How to avoid the most common mistakes when getting started in mounted shooting.

By Tammy Sronce, Western Shooting Horse Magazine, November 11, 2009

Back in 2002, I first learned about Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Granted, I was an experienced rider—but before then, I’d never handled a gun (and the thought of it was pretty scary). Fortunately, I was surrounded by experienced shooters who helped me learn the ropes.

At some point, everybody is a novice in this sport. You may or may not have the kinds of teachers I had. Here are some suggestions that can make those early days go smoother—and build a strong foundation for growth and development.

Finding the Right Equipment

There’s a lot of different brands of guns, holsters, and just about everything else. The whole thing can be confusing to the newcomer. So I recommend that, before anything, you attend a mounted shooting competition. See what people are using—especially the top riders. Ask them questions (they’re more than happy to help, in almost every case).

After that, take a mounted shooting lesson from a professional, on a finished, trained and safe shooting horse provided by that trainer. It will give you an idea if this sport is for you (without the expense of buying equipment).

Working with a trainer, or alongside other experienced shooters, will also present new opportunities to experiment with different equipment. Find out what suits you best before getting the credit card out.

Finding the right horse

New shooters have a choice: you can buy a trained shooting horse, or you can use your current mount. Either way, you need to be comfortable with your pick.

First, be sure your prospect suits your riding ability. Young horses under five years old, generally do not make good prospects for novice shooters—they require regular riding and constant work, and most folks just don’t have the time to put into it. Younger animals also lack the maturity necessary for the sport. However, saying that, there are some young horses, in the right hands, that do make nice shooting horses.

Your shooting prospect also has to have a relatively finished ‘handle’ on him before you begin your pistol training. That means you should have full control over your horse: he should be able to walk, trot, and lope on both leads. It should stop well, rate, back up, and give to pressure off your legs. You’re asking for trouble if you try shooting off a horse that lacks full control.

Adding Gunfire

It’s natural—new riders want to start shooting off their horse first thing. Too often, someone will jump on the horse and off they ride, firing as they go. And that is about the worst thing you can do to a brand new prospect.

Most horses are scarred by jumping in with the ‘too much, too soon’ approach.  And this can lead to big problems, like a horse that shies sideways away from gunfire or doesn’t want to cross the timer.   The only way to solve those problems is to go back to square one and retrain the animal. So the rule here is, take the time to start your horse correctly. Get advice from an experienced trainer or shooter on how to start your horse in order in put a solid shooting foundation on your horse.

Finding the Right Speed

Although this is a timed event, training a mounted shooting horse requires the utmost patience. It’s another area where “too much, too soon” is a big mistake.

A rushed horse can develop anxiety at the gate and in the arena; they also lack the ability to rate, because they are used to being allowed to run through the patterns. They also have a tendency to leap or bounce when you try to reduce their speed, due to their unwillingness to rate back smoothly.

Here’s a suggestion: spend the first year of competition seasoning your horse smoothly through the patterns. Use the time to get to know your horse, its personality as well as its abilities. If you have a horse that is extremely laid back, has some maturity and which needs to be constantly pushed through a pattern, it is not a problem to ask him for a little more speed through the pattern earlier in his training. However if you have a young horse who is constantly wanting to charge through the bridle and run, take it easy and be patient. 

Be Willing to Learn

The advice I give my students is really just what has worked for me in my career. It’s neither totally right nor wrong. I have listened to a lot of different people over the years, many with different approaches to the sport. And I’ve learned a lot. So can you—listen to what great riders have to say. Keep an open mind. Keep what works for you and what sounds good, and throw away what doesn’t work.

Keeping the Right Perspective

If you are new to mounted shooting, remember to keep your goals in perspective. Don’t try and go in there and compete in the Pro Class at your first event, ‘cause you’ll only be disappointed. If you keep realistic and obtainable goals you will always have fun. And take it from me—the best riders in Cowboy Mounted Shooting have lots of fun!

One of my Texas mounted shooting friends jokingly told me, “Mounted shooting is the best sport you could ever do on horseback when you’re doing good, and the worst when you’re not.” I thought that was really funny (mostly because it’s true).

It’s just one of those lessons you’ll learn as you spend more time in the sport. But if you start off the right way, you’ll find more success and fun!

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