You are correct. Riding my horse in 15 miles is much less physically demanding than me hiking 15 miles in. Not to answer for Wyobohunter, but I assume he’s talking about the workload it takes to be at the point of riding your horse in 15 miles. Not to mention the extra work it takes at camp. Having two horses that I use for a Hunting. I 100% agree that it is just as much if not more work using horses then it is using my own two legs. On some hunts I take my horses. On others it’s just easier to do the physical work myself and have less hassle.
With livestock you add the complications of where you can get a truck/trailer. You limit the amount of access points for getting into country. You also limit where you can camp and need access to water. Not to mention all the work it takes to keep the animals in shape and mentally ready. Then you’re hauling a trailer cross country as well. It’s a year-round commitment to get the benefit for a couple hunting trips per year.
Having your horses with you when it comes to packing a bull out is a godsend. But the amount of Time/money/energy that goes into having horses available I believe far exceeds using your own two legs. I think people who use horses for hunting do it because they like horses and enjoy working with them year-round.
Chase