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SASS MOUNTED SHOOTING BEGINNER”S PRACTICE
Both Beginner Class and Veterans are invited to attend practices. The Florida Outlaws hold monthly practices on the first Saturday of the month. If this is your first practice with us – THE COST IS FREE! Check the event calendar for the location of our next pratice
Starting the practice We start pre-registration an hour before the practice starts, there are always a lot of questions and we want the new shooters to feel comfortable. We prefer that all participants have their own horse present and are prepared to work with them. They go through the gun safety section and shoot the balloons from the ground. This way they are encouraged and learn the most important part first; gun safety. They can then begin to use the skills they learn from watching others working with their horses when they return home. Or, even better, they come to the next practice with their horse.
We ask the new riders to saddle their horses so they are ready to be ridden after the gun safety section. They should tie them some place where they are safe and secured. If possible they should put earplugs in their horses at this time. While the riders are completing their work on the ground it will be the first time the horses become exposed to the sound of gunfire.
Ground Work and Gun Safety
Once the riders have tied up their horses we bring them all together and have them introduce themselves to their fellow Shooters. We want to create a friendly atmosphere from the very beginning.
One club member will open this portion of the practice with a brief history of SASS Mounted Shooting. We explain the importance of period clothing, explaining that in the beginning we do not expect our new riders to conform to this. We also give tips on how to put together a period costume without spending a lot of money.
We then proceed to the handling of the pistols. We treat each person as if they have never handled a pistol before. This is where you point out that these are single action pistols and need to have the hammer pulled back each time you engage a target. That the guns will not fire unless you first pull the hammer back. We also point out the type of ammo we are using and the fact that the black powder is what breaks the balloons. Shooting Safe gun handling and control of muzzle direction are the most important things we will impart all day!
Step One
We will assemble all horses and riders in the arena, keeping them at one end. We pair up one seasoned club member with one or two new shooters to act as a mentor. This mentor will work with the new shooter for the remainder of the practice. The mentor can answer a myriad of questions the new shooters have from period dress, rules, and hints as to how to run the course and different thoughts on how to ease the new horse’s acceptance of the sport. The new shooters often find it easier to ask questions in this more informal situation than as a group. Also, the mentor makes sure that the new shooter has the use of leathers and guns, which are rotated off of the Armorer’s table.
We assemble all horses in a large circle in the arena, a new horse next to a seasoned horse all the way down the line. We have two club members, on the ground in the center of the arena. Once all the new horses are settled in next to a seasoned horse we have the two Members start shooting in the air. We do this slowly, spacing the shots out. Our “mentors” are watching the reaction of the new horses to the gunfire. The new rider should be reassuring the horse: sitting deep in the saddle, breathing in a relaxed manner and patting the horse on the neck. The seasoned horses show no signs of being nervous and the new horses take their cues from the seasoned horse. This is using the herd mentality. The smoke and smell of gunpowder is all part of the sport. Again these horses should feel comfortable as they are in a herd that shows no anxiety.
Using slowly spaced shots in the beginning they should be looking for how these new horses are reacting. The main goal here is to keep forward motion on all these new horses. These horses should feel comfortable, again they are in a herd environment and the seasoned horses have no problem around the gunfire. Move them up to a trot or slow canter, staying on the outside rail. These new horses are not running from the gunfire, instead they are running with the herd.
It is extremely important that these new horses develop a trust with their riders. If the rider feels comfortable and confident, the new horse will take his cues from the rider and this trust translates into an easy acceptance of these new stimuli.
Once we feel confident that these riders and horses are experiencing some degree of comfort we move to the next step.
The ammo, pistols and leathers are kept at the Armorer’s table. Once a rider is setup, armed and loaded, we stage them at the end of the arena. Two volunteers act as Range Masters and we have the Shooters go through the balloon pattern, waiting for the Range Masters signal. Each new rider is encouraged to engage five targets allowing the horse to become familiar with the motion of the rider holding the gun out and the sound coming from their back. Again, we want the new riders to develop confidence. This confidence translates into a comfort level, which is passed on to the horse through the rider. We like to set these patterns with some cross shooting, watching each rider to make certain they are never aiming the weapon where it would put their horse in danger. New riders are never comfortable with the cross shoot, and the sooner we expose them to it the faster they will progress. When the rider has completed their turn they return to the Armorer’s table and let the next person use the guns and the leathers. This is where the mentors are very helpful in keeping this exchange run smoothly.
The next step is to set up a pattern using balloons and having each rider exchange guns after engaging the first five targets. Our main objective throughout this practice is to develop riders who are capable of competing at a match. We typically will offer three standard patterns giving the new riders a sense of what they will encounter during a match.
Closing out the Practice
Once each rider has completed three patterns using ten targets we close out the practice with a question and answer session. If time permits we may offer an informal jackpot.
We try to make this a full day event. Potluck dinners around a campfire are a great opportunity to make our riders feel like part of the club. Often experienced club members can share stories about how they started. This informal atmosphere generates one of the most positive aspects of our sport, the camaraderie and friendships that evolve through participation. Mounted shooters are a special breed; willing to make mistakes and share how to solve them. Most mounted shooters have made a fool of themselves at least once and sharing this removes some of the pressure from these new shooters.
Mini Clinics
Often club members who, through their excitement to share the Mounted Shooting experience with their local friends, approach club officers with a proposed clinic near their home. These clinics can be extremely successful. The riders typically have well-broke horses and have competed in speed events; i.e. team roping, team penning, barrels, poles. These mini clinics follow the same format as our new shooters practice, on a smaller scale. Riders tend to be more experienced and the horses are very well broke. The number of clinicians is generally smaller and group more intimate. In a mini-clinic there is no need for the horsemanship aspect of the clinic. These riders progress faster through the clinic. The big difference between this type of clinic and our new shooters practice is that generally these riders are friends of current mounted shooters. They generally have a better understanding of competitive equine activities and already know what to expect. Often the publicized clinics draw a wide variety of horse people from back yard trail riders to seasoned endurance riders and every thing in between. The mini-clinics go much quicker and end up more like a practice day than a day of instruction. We have hosted a number of these types of clinics with tremendous results.
Conclusion
Hosting these types of clinics is a great way to develop new members and share the sport we all love. One of the unique aspects of Mounted Shooting is the friendships that are formed and the willingness to help fellow shooters. This is what separates Mounted Shooting from any other equine sport. As I said in the beginning, this is a combination of many shooters input. While you may not use every thought here, the basic information will produce positive results.
Dane “Sundance” Hovey
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