Advice sought - horse scared of local 'guns'

[julesw01]

Hi

I've just moved house ( 3 months ago) and brought my 14 year old mare home with me. She's settled in very well after being in a livery yard. Done lots of 'natural' and classical stuff, hacking, jumping, hunted etc etc and normally she's pretty cool about most things now, (we even ride bareback and bridle free in the Summer - err in the field!!) so I know its not too much of a trust issue. She shares her fields with sheep and pheasants. She has been used to guns with local shoots where she's been before, but they've not been as close as the local shoot is now in the next field.

Yesturday she could see the beaters waving their flags and then heard the gun shot and tore round and round the field, stopping to watch and listen every now and then. I know she's better off in the field than inside, and I left her turnout rain sheet on in case of accidents (she's clipped), the field is tidy, pretty wet, but all newly strong post and railed. All I could do was stay with her and try and look disinterested in the guns and to reassure her, with claming stokes and voice, when she stopped to listen. Once the guns had finnished I took her inside and cleaned her up. Her adrenalin was up all night, round and round the box she went. Hate seing her like this, but I know there's not much I can do about the shoot.

Any advice welcomed - I don't think its a sedative requirement at the moment, more a get used to it I'm afraid. Most Saturdays they'll be shooting we will be out hunting, and I'll try and be out on their other shoot days, but what with work I won't always be at home or out. I'm looking for a second horse but maybe after the winter. That's not always the best solution as if the other horse is also as scared they end up scaring each other into a right lather!

What do other people do in these cases? Many thanks

 

[Kaylum]

Well when we had a shoot at on our farm all the horses were stabled for the day.

 

[TicTac]

They shoot at the back of our paddocks during the winter and it pisses me off as it does upset the horses. However I have found that after the first few guns have been fired the horses do usually settle. On most occasions I do prefer to leave my horses in the stable untill after the shoot has moved on.

 

[quirky]

Is the difference now that she does not have other horses around her?

We always used to stable ours when the hunt was in the area.

 

[Wagtail]

We have similar problems here but luckily the gamekeeper informs me when they will be really close by and I stable the horses. I also think that your mare would be a lot better with equine company. Sheep just don't cut it, I'm afraid. She now has to be lookout 100% of the time and has no friends to make her feel secure. I really would look into finding her some company.

 

[FairyLights]

I contacted my local shoot and hunt when I moved and always eave the horses in on shoot days and when the hunt is anywhere near. Making friends with them was a good move, I've enjoyed free pheasants and good times out with the hunt [on foot] and made some nice friends too , go to the xmas "do's" etc.

 

[flyingfeet]

Simples, the answer is to gun train your horse.

Start with a cap gun and lots of praise and treats. I have gun trained 3 of mine thus far to carry a revolver in competition. I have my flighty polo pony to gun train over the winter.