Two times I saw James and (I think) Siegfried put down a horse using some sort of long pole they then hammered into the horse's head with something. Does anyone know exactly what this procedure does?
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Could be one of two devices I've heard of: Most likely is something called a bolt-gun. An extremely powerful spring drives a metal bolt into a vital part of the horse's brain, killing it instantly.
Second thing it could be is something like a very small shotgun - a bit like the bang sticks that are sometimes used to defend against dangerous sharks.
In the devices used by vets I don't know whether it's the blast from the shotgun shell itself that destroys the horses brain or whether it drives a metal rod like the bolt gun, but the effect would be the same.
--Myk
I'm probably being sarcastic...
It seems likely it is one of the bolt guns. Today the EU requires the non-penetrating bolt gun to be used in some situations. In the early years of this series I believe they may have used the penetrating type which leaves the animal unconscious during the bleeding out process which is the actual cause of death. The cartridge used is a blank filled with 2-7 grains of powder (the higher amount for larger animals.)
From memory I believe they either took the cartridges from a box or loaded the bolt gun at the scene - if that is correct it must have been a penetrating bolt gun.
A free bolt stunner is another possibility - it's been a long time since I've watched the show and I can't remember what they loaded into the gun. The free bolt fires an actual projectile into the brain, for use on large animals that can't be restrained.
The older bolt guns looked like a tube, which looks much like a telescope except for the knob/plunger at the top. Today they look more like nail guns.