Question:- Where to shoot a horse.

[Jorlcrin]

Looking for advice on shot placement to drop a horse at close range.

Been asked to shoot a horse for my niece on a remote property.
Horse in question is quiet enough most of the time, but has repeatedly lost his s**t without warning.
Horse has been given a LOT of second chances, but has finally been deemed too high a risk to people.

Not seeking ethical opinions; I've been asked to do a job, and I'd like to do it properly.

I thought I'd ask some of the people here who've culled horses; where is the ideal shot placement for a head-shot if front-on to a horse?
Also; how hard is the skull of a horse?
[Not very, from my last looking at one..]

Majority of my experience is shooting sheep, and because their brain is high toward the back of the head, the ideal shot is behind the ear.
Not sure that I'd get that close to this horse; more likely I'll get a front-on shot at around 5 metres, from the sound of it.

I recall advice many years back, that if you draw a line from base of one ear, to the opposite eye, the spot where the 2 lines cross over on the forehead, is where to place the shot for the brain.
Is this correct?
If no; any other technique for ensuring a brain shot?

Thanks in advance for any constructive advice.

[bladeracer]

Looking for advice on shot placement to drop a horse at close range.

Been asked to shoot a horse for my niece on a remote property.
Horse in question is quiet enough most of the time, but has repeatedly lost his s**t without warning.
Horse has been given a LOT of second chances, but has finally been deemed too high a risk to people.

Not seeking ethical opinions; I've been asked to do a job, and I'd like to do it properly.

I thought I'd ask some of the people here who've culled horses; where is the ideal shot placement for a head-shot if front-on to a horse?
Also; how hard is the skull of a horse?
[Not very, from my last looking at one..]

Majority of my experience is shooting sheep, and because their brain is high toward the back of the head, the ideal shot is behind the ear.
Not sure that I'd get that close to this horse; more likely I'll get a front-on shot at around 5 metres, from the sound of it.

I recall advice many years back, that if you draw a line from base of one ear, to the opposite eye, the spot where the 2 lines cross over on the forehead, is where to place the shot for the brain.
Is this correct?
If no; any other technique for ensuring a brain shot?

Thanks in advance for any constructive advice.

No idea as I avoid being around horses. But I Googled and found an interesting page of CT analysis of a horse's head.
https://www.imaios.com/en/vet-anatomy/horse/horse-head
It has similarities to cows with the brain very high. Unfortunately, it doesn't show the position of the ears. With cows I was told to make the cross between eyes and ears and aim an inch above and to one side of the intersection, and it works fine, but you have to understand it in 3D and make allowances if the animal is looking up or down. And the cow has a reinforcing bar of bone down the centre of the skull, which the horse doesn't have, so the horse brain looks very close to the skin to me.

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I also found a shooting diagram in a code of practice - https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/pocta-act-1986/victorian-codes-of-practice-for-animal-welfare/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-horses-at-horse-hire-establishments#h2-14

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I definitely would not use a .22LR, I would use the .223, .243 or the .44Mag myself.
Unless you have a use for the meat and/or hide I would think the abattoir would be a better bet.

We put our oldest cow in the freezers on Sunday, it's a lot of work. When they die in the paddock we just build a "fence" around them with star pickets and corrugated steel sheeting and compost them in place, moving a dead 600kg+ animal is a tough job unless you have some heavy machinery. They're gone into the gardens in less than a year with hardly any effort on our part compared to butchering them. Butchering them we still have a nice big pile of stuff to compost anyway, but the pay off is more than 300kg of meat and a huge hide. I don't know what beef sells for nowadays but we got the lot from mince to the choicest cuts for under $4 a kilo. I don't know how good horse meat is but I'd definitely be looking at home butchery, especially when you consider the cost of horses. One of our neighbours paid $10K for a horse she can't ride, due to a back injury from years ago, so she walks him around for miles while her husband rides alongside on his horse. The horse does have a "playful" nature so she just can't trust him not to get frisky and seriously injure her. Personally, I find horses neurotic mental cases always on the verge of snapping.

[Jorlcrin]

Bladeracer,

Many thanks; the shot placement (roughly) matches with my memories of what I was told some decades ago.
That 'Appendix 2' is the go, from the looks.

Dont have the option of an Abbitoir; too remote.
Not really interested in harvesting the meat; likely leave it for the nieces family to use the carcass to attract pigs.

Kind of wish this had been an option a few weeks back, before we did our shire-wide 1080 baiting; horse meat is well received by the Wuffy Gang..

Planning to use either .223, or .30-30 for the shot.
I expect the .223 will work just fine; we've head-shot many cattle for home butchering with a .223 in the yards in years past.
Need to do some practice at close range to get my shot placement dialled in, but all good.

I concur with the Horse assessment; If wishes were horses, we'd all be knee-deep in 1080 bog baits..

Again; Many thanks.

[Larry]

Dont use a 22 we had a horse bash its skull against something steel once and put a hole it its bode there the size you could put your thumb in. Like humans a big nasal cavity up front first.

[Die Judicii]

A bit off the topic, (apologies) but Horse Meat is phenominal yabby bait.

[Wapiti]

Tip mate... test fire your rifle into some sort of target at the range you intend to finish the horse if it is a scoped rifle, or it's not usually used so close even if open sights. If it's about 5m, shoot it at 5m to know completely what height to compensate for as it's most likely sighted in for a much longer distance.
This will avoid a second shot being needed, with the result inbetween being shots very distressing if anyone else is watching.

Yeah yeah someone might say, the scopes 50mm above the bore so put the sights 50mm higher, simple... but I would make sure you know.

[Oldbloke]

Tip mate... test fire your rifle into some sort of target at the range you intend to finish the horse if it is a scoped rifle, or it's not usually used so close even if open sights. If it's about 5m, shoot it at 5m to know completely what height to compensate for as it's most likely sighted in for a much longer distance.
This will avoid a second shot being needed, with the result inbetween being shots very distressing if anyone else is watching.

Yeah yeah someone might say, the scopes 50mm above the bore so put the sights 50mm higher, simple... but I would make sure you know.

Thumbs-up .jpg (13.64 KiB) Viewed 2728 times

[Wapiti]

Yes, I'm sure you've done this before too, OB !

Saves much grief...

[Oldbloke]

Yes, I'm sure you've done this before too, OB !

Saves much grief...

Nope, not horses or cattle, just a couple of dogs.

But was with a bloke when he made a mess of it on a young bull. Hadn't checked his scope.

[animalpest]

Ahh so having shot plenty, you need to hit the spot that is between the base of the ears and the eye. Form a cross between both sides and hit there.

For cattle the aim point is between the base of the horn and the eye.

[Jorlcrin]

Tip mate... test fire your rifle into some sort of target at the range you intend to finish the horse if it is a scoped rifle, or it's not usually used so close even if open sights. If it's about 5m, shoot it at 5m to know completely what height to compensate for as it's most likely sighted in for a much longer distance.
This will avoid a second shot being needed, with the result inbetween being shots very distressing if anyone else is watching.

Yeah yeah someone might say, the scopes 50mm above the bore so put the sights 50mm higher, simple... but I would make sure you know.

Thumbs-up .jpg

Thanks, Gents, but not my first rodeo shooting animals at close range.

Just needed an idea of where the ideal spot was for shot placement.

Thanks again.

[Jorlcrin]

A bit off the topic, (apologies) but Horse Meat is phenominal yabby bait.

Many years ago, we were advised that of the meats available here at the time(CW QLD)horse meat was considered the best dog and fox bait-meat, by far.
Roo meat came in a distant second.

Suspect it was the Ponginess that made it so good; possible the same for Yabbies.

To this day, I still hate the pong of 2-day old horse-meat while we were processing it for baits.

[Jorlcrin]

Ahh so having shot plenty, you need to hit the spot that is between the base of the ears and the eye. Form a cross between both sides and hit there.

For cattle the aim point is between the base of the horn and the eye.

Yep; Thanks for this.
Pretty much aligns with what I remember being told.
[Kinda thrilled that I remembered it correctly..]

Thanks to all who offered advice; appreciate it.

[Larry]

Is it possible to halter and tie the horse up? or is this the main reason it is being put down? Its a s**ty job no matter what the circumstances. I have had to put a few of my cows down due to medical conditions the last was the bull broke her back. Even being a hunter I dont like killing animals unless a really good reason. In this case I bet it is humans that have failed the horse just like so many fail their dogs in proper handling and training. But if you can tie it up so you can get the muzzle right up to the head shoot downwards from the top no way to miss brains that way.

[animalpest]

A bit off the topic, (apologies) but Horse Meat is phenominal yabby bait.

Many years ago, we were advised that of the meats available here at the time(CW QLD)horse meat was considered the best dog and fox bait-meat, by far.
Roo meat came in a distant second.

Suspect it was the Ponginess that made it so good; possible the same for Yabbies.

To this day, I still hate the pong of 2-day old horse-meat while we were processing it for baits.

Well whoever told you that has got that wrong. Roo meat is the best, followed by horse. It skins over quicker, has less fat, tighter meat and is their natural food.

[Billo]

Ahh so having shot plenty, you need to hit the spot that is between the base of the ears and the eye. Form a cross between both sides and hit there.

For cattle the aim point is between the base of the horn and the eye.

I was going to post exactly the same thing, shot a horse last year in the NT, 44 Mag with 2 moa Red dot at about 80m, DRT.

[Die Judicii]

A bit off the topic, (apologies) but Horse Meat is phenominal yabby bait.

Many years ago, we were advised that of the meats available here at the time(CW QLD)horse meat was considered the best dog and fox bait-meat, by far.
Roo meat came in a distant second.

Suspect it was the Ponginess that made it so good; possible the same for Yabbies.

To this day, I still hate the pong of 2-day old horse-meat while we were processing it for baits.

Exactly the same, only different,,,,,,,
I would rather sit downwind of a 2-5 day old dead pig,,, than sit downwind of any horse sh!t

[Billo]

A bit off the topic, (apologies) but Horse Meat is phenominal yabby bait.

Many years ago, we were advised that of the meats available here at the time(CW QLD)horse meat was considered the best dog and fox bait-meat, by far.
Roo meat came in a distant second.

Suspect it was the Ponginess that made it so good; possible the same for Yabbies.

To this day, I still hate the pong of 2-day old horse-meat while we were processing it for baits.

Exactly the same, only different,,,,,,,
I would rather sit downwind of a 2-5 day old dead pig,,, than sit downwind of any horse sh!t

I'd disagree, had a 140kg boar sit and fester for weeks on my mate property and that fukka stank the place out for over a month.

6 mths later a 26yr ex trotter went down and its smell never went half as bad as the boar, temps were only slightly cooler for the horse, I put it down to horse meat being a sweeter meat.