ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] Accepting Gunfire
[endurance] Accepting Gunfire
Karen Chaton (karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us)
Thu, 18 Jan 1996 09:31:22 -0800 (PST)
>>have any suggestions for how they've trained their horses to accept gunfire
>>at very close range.
>>
>>Sue @ BZDGULCH
>>
>Sue -
>
>We live near a shooting range, which is very busy. Luckily the first time
I took my horse by it we were with a bomb-proof horse, and so mine learned
from his second or third trail-ride ever to get used to gun-shots. A year
later when I started the second horse, he got ponied by the shooting range.
I make it a habit to bring them by there two or three times a week (when
time/season allows). The shooting range happens to also be right next to a
dump, so that means that the horses have to deal with (all at the same time)
1) gunshots 2) plastic bags & trash blowing all around 3) motorcycles and
4WD vehicles on all the dirt roads & trails 4) dump trucks, oh, and there is
also a model-airplane airport landing strip - sometimes we have to put up
with getting dive-bombed too. Needless to say, my horses are virtually
bomb-proof and I've even had them get plastic bags blown up on their sides
(it's usually windy here) and they are fine about it. I think getting them
used to this stuff with a bomb-proof horse went a long way in helping, and
there were times where we would approach this area and the horse might not
be comfortable, so we'd keep our distance and go around at a distance that
the horse felt comfortable, and each time we'd work our way closer and
closer. Now we can walk the horses right up and stand next to the vehicles
that the people shooting next to. Oh, we also have flocks of birds flying
up out of the sagebrush. sorry this got so long
>
>Yes, they are both Arabs too! :-)
>
>Karen
>
>(just so you know when I started the first horse he was scared to death of
things like trash cans, lawn chairs, etc., - so believe me when I say you
can work thru anything if you are willing to take the time, go slowly, and
let the horse decide how fast/slow he/she is willing to accept things)
>