Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Safe horses

As much as I would hate this for me; if you like to walk and have llamas already I'd probably just keep that up.

I would never keep one mule/horse alone. Leading them can work fine, but it can also suck. A fast walker can easily step on you, especially in rough country.

If you still want to get into horses than start working with the outfitter that your wife worked with. Having a Doc in camp comes in handy sometimes anyway, for both man and beast.

Everyone who rides will eventually get hurt.

Some of the worst folks to work with while you are learning are the horse folks. If they are a woman, show horses, or belong to the backcountry horse associations then red flags should go up. If they fit into all three then run away.

Find an ol'time outfitter, packer, or cowboy.

I haven't said anything since first reading this, mostly just didn't want to be the turd in the punchbowl, but I don't think there's any such thing as a safe horse. Some just are not as dangerous as others, but all horses are dangerous. Just my opinion Doc.

Would love to have horses haul me in and dump me off sometimes, have and will continue to use horses at times, good ones. However, I've spent 19 days in the Spanish Peaks this summer and for what I've been doing, they'd have kept me from seeing more than half of what I have. Horses cannot walk where a stong backpacker can. Never. Them are the facts.

A llama won't outwalk you. Their favorite gait is what we call a slow ramble...except coming back to camp. Some of them will push you when camp's getting close. I carry a trekking pole to whack a front leg on occasion when one gets pushing too hard. That usually slows them down.
They're much easier to handle than horses because you don't have to carry feed unless there's a fair amount of snow and they normally won't get tangled up in tether ropes. I just lay a long line on the ground with o-rings laced into it and tie them to the rings. If they get their feet tangled up, they'll just keep working their feet until they're untangled.

However, there are times when riding would sure be nice.

Idea is to ride in to a camp and then walk from there or ride into your hunting area and walk from there. I hunted MT Shavano for goat some time back. Too rugged to ride, but we walked two mules in with packs to base camp and then climbed about 1500 ft.

I don't think anyone is saying you ride everywhere.

Just because someone says the horse is safe dont mean it is!.....if a velcroe strap scared the horse enough to buck well........

For the fella that says all horses is unsafe or however you put it......whatever.

I get a chuckle at the guys that say horses/mules have a mind of their own(no chit) and refuse to ride them. Yet they'll run a boat up the river runnin 70-90mph ride /race bikes or atv's. Heck ya horses can be dangerous but so can swimming or riding a bicycle. The rougher the country or the rougher you ride may increase your odds of getting hurt but that can be said for hiking as well.

Anyone ever known of someone gettin hurt playin sports?

If you want a true mountain horse to get you through the rough stuff look e here men.......

That would have been me. Horses are large, dangerous animals.

Fixt.

So according to Richard we should stay away from any large thing that has the potential to be dangerous? Richard must not have seen the pic of my brother on the not so large horse....lol

This boy is scared to death...can't ya tell

My lil nephew is pretty nervous too.....



Guns can be dangerous too. Should we leave those for the cowboys and outlaws too?

Thank you

Dangerous stallion

Maybe he got the good sense in the family?
I think guns are a good comparison. Handled correctly you're not likely to get hurt; same with horses. In your bravado, you somehow over looked I never said anything about not being around them. I've been around them most my life. What I said is all horses are dangerous, just a matter of how you deal with it.

Absolute statements are always wrong.

+1 They can be very dangerous with absolutely no intention of hurting you what so ever. I am still limping around on a broken or badly bruised toe from one of the safest horse I ever rode.

19 days... wow I'm a bit envious. I wish I had a job/boss that understanding. Albeit I don't think I'd want to spend that much of my summer away from the family. anyway...

I thought you'd might take offense. That wasn't a dig on you or what you do. Just a fact that ponies can more often than not extend your adventure. That's a fact and relevant. What you are doing many will not have the opportunity to do, Goat hunt. So your facts aren't really relevant. Horses are a wonderful tool to have. Faster walking through all types of terrain, even in complete darkness. More efficient in getting you there, extend your hunt by saving your energy and often an get you withing mere feet of game animals with out spooking them.

Case in point.

For a guy to get here...





To see this...






You have to go up this drainage.








which is more than 12 miles form the trail-head not including the mileage up the drainage.

You're a strong backpacker. But there is no way you're gonna get to those spots faster or with more energy in reserve than a guy in the saddle. Once the terrain is to severe. You find a place tie off and continue afoot. Simple no?

If I'm not mistaken guys outfitting in BC and the NW territories use ponies quite often for Goats and Sheep? Are they doing it wrong?

Dangerous are the hunters that know when and where to use horses. The guys who hunt as a means to have a horse adventure, have no more of a leg up on the ATV clowns. You always gotta go back to them tied up horses right?? That's a problem. Some guys don't/won't get it.

As for you implying I neglect my family.. I guess you've got to assume... just like you did with all them "outta staters" ruining your wyoming deer hunting by shooting all the dinks..

laffin..

8 and 11. And they love horses.