plugs and didn't react AT ALL to being shot off of. He didn't even flick his ear back. I'm so proud.
He was an absolute champ for you!!!! You have certainly found yourself a keeper! |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | SaraJean - 2014-08-31 10:33 PM cavyrunsbarrels - 2014-08-31 8:10 PM Well I might as well update...let's just say Cash is gathering quite a fan club. He didn't wear ear plugs and didn't react AT ALL to being shot off of. He didn't even flick his ear back. I'm so proud. He was an absolute champ for you!!!! You have certainly found yourself a keeper!
I think so! I love him so much. |
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 Best of the Badlands
Location: You never know where I will show up...... | We don't use ear plugs on any of ours. The plugs seem to cause more drama than the gunfire, at our place. None of our horses mind gunfire and we start several new shooting horses every year. |
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