Shot guns and horses

B

Beckie65

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2010
Messages
219
Location
Kent
Visit site
I have a welshy so i know they have a bit of a personality, but im nearly the end of my tether with him tho, i've had him over a year and we have guns going off all the time in nearby fields, and registered shoots but he still spooks and bolts round the field like he has never herd them before, hacking is a nightmare when the guns are going off he can get really strong and wants to bolt not malicious but genuinely scared, is there any way i can de-sensitise him?? any advice appreciated.
 
could you try a propane gas cannon 'bird scarer'? close by or even in the field. You may have to wait until April/May or it could be classed as a nuisance. I could be worth a try. We get them every year close to our place; the horses don't even look up. I can't really think of anything else.
 
I would ask the shooters if you can record the sound of the shots and play it on a loop to the horse while in the field (quietly at first and gradually increase the noise). Over time he should become desensitised to it. Finally get a shooter to come and fire for real gradually nearer the field (in case it is the sound waves of the real thing or the smell of cordite in the shot that is also triggering the reaction.
 
When gun training I start most of mine off with a simple cap gun (available from toy stores), this gets them used to a little bang and funny smell

From there I graduate up to a blank firing revolver, which is as loud as a shot gun

The cap gun should be sufficient for your problem unless you want to be able to fire a shotgun on horseback!
 
It's funny, but I have a Welsh who will spook at a leaf or a blade of grass moving, but he doesn't bat an eyelid when a shotgun goes off in the field next to us when hacking!! I nearly leap out of the saddle in fright - but not him.

We do have a crow scarer that goes off all the time in the spring, just across the road. He also lived out 24/7 and the fireworks never bothered him either.

Very odd boy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top