How to desensitize to gunshots?

[Cupcake]

My big gelding is desensitized to guns etc, not bothered by lighting, thunder or fireworks. My mini however gets panic attacks. During bad weather my gelding "mothers" her and hangs his head in her stall to keep her calm. Now yesterday my son and his friend started shooting paintballs across from the pasture. I had her in my backyard on the lead, my gelding was in the pasture in front of us. As soon as they started shooting she FREAKED out, trying everything to run, snorting etc, worst I've seen her. Of course my gelding picked up on it and ran around. So I told the boys to stop as I don't want him to end up being scared of something he previously wasn't. Waited for her to be calm and brought her back in the stable, she immediately went for her hay bag but as I went to close her back door, she stormed out there, reared up and ran through her pasture like a lion was chasing her, round after round in panic mode.

What's the best way to desensitize her, I told the boys we will probably have to do a training session with the paintball where they shoot on command and stop on command (once she relaxes). Would you then just put her on a lunge line and let her move until she chooses to stop or hold her to stand still and wait for the sign of relaxation? I'm afraid if I let her run she's going to run until she passes out...

Any experiences with your own?

 

[targetsmom]

Our minis are all desensitized to gunshots because the nursery nearby invites hunters three times a week to keep the deer away.from the nursery plants. It seems to work, because we never see deer here, but have seen bears!! Maybe if you did something that made a random noise - but not too loud and not constant - that sort of ran in the background like happens here, it would get them used to sudden noises, which should help a lot. Even though ours are fine with the gunshots, they still freak at loud almost constant noises like you get with the end of a fireworks display. So I don't think you can get them to be calm for everything.

I am not sure I want a riding horse to be so desensitized to gunshots that he has no reaction at all. I remember riding Target one day and when we heard gunshots up ahead, he started to get a bit nervous. I started to calm him by saying " it's OK Target, it's only.. .. WAIT, those are gunshots, you are right, let's get out of here! They might think you are a deer!!"

 

[Mona]

You can buy CDs that will condition your horses to all kinds of noises, gunshots included. The beauty of it is, you can start playing it quietly, and gradually increase the volume of it, so in effect is increasing the severity of the noises, and they will get used to it. I never did buy any, but was seriously considering buying one for our riding horses, but just couldn't really decide on which was best for our needs, so never did buy. I do think it is a wonderful training tool though! http://www.spookless.com/

 

[bevann]

No experience with gunshots but noise from fireworks at our state fair.As soon as firworks started we would give everybody grain.they were so focused on eating that the noise became secondary.They associated the noise with something good.Hope you find a solution

 

[Carolyn R]

I don't think you can ever totally desesatize them to loud noises. They may be comfortable in their own environment with them, they may see you with a gun when target practicing and associate it with the noise and know it is okay to not freak out, but you take any of those elements away, as in....out on the trail where they aren't accustomed to hearing the occasional blast or in an area where it is always quiet, or the sudden blast without the association of seeing the gun and they are bound to get startled. Best advice I can give, randomly set off firecrackers, those snaps that you smack off the ground and they pop, and even randomly shoot off the gun, but I would not restrain them when you do so. They may get a bug up their butt and run around, typically they eventually realize the noise is startling but not harmful. Some hay or some grain to munch is not a bad idea.

If my riding horse hears the shots, she is a little nervous, but completely rideable. If she hears a sudden unexpected shot she gets antsy, more so than the constant target practicing noise.

 

[HGFarm]

The only way they have a chance to get used to something is by repeated exposure. I would start from a distance and let the boys do their thing. She may settle down eventually. Keep in mind though that like dogs, some are not bothered by loud noises like lightening and some freak and NEVER get used to it. They are just more sensitive than others, and nothing you do will make them tolerate it.

I would try fairly regular exposure at a distance often and see if she will eventually get over it- however if she doesnt at a distance after a while, I would not bother to move closer with it as she will just freak more. If she does get used to it, you could have them move a little closer and over time, close the distance some.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I've been wondering about this as I am planning to carry a revolver with me because of our dog problem. We target practice near the hroses and have to pen them up, as they want to get right into the action. But I've never fired a gun while one is on a lead. I need to start practicing that.

 

[rubyviewminis]

I started using the desensitizing CD's, then used many different things to get them *used to* new noises without panicking. I usually did this as they ate, and/or after some work or training so they aren't fresh and full of beans. THEN I got a small cap gun, and started with just the capgun in the air around them, rubbing them, smelling etc. Then cllicking it unloaded and followed the same routine. Then loaded with caps but shooting it at a distance while my husband held them with a halter and lead. They could move, but not run away, panic, or hurt themselves. Then we moved it closer, and even closer as they accepted each step.

I used a long drawn out process, so they could process the new experience but it's a little much to type here. But it works. My jumpiest minis have no problem with gun sounds of any kind now, or other monster causing sounds. Find a starting point with something a little less scary and work your way up. They then get in the habit of maybe jumping in place and thinking instead of lunging, running, and reacting. So you are doing two things at once, getting them used to noises, and teaching them what to do when they are startled.

 

[Cupcake]

I definitely wanna get her more used to scary sounds - she's not afraid of new things she sees, there the curiousity takes over, but noises are causing the flight instinct - so I send the boys to the neighbors backyard on that day, didn't bother the horses one but to hear it from that distance and I think we'll work on slowly moving closer.

Quads, lawn mowers, weed eaters, airplanes and helicopters are no longer a problem as she's gotten used to them by now, used to have her run for her life. I think the way she was "introduced" to the paintball guns was wrong in all kinds of ways, the boys weren't clearly visible, way too close and the way they had it set up there were 3 sounds with each shot, once as it fired, when it hit and an echo, so it was overkill for her. I'll definitely work on this in the coming months.

Thank you everyone for your inputs and suggestions!

 

[Marty]

I never did anything to try because around here, gunshots are pretty normal and you never know when someone is going to be shooting. On 4th of July, my kids had more fireworks than you could believe that lasted for hours. Then there was the lawn mowers, tractor noises, 4 wheeling, you name it. They do get used to it. I think it bothers me more than it ever bothered them.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Start by building confidence with other scary stuff first. You don't teach math starting with calculous! What else oculd be scary? Youtube is fantastic for obstacle ideas, jsut type in "extreme trail" or something of the like.

I work my guy CONSTANTLY on de-spooking. Has built so much confidence. We lunge by the burn barrel, through the "chute of scaryness," Over poles, over playwood, over plywood covered in bubble wrap, with plastic bags, soda cans with rocks in the bottom, sleigh bells, or all 3 tied to the surcingle. We practice "Standing up" on pedestals, etc. He does all those things calmly, so NOW i would start with gun shots.

However, I have a big mare who was terrified of them, she would bolt in the field, and even on lead she would dance/get nervous. Then the neighbor boy bought a .22. Shot it CONSTANTLY. She got over it! Had to practice some "tough love," and leave her outside nervous, as long as she didn't pose a threat to herself. By allowing her to act so nutty then running in and saving the day, you are pretty much rewarding the behavior. Now, they here gun shots, come running to "investigate," then trot around with their tails up in the field, on line, they will just "stand and chill."

 

[Cupcake]

All those things you mentioned would drive my big gelding to a heart attack but don't phase her, tarp? Perfect to roll in, I can cover her entire head and body with it, plastic bags, bottles filled with rocks, all toys. My big one doesn't flinch during gun shots/thunde etc, he enjoys watching fireworks

but try touching his side with the evil plastic bag and he'll go spastic. I've hung 10 shavings bags along the fence, combined with Texas winds they got him desensitized to them quickly but he's still iffy about being touched with "things".

Doesn't help that we live in a very quiet and "boring" neighborhood, the mailman is the excitement of the day for them...

 

[Gone_Riding]

What worked for me was firing .22 blanks and immediately giving a horse treat after each shot. Done in sessions every once in a while, the horse learns that it's "normal". However, not every one owns a .22 pistol... It also might work to light a fire cracker and put it in an empty milk jug as it would act as a silencer? Then, as the horse gets used to it, one can just light off the firecracker.

My hubby can now sight in his rifle in the yard and neither my Arab or Mini care. My Arab will actually come closer to me when I fire my rifle.