PAST
TIPS OF THE WEEK

Tip of the Week:  June 19 New shooters, good habits to learn:  Keep your arm straight (no bent elbows) when shooting at your targets. Try not to toss your gun up and down in your hand while cocking the hammer.  Try to keep your chin on your shoulder to help you look down your straight arm, and act as though your gun is an extension of your arm.   Also, no shooting from the hip!

Tip of the Week:  June 8 Horses feel safety in numbers. When starting a new horse on gunfire, try getting a few other riders and horses together in a "herd". Have the mounted shooter walk out in front as the lead horse. Keep the horses moving at a walk while the front rider is shooting, and try to keep them in a group together. They will ultimately feel safer because they are herd animals by nature, and be more apt to accept the noise with confidence if other horses are close by.

Tip of the week: April 24 If you are looking to trim time off of your score, study the course to find where you can push your horse to move out. For example, if your first shot is the furthest balloon at the far end of the arena, you can let him run as fast as you feel safe to get to that balloon, then rate him down just before the shot is fired. If you then have a barrel turn at the near end of the arena, you can implement the same rule -- turn the near barrel and push him to RUN to the rundown barrel. Remember to rate him down before the barrel turns, or you may over-run them. Each horse rates differently, so know your horse before you attempt this time-saving tip.

Tip of the week: April 17 When you are ready to start shooting off of your horse, it is important that you keep your arm out at "3 o'clock" , "9 o'clock", or behind you in the air.  Be sure that you are not shooting by his head or ears. By shooting out to the side or behind you, the gunfire noise will be more apt to travel away from the horse, and will help him acclimate to the sound.

Tip of the week: April 5 A time trimming tip:  When riding a course that has a "long gun change" in between the first barrel and the rundown barrel, remember to turn the first barrel and get on track to the rundown barrel BEFORE you holster your first gun. Riders are often found looking down to holster the gun, and become slowed or even stopped at the first barrel, forgetting that they have plenty of time to change guns on the way to the rundown barrel.

Tip of the week: March 15 Remember to keep your eye on your balloon target until it pops. Much like keeping your "eye on the ball", this habit will enable you to stay focused on the target that you are engaging, and finishing the "kill" before moving on.  Remember this tip especially on the 5th rundown balloon. This balloon is commonly missed because the rider is looking ahead to the finish line instead of keeping their eye on the target.

Tip of the week: March 5 When negotiating a gate, remember to take your cross shot first.  This will give you enough time as you pass through the gate to get your strong shot. If you shoot your strong shot first you will have to cross over your body and try to get the cross shot after your horse has already passed through the gate, and will be more difficult to hit the target. (what is a gate?)

Tip of the week: February 27 Always keep the muzzle of your firearm pointed down or up until you are ready to fire at your target.  This can be hard to remember when preparing to ride a course, but it is of absolute importance as there are often spectators, balloon setters, or other competitors within range.

February 13 Things to remember before you enter the arena at a shoot. #1 Check your tack - be sure your cinch is tight and chicago screws (if any) are intact. #2 Check your guns - be sure they are loaded with live rounds and indexed properly. #3 Know your course strategy and potential procedurals - be sure to run the course in your head a few times and consider all procedurals. Both new and experienced Mounted Shooters can easily get lost out there!  (what is a procedural?)

February 6 When introducing a new horse to gunfire, it is important that you do not start directly on a course or pattern. Try shooting from the ground first while your horse is in a round pen, or ride at a practice while others are shooting around you. When you do shoot from his back, try starting in an arena or on a trail with another seasoned horse nearby. Horses feel safe in herds, and will typically gain more confidence if they have a buddy with them. Once your horse is acclimated (in whole or in part), then slowly add a simple pattern into the equation. Remember not to put too much pressure on him too soon, or you will have to return back to square one and will  spend even more time undoing his new-found fears.

January 30 Never cock your hammer until you are ready to pull the trigger. This means, you should not cock the hammer until you are within a few feet of your balloon target. Not only is this a safety issue, but it could cost you a missed target penalty if you accidentally discharge your round prior to engaging the target.