National Shooting Horse Association

The Competitive Shooting Horse

A practical, horse-first training manual for developing safe, confident shooting horses. 

For a long time in this sport, people learned by trial, error, and proximity — and too often, horses paid the price for unclear guidance. This manual exists to remove unnecessary ambiguity. Not to replace good trainers or strong horsemanship, but to give riders a clearer starting point and a safer path forward.

Use what helps. Ignore what doesn’t. Always listen to the horse.

This 90 plus page training manual lays out the foundational process we use to start and develop shooting horses — from early groundwork through readiness for competition. It focuses on leadership, trust, cadence, confidence, collection, and control, and explains why each step matters before adding speed, gunfire, or pressure.

This is not a quick-start guide or a one-day gun-breaking recipe. It is a clear, step-by-step framework designed to help riders make good decisions and avoid common mistakes that set horses back.

You do not need to be an instructor to use this manual.