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I’d like to first set the record straight about the term “Bombproof”. This a loosely used slang term for describing the safety of a horse, and was probably originally started by horse traders as a pitch word to get newcomers interested in buying, but the fact is that there’s really NO SUCH THING as a Bombproof horse. Horses are live beings and even the calmest and most docile horse can and will occasionally have bad days. Any horse has the potential of reverting to their instinctive flight response to something sudden that comes out of nowhere or to various objects or sounds that appears unfamiliar to them.

Many first time horse buyers take the term “Bombproof” unmistakably that it implies the terrific horse they are purchasing is never going to buck, rear, shy, bolt, or otherwise act like a horse in certain situations. Unfortunately, this term gives them a false sense of security which is potentially dangerous and instead of the “Happy Trails” they were expecting, they get a trip to the ER and the horse gets shipped off to a sale. I have seen the most mellow horse in the world react like a nut case to something totally stupid. If someone asks if a horse is “bombproof”, I tell them there’s NO SUCH THING as a bombproof horse, and usually tells me that they are a greenhorn and new buyer who probably needs more time learning about the “real horse world” before actually buying one. People who expect too much and want a true bombproof horse that won’t react to the world around them, SHOULD BUY A BIKE!

A true reputable horse dealer should never used the term “Bombproof” when selling a horse, as they don’t want to mislead anyone or give them a false sense of security. More genuine characterizations should be used, such as “Well Broke and Trained”, “Nice Quiet Horse”, “Suitable for novice riders”, “Well Mannered”, and so forth. But for the purpose of this article I’ll refer to Bombproof as it’s a term many are familiar with and is the topic of this article.

“Bombproofing” in reality is an effort to desensitize a horse to make them calmer and safer and less liable to overreact to various situations and trying to get them used to dealing with the unexpected by exposing them to various objects and potential scenarios in a controlled environment so they won’t be so strange in an uncontrolled environment, such as on the trail or a horse show. The more desensitized they become to various objects and scenarios, the more the horse will gain confidence and also trust the rider to keep them safe, and is less likely to overreact. If they do become startled they will usually just balk or bolt forward or sideways rather than completely blowing up into a bucking or rearing frenzy. That being said, a good rider is always prepared for that frightening event where if they do balk or bolt, they can quickly collect the horse and calm them down rather than panicking and elevate the situation where the rider lands up on the ground. A horse is a horse and even the best training can not and should not totally erase their natural instincts. A horse’s natural instincts of fear and keen sense of awareness could one day actually alert and save you from a potential dangerous situation out on the trail or in the wilderness. If you found this article helpful you can find other tips such as this at the Hitching Post, a site for Single Cowboys and country folks in general.

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