S.O.B.s !!!

[gsh341]

Dr. Dawg,

The gentleman that made my holster for me does a lot of cowboy shooting and some of it is from horseback. His prefered method of carry for horseback is a crossdraw with the grip resting just over the thigh. With this method of carry you can easily reach your pistol with both hands if need be and the dangers of falling on it and hurting yourself are minimized. Also, it forces the pistol to be in a barrel down mode so retention is better.

I also use this method for carrying in a car as it translates well into that position and keeps my XD in easy reach and keeps me comfortable. The other advantage is that in a confrontation I can retain my pistol with my weak hand and defend with my right if I cannot clear my gun in time to use it. Also, My gun is in front of me and to grab it from me you MUST be in front of me and it won't be snatched from the holster without me seeing the BG coming.

[DoctorDawg]

Originally Posted by Windaria

why not just go with a horseback shotgun type holster

One of our main reasons for carrying on a ride is to be able to put the horse down humanely if it is injured. When a horse is injured while riding, the first thing that happens is you fall off it; so if your piece is in a saddle scabbard suddenly the horse is armed and you're not. Bummer, dude. The second thing that happens is horse thrashes wildly at anyone who tries to get near it, so there's no way you're gettin that weapon back until you don't need it anymore.

Much the same logic applies if you need your piece for defense against, say, a bear or cougar. The first thing that happens is your horse throws you. Having a long-gun in a saddle scabbard only makes good tactical sense if you also happen to have a pistol on your person.

[Boricua]

Cross draw would seem the way to go to me that is.

[Windaria]

OK, makes perfect sense. I must admit, though, that I found the phrase "your horse is armed and now you're not" was hilarious though, even if it was not intended to be.

Just struck me... OK, if small of back is a concern, because of falling and having it over a bone, and likewise anything that puts it too near your hip, as that would also be over a bone, and you don't want it there, what about one of those thigh holsters? The... "tactical" ones? (I so despise that word, but that seems to be what they refer to them as).

I mean, then it would hold the gun right against the flesh of the thigh so that if you were thrown it would be on one of the softest parts of the body, and one that can take the most punishment? Also, I'm sure that you could get some velcro cover for it so that it was still concealed there, at least to some degree.

Usually I wouldn't think of that solution, as it brings up images of laura croft or something, but in your case it may be desirable simply for avoiding injury.

[DoctorDawg]

Originally Posted by Windaria

what about one of those thigh holsters? [....] Usually I wouldn't think of that solution, as it brings up images of laura croft

Yep, I'm personally thinking either thigh or ankle is the best overall solution. The major drawback is that these are the areas most exposed to whipping/snagging by brush, but life's fulla tradeoffs. I think my wife would look really hot in a thigh holster packin' an XD-9 on horseback . No worries about concealment; we live in an open-carry state, ride in the middla nowhere, and everbody else is a LOT more heavily armed than we are. So our major issues are convenience, safety, and comfort. Draw speed isn't much of an issue except maybe in the case of a rogue man-hunting cougar, in which case yer never gonna know what hit you anyway.

[Windaria]

Well, they have a lot of exposed thigh holsters, but BlackHawk seems to make some that will protect your gun well, which should keep it from brush as you ride so that your holster takes the punishment and not the gun:

http://www.blackhawk.com/product_det...uct_id=1994&d=