spandit Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 I have permission to control rabbits at a livery yard and quite often there are horses out in the fields at night. With the moderated .22LR it's not generally a problem, although they do get spooked occasionally as the thump from hitting a rabbit is pretty loud! Having just bought a .17HMR, I'm concerned that this will spook them too much - anyone with experience in these matters? It's got a PH moderator (a .22 one, I think) but I know with a supersonic round it's impossible to make it whisper quiet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 I shoot next to horses with mine and they're fine but the riders bitch and moan . The land owner says carry on tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bostonmick Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 I own horses and also shoot on the same land that they are kept at.i shoot with shotguns and during daylight hours it does not bother my horses.quite the opposite really they come over to see what all the noise is.i would not like to say the same for night shooting as they will probably not see you and a sudden thud will most likely give them a start.best thing is to give it a try and hopefully they will not be to worried by it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 Make sure you are insured. On a farm where I use a shotgun many times, I fired an air rifle 40 yards from a horse (and firing the other way) once and it jumped and fell over. It made me think that you never know what reaction you are going to get. An HMR makes a loud crack even with a moderator (any moderator) I'd consider a PCP as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlerob Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 (edited) You shot enough with any gun a horse will get use to it trust me I have been shooting a fiels next to a paddock with permission from the horse owners blessing as rabbits was digging up paddocks as long as the horses didn't get to scared and was shooting with 12G from distance then working closer day and night I have them that use to noise now I can stand 20ft away and they dont even move now when I fire Edited September 26, 2014 by littlerob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srspower Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 I shoot next to horses with my 12 bore all the time, doesn't bother them at all. A rustle of a plastic bag though freaks them out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 Its the ultrasonics from the plastic bag. It freaks my parrot out too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 They soon get used to it i find but really cant help but follow you round sniffing once they smell blood from shot quarry. I prefer an air rifle around horses and defiantely make sure your insured as the Horsey lot are quite franckly offen bonkers, I know this because my two sisters are horsey as is the wife ! ATB Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted September 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 Thanks for replies, I'll let you know how I get on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 I'd just stick with the 22 at night if your already do well with it.I don't think I shoot past 60-70 yards at night with a 22, that's at a riding school too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Mule Posted September 27, 2014 Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 Say hello to the horses first, in daylight and fire a few rounds. They will associate you with the noise (eventually) and will be less spooked. Ensure the horses know you are there before you start might help too. Being in a field with spooked horses charging around in the dark is not a fun experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted September 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2014 All good advice. I'll ring the landowner next week... I'd just stick with the 22 at night if your already do well with it. Um... what would be the point of buying more guns then!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norfolk dumpling Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 On one syndicate I was in one drive and 3 pegs were in paddocks and i got the middle peg. As birds started to show one horse walked slowly up behind me and stood inches from my back almost looking along my barrels. Owners had said ok with guns but rather s******g myself as I took first shot - killed a couple and horse walked slowly away. Worrying but it didn't seem at all bothered by 12g going off feet from his nose. Wish someone had got a camera - would have been a fantastic Posture for the scrap book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Funker Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 All good advice. I'll ring the landowner next week... Um... what would be the point of buying more guns then!? Haha too true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark@mbb Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 My daughter has a 17hds Dutch warm blood and it like a kite on a string yet we pigeon shoot at the End of it paddock and it comes and stands no 4' away and falls asleep Strange Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayman Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 For several century's horses have been in battle with cannons blazing nearby, riders shooting while on the saddle, and the horses in question would simply be used to the noise and ignore it. Same applies today, as soon as the horse realises the discharge is not a threat, their heads go down to graze and they ignore the noise. What agitates a horse is always the agitated owners flapping about and sending vibes to the horses who re-act. Horses just need training like a gun dog to not re-act, and they are fine. Its much harder to convince horse owners that there is no issue, many seem to believe their filly will die of fright, stampede, or abort a foal just because some-one is plopping some pigeons down in the next field. These are the same horses that pay no attention to road traffic, trains, planes and all the rest - simply because they know from exposure to the noise and movement its not a threat. Ponies in the field beside our clayground don't even flap an ear when shooting starts, they will even come up to the fence to watch! Owners, on the other hand, can be seen spooking their horses by rushing about yelling and waving their arms because they think there is an issue. Get rid of them, and the horses will settle down and ignore shooting within minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srspower Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 Yes horsey people are often very precious about their horses. I shoot rabbits with the 12g in a paddock where people pay for livery. This one women came to feed her horse, or whatever they do, and saw me gutting a rabbit and went mad at me saying 'my horse has a stomach condition and if it relapses im sending you the bill!' and then she demanded I stop shooting there! I pointed out that I was preventing the field being overun with rabbit holes her horse could break its leg in and she should ask the farmer if she had a problem with me shooting. And her horse won't leave me alone following me around when im shooting. I told the farmer about it and he wasn't impressed with her outburst especially given he has a years waiting list for livery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 I shoot a paddock next to horses and donkeys for a while. I started with an airgun, then moved onto the HMR but shooting away from the horses (obviously, but as in literally opposite with a horse behind so that the noise travelled opposite direction to them) Then I shoot my 12g there for pigeons and often have the horses nosing about. Never a problem. Sometimes new donkeys and horses are a little flighty, but the landowner usually leaves me a note in the stable or tells me when I see her and she likes me to get them used to the noise. The other landowner down the way a little whom I also shoot once put her thoroughbreds and a race horse in a penned off part of the paddock and told me to carry on as normal, but they were much flightier than the others. I also tend to muck in and help out a bit when I'm there after shooting, helps you get a better relationship with the landowner. Where I shoot, If i tell her I'll be lamping in advance, she puts high vis reflector vests on the horses for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outlander Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 CCI do a quiet 22lr round which I use in similar circumstances , not sure if there is such a thing for the HMR though. Outlander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted October 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 HMR is supersonic so it'll never be silent. I use RWS rounds in my 22lr which are pretty quiet, even for a S/A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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