minskeep
10-12-2010, 08:43 PM
Last year around this time I was riding my horse in the yard when for the first time she noticed my fiance Kaceys bag of decoy ducks. This was the first time she had ever seen it. Its a good sized bag but other than that its just a bag. It wasnt moving nor was it really that close to her. At first I couldnt get her to walk past it without her cocking her head at it and snorting. Then when Kacey happened to pick it up Star flipped out. She spun around I dont know how many times but I had never been on a horse that moved so fast in my life. Surprisingly I stayed on but I could not get her to go near it or the area where it was sitting before that.
Now shes not the timid type normally, this is the only thing she has ever freaked out about. After thinking about it later I thought maybe it was the smell considering when Kacey shoots a few ducks he just puts them in the bag with the decoys so he can carry them back to the house. This is a problem I have never had to deal with. Im not a hunter so I have never had to get a horse used to the smell of blood.
How exactly do you go about doing it?
As far as the other aspects of hunting, like the sound of the gun, shes fine with that. But as of right now, theres no way I would ever get anything dead near her.
I also heard a story from my future father in law that he had an awesome horse he used for hunting. You could run down a deer with him easy and shoot off him without him batting en eye. However, there was no way you would ever get the deer near him after it was shot. They never could get him over it. So that story leaves me feeling kinda hopeless.
Its not as though I want to take my horse hunting, I just dont want her to be afraid when she doesnt need to be.
This year wasnt any different, when she saw the decoy bag a few days ago she nearly jumped out of her stall. We were just walking through the barn after being out in the slough. Hadnt even shot a duck so there was no fresh blood.
Heres a video I shot of her reaction. This is nothing like the other day. I was surprised I even got her near it. Oh and the noise isnt the issue, i can shake a plastic jug full of rocks all around her and she wont move and inch nor snort at it.
Please pay no attention to Kaceys rambling and potty mouth, lol.
YouTube - Star and the Duck Decoy Bag
Now shes not the timid type normally, this is the only thing she has ever freaked out about. After thinking about it later I thought maybe it was the smell considering when Kacey shoots a few ducks he just puts them in the bag with the decoys so he can carry them back to the house. This is a problem I have never had to deal with. Im not a hunter so I have never had to get a horse used to the smell of blood.
How exactly do you go about doing it?
As far as the other aspects of hunting, like the sound of the gun, shes fine with that. But as of right now, theres no way I would ever get anything dead near her.
I also heard a story from my future father in law that he had an awesome horse he used for hunting. You could run down a deer with him easy and shoot off him without him batting en eye. However, there was no way you would ever get the deer near him after it was shot. They never could get him over it. So that story leaves me feeling kinda hopeless.
Its not as though I want to take my horse hunting, I just dont want her to be afraid when she doesnt need to be.
This year wasnt any different, when she saw the decoy bag a few days ago she nearly jumped out of her stall. We were just walking through the barn after being out in the slough. Hadnt even shot a duck so there was no fresh blood.
Heres a video I shot of her reaction. This is nothing like the other day. I was surprised I even got her near it. Oh and the noise isnt the issue, i can shake a plastic jug full of rocks all around her and she wont move and inch nor snort at it.
Please pay no attention to Kaceys rambling and potty mouth, lol.
YouTube - Star and the Duck Decoy Bag