Mounted shooting is a growing horse sport that is becoming more popular every year! It’s a fun, thrilling, and competitive discipline that requires speed and skill of both horse and rider.

The goal of mounted shooting is to shoot and pop as many balloons on the course as possible with a pistol loaded with blanks. It is a timed event so whichever rider pops the most balloons in the fastest amount of time is the winner.

There are many mounted shooting clinics, events, and clubs in most horse communities. If you are interested in getting involved contact one of them and see how you can get started! Your horse will need to be desensitized to the sound of gunshots which may take time, so be patient! You’ll also need some special equipment and learn how to handle a gun and shoot with accuracy on the ground first before trying it in the saddle.

(photo by KenAmorosano - During AQHA Mounted Shooting World Championship, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2... )

~ Saddle Up