EHAL Magazine - August 2016

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine

Cowboy Mounted Shooting –

The Physical Parts….

You’ve made the decision – you are going to DO

this thing called Cowboy Mounted Shooting! In our

last EHAL article (May 2016), we talked about how

to get started and how to introduce your horse to

gunfire. Now let’s take things to the next step. Let’s

discuss course management – the physical parts of

shooting a pattern.

Careful planning and

“line strategy” in a

mounted shooting

pattern is crucial as

every stride is time

on the clock. You

should choose which

lead your horse

needs to start in

based on the pattern.

If it looks like your

first turn in the pattern is a left turn, you need to

start your horse in the left lead. If your first turn in

the pattern is going to be a right turn, then start your

horse in the right lead.

It’s important here to learn the term “ride with a pur-

pose”. “Riding with a purpose” is planning your ride

– plan from the very start of entering the arena to

exiting the arena. A common mistake riders make is

entering the pattern and riding to each target with-

out ever thinking about what’s coming next.

Plan your “line strategy” based on what is set in the

arena, not what is written in the course book. All

arenas are different sizes, and patterns

generally reflect the arena, and may

differ slightly from what is on the paper.

Once the pattern is set, study it from all

four sides. By studying the pattern from

each side of the arena, you can pick

your lines and turns based on where the

balloons are actually set.

When you enter the arena, start in the

correct lead and cross the timer in a

straight line toward your first target – the

shortest distance to any point is a straight line. Try

to stay 9 feet from your target; your shot should be

at 3 o’clock (straight off the shoulder of your shoot-

ing hand) or 9 o’clock

(straight across your

body) depending on the

location of the balloon.

Make a nice, smooth

barrel turn. Give your

horse the pocket he

needs to keep his speed

up – don’t go too deep

or too wide. Push your-

self and your horse all

the way through the timer. Always ride to that “elev-

enth” balloon!

Whichever way you turned around the rundown bar-

rel is the same direction you need to end your horse

at the end of the arena. So if you turned the bar-

rel to the right, your horse is in the right lead, and

needs to turn at the end of the arena to the right. If

you turned the rundown barrel to the left, your horse

will turn at the end of the arena to the left. In 99%

of all the patterns with a rundown, your horse will

most likely end turning the direction you were shoot-

ing your targets

(targets shot on

your right, results

in a right turn at

the end for your

horse, targets

shot on your left,

results in a left

turn at the end

for your horse).

August 2016

EHALmagazine.com