View Full Version : Horse back camping
traderran
19-03-2009, 12:35
Any one over there use horses for camping. Or is that more of a States thing:beerchug:
Never tried it, but it sound good.
I am hopefully going to learn to ride in the summer.
Podcast Bob
19-03-2009, 20:09
I interviewed someone from the Long Riders Guild who was fascinating, about using a horse to travel very long distances. (See in last years archives)
Rose, my wife, is very into it and she was all set last year to do a weekend to try it out mixing, bushcraft and backpacking skills on route. The bugger in this country is the access as always but sadly her horse went lame and she missed her chance.
Not happy about the road riding involved, country lanes and young idiots abound.
She did do a weeks trip in France last year and I am still editing the audio from that. Not as bushcrafty as I would like, but if you are into it I'm sure it will still be interesting all the same. That should be released later in the Spring.
Tye Possum
20-03-2009, 00:11
I've never tried it but I think it looks like fun, although it may be a little harder because you have to look after the horses and stuff as well as yourself. Of course it could also be easier because the horses carry a lot of your gear.
traderran
20-03-2009, 00:24
I've never tried it but I think it looks like fun, although it may be a little harder because you have to look after the horses and stuff as well as yourself. Of course it could also be easier because the horses carry a lot of your gear.
If you think it is harder try walking in the mountains for 9 weeks carrying all of your gear and food. As for taking care of the horses
that is the easy part Just feed them and look after there feet and backs
and they will take care of the rest
I guess it is a North American thing more than in the Continent (what a silly term for a small piece of real estate!) but not unknown in Oz.
Did some long day rides but always ended up at a station (ranch to you guys) or some kind of shack/shelter
Frankly I think it would be more fun in north America as I could then wear a stetson:D as I now have the physique for it
traderran
20-03-2009, 09:47
I guess it is a North American thing more than in the Continent (what a silly term for a small piece of real estate!) but not unknown in Oz.
Did some long day rides but always ended up at a station (ranch to you guys) or some kind of shack/shelter
Frankly I think it would be more fun in north America as I could then wear a stetson:D as I now have the physique for it
Come on over a Stetson is always in style. Now you need the Boots
Justin's of course:beerchug: :beerchug:
silvergirl
20-03-2009, 13:47
I always planned to go on a long trip, camping when I had a horse of my own, but never got around to it.
Again in NZ I planned to do a four day circular trip but ran out of time.
Would definately like to try sometime.
jabbadahut
20-03-2009, 22:22
There is a fantastic place to ride in ogmore-by-sea, you ride for hours and not touch a road and they have the option of staying in a teepee overnight near the stables.
I know it isnt a journey as such but a day riding then some campfire food and another day riding, you could tie up and do your own lunch and get your bushcraft fix.
Its along a beach and loads and loads of dunes with plenty of cantering and a long gallop up the beach and some woodland to explore too.
no connection to the place just very contented customers. as the guy could see that we could ride he let us take out some of his point to point horses the next day!!!!
and if you dont feel like cooking there is a cracking camra approved pub close by
I'd love to do something like this in America, or maybe Australia, or maybe New Zealand.. or wherever really! But I'd have no idea how to go about organising it :confused:
traderran
21-03-2009, 23:52
Allie
There are a lot of ranches in Texas that specialise in this type of trip
try to google if you can not find one just give me a pm and I will see what I can find
traderran
21-03-2009, 23:55
There is a fantastic place to ride in ogmore-by-sea, you ride for hours and not touch a road and they have the option of staying in a teepee overnight near the stables.
I know it isnt a journey as such but a day riding then some campfire food and another day riding, you could tie up and do your own lunch and get your bushcraft fix.
Its along a beach and loads and loads of dunes with plenty of cantering and a long gallop up the beach and some woodland to explore too.
no connection to the place just very contented customers. as the guy could see that we could ride he let us take out some of his point to point horses the next day!!!!
and if you dont feel like cooking there is a cracking camra approved pub close by
Good to see horse backing is alive and well over there. But I will never get use to your saddles:yelrotflm
jabbadahut
22-03-2009, 22:59
you guys dont have saddles over there you have armchairs!!
we tried some western style riding and after the initial "akward" feeling they were great, very comfortable.
we looked at doing some riding in canada bc going to find some bears on horseback, that sounded like fun but i got a new job and it was a little less physical than my old job and the pounds started to pile on and now i have to ride a 17.3hh irish draught x thoroughbred gelding to carry my weight !!
what horses do you have?
armchairs rule!!
Back in '97 I got to do one of my Duke of Edinburgh Gold award expeditions on horseback, a lot of fun but taking horses out for a period of days here requires a *lot* of logistical planning.
This thread just reminded me how long it has been since I went riding, guess I know what I'm doing on my day off...
Allie
There are a lot of ranches in Texas that specialise in this type of trip
try to google if you can not find one just give me a pm and I will see what I can find
Traderran,
Are you able to do horseback camping (or run pack trains) in Texas in places *other* than ranches?
In the 70s I used to do horseback camping and pack trains. These days I'm a little out of that game and go everywhere on two feet. But it seems to me that these days there are so many restrictions on public lands -- and such a patchwork of fenced private lands between the public lands -- that it's getting hard here in the US to do a big trip (as in a few hundred miles.)
Is your experience in Texas different?
I'd love to figure a route to go from Northern California to Canada by horse. What a trip.
Brynderi
23-03-2009, 11:18
I went horseback camping with a girlfriend in the west of Ireland about 25 years ago.
She rode a smart thoroughbred, I rode a cross between a draught horse and a yak called Roger the Sod.
We lived on guinness, bread and cheese. The horses ate grass although Roger frequently tried to supplement his diet with human flesh - mine.
We had a tent I'd bought somewhere for a couple of pounds, two old sleeping bags and our labrador dog.
I seem to remember it rained every day.
We had a great time!
I've always fancied walking some of the old pack horse / salt trials with a pack pony but lack the requisite skills and most importantly a horse!
The wife would love a horse again but the kids like to eat so thats one for the dim and distant. She is however piecing together a couple of sets of packsaddlery as a spin off of my militaria collecting, shes short of a pair of panels for a complete set of P.A Ammunition, and rather more for a complete set of P.G.S. (both UK military saddles). Although its very haphazzard saddlery, usually unissued turns up at fairs or army surplus shops, often for a pittance.
The idea of something else doing the carrying really apeals!
ATB
Tom
traderran
24-03-2009, 01:42
Traderran,
Are you able to do horseback camping (or run pack trains) in Texas in places *other* than ranches?
In the 70s I used to do horseback camping and pack trains. These days I'm a little out of that game and go everywhere on two feet. But it seems to me that these days there are so many restrictions on public lands -- and such a patchwork of fenced private lands between the public lands -- that it's getting hard here in the US to do a big trip (as in a few hundred miles.)
Is your experience in Texas different?
I'd love to figure a route to go from Northern California to Canada by horse. What a trip.
Hi Dogwood
Yes there are lots of places that you can ride and camp The state an national forest alone have thousands of ak to ride on
and I own three sections of land that you can ride on we are a working ranch with horses an cows. I just told Allie about the riding ranches because she was wanting to know how to put a trip together.
Why not Texas to Canada I would be up for it.
traderran
24-03-2009, 01:52
I've always fancied walking some of the old pack horse / salt trials with a pack pony but lack the requisite skills and most importantly a horse!
The wife would love a horse again but the kids like to eat so thats one for the dim and distant. She is however piecing together a couple of sets of packsaddlery as a spin off of my militaria collecting, shes short of a pair of panels for a complete set of P.A Ammunition, and rather more for a complete set of P.G.S. (both UK military saddles). Although its very haphazzard saddlery, usually unissued turns up at fairs or army surplus shops, often for a pittance.
The idea of something else doing the carrying really apeals!
ATB
Tom
Why would you want to Walk You don't walk and lead a pack horse
You ride and lead 6 to 8 pack horses. A Texan gets on his horse to cross the road Walking is something we are not good at the tight boots an all
If you get over hear don't worry about a horse I had over 100 the last time I counted
:beerchug:
traderran
24-03-2009, 02:04
you guys dont have saddles over there you have armchairs!!
we tried some western style riding and after the initial "akward" feeling they were great, very comfortable.
we looked at doing some riding in canada bc going to find some bears on horseback, that sounded like fun but i got a new job and it was a little less physical than my old job and the pounds started to pile on and now i have to ride a 17.3hh irish draught x thoroughbred gelding to carry my weight !!
what horses do you have?
armchairs rule!!
You are quite right on our saddles. In the old days and even today cowboys spent all day every day on horseback that is why we ride the armchairs I have tried your -------saddles my wife is from Scotland
and now she will not ride a English saddle we tout her what a proper saddle was
And I wont go in to what you call saddles. I ride a 16 hands quarter horse stud myself. Mama trader did not raise any small ones. I am 6 ft
and 275 on the hoof. Our quarter horses will surprise you They are tuff as nails and built for speed and stamina over a short distance a thoughrabred can't catch them
PS bear hunting on horse back can be fun
By the way what were you going to do with the bear when you found him
traderran
24-03-2009, 02:25
I went horseback camping with a girlfriend in the west of Ireland about 25 years ago.
She rode a smart thoroughbred, I rode a cross between a draught horse and a yak called Roger the Sod.
We lived on guinness, bread and cheese. The horses ate grass although Roger frequently tried to supplement his diet with human flesh - mine.
We had a tent I'd bought somewhere for a couple of pounds, two old sleeping bags and our labrador dog.
I seem to remember it rained every day.
We had a great time!
Sounds like it was a great time PM me and I will tell you how
to stop the biting not on hear they don't think I am PC as it is:beerchug: :beerchug:
Why not Texas to Canada I would be up for it.
Oh that sounds sweet. One could write a great book about a trip like that in today's America...
Of course, once you actually got to Canada, you'd look at the Canadian Rockies and think, "OK, let's go a little further...."
Yeah, one of these days....
traderran
24-03-2009, 13:27
Hi Dogwood
In for a pennie in for a pound.
By the way I will be in the peoples republic of Ca around June
I am Flying to Spokane Washington and will stop in CA for a few days to see a old Air Force friend
He now lives in Bakersfield
Melonfish
24-03-2009, 15:11
so the big question here is: how difficult is it to pitch a tent on a horse?
more importantly if your hammocking do you need to take two horses?
sorry couldn't resist ;)
At a embarrasing 18 stone + I think the RSPCA would hunt me down If I got on a horse!
;-{D) Anything big enough to carry me would scare me witless at the the thought of falling off!
Jeeze, what a wimp I am, my great grandad was a pit farrier, My grandad and his 2 brothers were plough men and my dads first job was breaking moor ponies before becoming a pony lad at pit at 15 and going underground with a pair on his 16th birthday.
ATB
Tom
By the by in the UK would a pack horse only be allowed on a bridle path or road and not on a foot path?
Why would you want to Walk You don't walk and lead a pack horse
You ride and lead 6 to 8 pack horses. A Texan gets on his horse to cross the road Walking is something we are not good at the tight boots an all
If you get over hear don't worry about a horse I had over 100 the last time I counted
:beerchug:
Okay it seems you have tapped a vein in the BCUK psyche for a vicarious horseback trip through America
If you don't do this trip with lots of photos you may just get lynched:D
bushwacker bob
25-03-2009, 01:02
Sounds like it was a great time PM me and I will tell you how
to stop the biting not on hear they don't think I am PC as it is:beerchug: :beerchug:You ain't going to bite it back are you?;)
traderran
25-03-2009, 04:02
bushwacker bob
You may have something there.
traderran
25-03-2009, 04:07
Okay it seems you have tapped a vein in the BCUK psyche for a vicarious horseback trip through America
If you don't do this trip with lots of photos you may just get lynched:D
I have plenty of pic,s of horseback camping but all 35mm stuff
I don't have a digital camera. Just a Leica 35mm but a friend on hear is going to put them on disk and post some hear for me.
I am just an old pilot an rancher not into this newfangled stuff:werd: :D
I run this puter with 2 fingers