Horsemen, what 2 cents can you pitch in for using Horses/Mules on Big Game Hunts?

[GodSpeed1]

Hey guys, so I've been putting in a lot of work this month, & doing a lot of failing, until I was finally able to find a good area & get on some elk this archery season. Long story short, on my last outing, I ended up cutting my trip a day short, because I figured if I got lucky & harvested- packing an elk out on my own, 4-5 miles deep in the woods, wouldn't be a doable task for only a day & half. I figured that would equal roughly 45 miles on my own for 6 trips hauling meat. I didn't see too many guys where I hunted, but the ones I did see had horses & mules. I figured I would enjoy having a couple horses or mules someday. So Horsemen, if you've ever used horses for this purpose I would be curious to hear your insight and advice on them. How many horses would one need for meat-hauling or riding into the backcountry? Horses or mules? Stallion or Mare? Cost of a filly or colt? Any 2 cents of advice you can provide on this I would be grateful for. Good Luck Y'all !!!!

 

[Bubblehide]

There are threads hear you shouldvsearch up. In short, horses are a huge commitment. Out in the woods, you damn better know what you're doing, as so many things can and do go wrong.

 

[Bubblehide]

I'll add, when something does go wrong, you need to be prepared and take immediate action, as there is often no time to think.

 

[Pony Soldier]

You are asking for a lot all at once. I spent a number of years with just one horse. But then you need a trailer and something to tow it with. The horse needs land for pasture but you can board but you need to spend more time with it.

I would guess you will spend $3,500 - $5,000 per horse. I would suggest a 10-12 year old horse. One of you should know something and have a calm personality. Start with the horse.

You will need a saddle, bridle ,halter , saddle blanket, lead rope, 25 ft - 1/2 "hemp rope, a well used larriet.

Ride in - load and walk half out at a time. Then repeat.
Add another horse and its one trip. I hunt with one horse and leave the other at the house or camp. Two allows you to ride a diff horse each day.

It's expensive to start and expensive to keep. It's a lifestyle.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I hunt on one horse, only because pack horses or mules can be a PITA when hunting. I have trailmax saddle panniers that I throw on if I get something down. I am walking out, not riding, but can do it in one trip usually.

 

[Werty]

Horses= Its not if you get hurt, its when.
A reason a horse cost so much is because he/she are worth it!
There is never a good reason to own a bad horse.
The cheapest part of owning a horse is buying it.
It takes a lot of time and energy or money to keep a horse in shape.

 

[Wrongside]

One of you should know something and have a calm personality. Start with the horse.

Your comment made me chuckle. Partly based on my own experiences, and partly because it's so true.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Hey guys, so I've been putting in a lot of work this month, & doing a lot of failing, until I was finally able to find a good area & get on some elk this archery season. Long story short, on my last outing, I ended up cutting my trip a day short, because I figured if I got lucky & harvested- packing an elk out on my own, 4-5 miles deep in the woods, wouldn't be a doable task for only a day & half. I figured that would equal roughly 45 miles on my own for 6 trips hauling meat. I didn't see too many guys where I hunted, but the ones I did see had horses & mules. I figured I would enjoy having a couple horses or mules someday. So Horsemen, if you've ever used horses for this purpose I would be curious to hear your insight and advice on them. How many horses would one need for meat-hauling or riding into the backcountry? Horses or mules? Stallion or Mare? Cost of a filly or colt? Any 2 cents of advice you can provide on this I would be grateful for. Good Luck Y'all !!!!

I'm not a horesman and have never owned one. However, I went on a wilderness pack in hunt last fall and spent 9 days on them. If you don't have any experience with the many aspects of buying, caring, training, and wrangling these animals, it's going to be a tall order. All of the guides and the outfitter we hunted with were raised with horses and livestock and participated in rodeo in MT, and for them understanding horses was second nature. For us greenhorns that had little or zero experience just riding them, they can be very intimidating. From little things like "always mount from the horse's left side" to knowing how to lead/stop/turn (especially in dangerous terrain), to knowing what to do if the horse spooks or tries to rear up, it can all be overwhelming.

Keeping "3 acres and a hay burner" is tough for many new horse owners. Developing a seasoned mountain horse or team is another world completely. Not trying to discourage you at all, rather just trying to emphasize this is a HUGE commitment and learning curve for anybody that hasn't been around horses a good chunk of their life.

 

[Hardtak]

If you don't already have horsemanship experience, start there. Try to find someplace to take a few test rides to make sure it is still of interest to you. Owning horses is a year long, 365 commitment. The leap from learning to ride, ride competent, then doing that in the mountains to then doing it hunting and packing are all huge steps. It can be done but don't underestimate the amount of time and commitment this takes and also the love of it. Horses are not ATV's, they are living, unpredictable, prey animals, scared of their own shadows.

If you decide it is your jam and start to look for a horse, buy a horse already doing what you want it to do. Don't buy a prospect and think you are going to make him what you want. Leave that for others. Green and grean equals black and blue.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

If you don't already have horsemanship experience, start there. Try to find someplace to take a few test rides to make sure it is still of interest to you. Owning horses is a year long, 365 commitment. The leap from learning to ride, ride competent, then doing that in the mountains to then doing it hunting and packing are all huge steps. It can be done but don't underestimate the amount of time and commitment this takes and also the love of it. Horses are not ATV's, they are living, unpredictable, prey animals, scared of their own shadows.

If you decide it is your jam and start to look for a horse, buy a horse already doing what you want it to do. Don't buy a prospect and think you are going to make him what you want. Leave that for others. Green and grean equals black and blue.

^^^^^100%

 

[streetdoctor]

I don't think you're asking for too much. As a raised city boy who's lived in Colorado for 10 years and knew absolutely nothing about horses but generally gets along with animals I did just fine with horses. I got a job "guiding" horseback rifle hunters in the flat tops for a couple years. Basically faking it until I make it. Generally the clients get the good horses and they give the guides the ones they've borrowed from other outfitters. They're barn sour, horribly mannered animals that want to head back to the corral as soon as you let them.

I learned everything I needed to know to be competent in the wilderness in a summer and felt comfortable taking clients who hated being on horses up shitty trails at 4am in October. I'll definitely own one or two in the future but not until I have enough land to keep them on our property. A good horse is awesome.

 

[Pony Soldier]

If you haven't spent much time on horses or around them - the exposure is important to be able to read the signs of a pissing contest in the making. Borrow a horse briefly from a friend to ride enough in a controlled pasture or go to a horse facility and rent one for the day. Ride with a friend. Get exposure anyway possible. Each horse is as or more distinct as any human. Some mares can bring new meaning to the word "bitchy". Learn the signs of a mare in heat. Learn the signs of a proud cut gelding.

Ride anything you buy - before. I tried out one time that up to a point was exactly what I wanted. However when I tried to get him to back up he fell over on his side and beat his head on the ground. The owner kicked him in the gut yelling "you had to show him".

Take a friend that has horse sense to interpret for you. Have a vet check him out before taking ownership. I bought a really gentle mare for my kids as a baby sitter. At year 2, she came down with ring bone. Your success as you start out will be just a little better than selecting a politition. The only good news is you can shoot your mistakes.

 

[WCB]

From little things like "always mount from the horse's left side" ....

This is absolutely not a thing in the real world. What happens when you need to mount or dismount in steep country when down hill is on your left. You have to get on or off on the right...Horses should be able to get mounted or dismounted from either side. Since your gun was probably on the right side of the horse is make sense to mount from the left and generally the left side is preferred....

To the OP. IMO I would just get enough llamas to carry an elk out in one trip or two mules. Lead them in and lead them out. If I had zero horsemanship skills or experience that is the route I would take.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

This is absolutely not a thing in the real world. What happens when you need to mount or dismount in steep country when down hill is on your left. You have to get on or off on the right...Horses should be able to get mounted or dismounted from either side. Since your gun was probably on the right side of the horse is make sense to mount from the left and generally the left side is preferred....

To the OP. IMO I would just get enough llamas to carry an elk out in one trip or two mules. Lead them in and lead them out. If I had zero horsemanship skills or experience that is the route I would take.

Well that’s how these guys taught us how to do it. Easier to teach greenhorns one method than have any gray area I suppose.

To your point, all scabbards were on the right and would’ve made mounting harder.

We never dismounted in an area where we couldn’t get off on the left. If a spot wasn’t suitable, we kept looking until it was. In urgent situations a guide would dismount and walk back to assist and maximize safety.

Regarding mules, I would make sure you get some that are already trained and have hauled meat. We had a couple green ones that went ballistic when the guides tried to load them. They said it takes a few trips for them to get used to the smell of blood. They told us to get way back and stay out of the way. These miles were bred with draft stock and were huge. Made the horses look like babies.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

This is absolutely not a thing in the real world. What happens when you need to mount or dismount in steep country when down hill is on your left. You have to get on or off on the right...Horses should be able to get mounted or dismounted from either side. Since your gun was probably on the right side of the horse is make sense to mount from the left and generally the left side is preferred....

To the OP. IMO I would just get enough llamas to carry an elk out in one trip or two mules. Lead them in and lead them out. If I had zero horsemanship skills or experience that is the route I would take.

Lol - the whole left side mount thing started because soldiers had their swords on the left side to draw with their right hand, so mounting from the left side of a horse kept the sword out of the way…no idea why that has stood the test of time. That was one of the first things my grandpa taught me as a young kid. I have since learned it was BS and get up on whatever side is most convenient for me now.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Well that’s how these guys taught us how to do it. Easier to teach greenhorns one method than have any gray area I suppose.

To your point, all scabbards were on the right and would’ve made mounting harder.

We never dismounted in an area where we couldn’t get off on the left. If a spot wasn’t suitable, we kept looking until it was. In urgent situations a guide would dismount and walk back to assist and maximize safety.

Regarding mules, I would make sure you get some that are already trained and have hauled meat. We had a couple green ones that went ballistic when the guides tried to load them. They said it takes a few trips for them to get used to the smell of blood. They told us to get way back and stay out of the way. These miles were bred with draft stock and were huge. Made the horses look like babies.

I always smear deer or elk blood all over in their nose if they haven’t hauled game before. Never had a problem loading them up after that. Another one of grandpa’s tricks, so who knows if it really works or I have just gotten lucky lol.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Left side or right side is up to you however for me a big issue with horses is consistancy. If you are going to change to either side then you must practice with the horse to either side. A lot of my country is very steep hence I prefer to get on and off on the uphill side. Either turn the horse or train the horse. They don't do well with surprises.

 

[rayporter]

every post made has merit. pay close attention.

horses can go ballistic when trying to put meat on them, too.

and the blood on the nose usually helps but not always, some animals just aren't cut out for some things.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

A couple more recommendations for a newbie:

1. I would avoid mares and proud-cut
geldings. Most mares are awesome, but they are still a female and just like women can be moody and more prone to being a PITA.

2. A horses temperament is the #1 thing you need to evaluate next to overall health. Draft crosses are usually a good bet. My guy right now is a shire thoroughbred cross that I bred and have had since he was born. He is bullet proof, packing, kids riding him etc and he is only 2 1/2. Never bucked or reared, has some go and is still somewhat athletic for his size.

3. I would avoid thoroughbreds or arabians, anything that is a little warm blooded. QH, Morgans, any of the gaited horses are usually pretty laid back as a general rule of thumb. There are always exceptions. In the mountains you want something that is easy going and rock solid.

 

[Bubblehide]

A couple more recommendations for a newbie:

1. I would avoid mares ...

2. A horses temperament is the #1 thing you need to evaluate next to overall health. ...

3. I would avoid thoroughbreds or arabians,...

I have to laugh, in a good way. The above is excellent advice. I had and used an arabian mare. She was a very very very high strung horse, she really liked to move. I put a tone of work into her, she made a great pack horse for me. However, very few people could ride her and enjoy the ride. I'll never forget the look on my partners face the first time I packed in with him. We were short 1 animal so we had to cut back on gear (I can be really bad at that). I had a pair of pants hanging from the front of the saddle, leg bottoms sewed closed. The pants were full of grain. I had saddle pack bags hanging around her backside, full and stacked almost to my shoulder level. I looked like the Beverly Hill Billies loaded up to move to Beverly Hills. My partner was a horse shoe-er, so he knew horses well. He looked at me and my horse and thought it would be a "horse wreck". I stepped up on her with significant difficulty, and rode out 20 miles, camped for the night, and finished the last 10 the next day, camped for a full week, and rode her back to the trailhead, without a single hick-up.

The only reason I was able to do that, was because I had worked with that horse at least 5 days a week. I had thousands of miles on her, some days covering 50 miles in a day (believe me, she could do that in a few hours) and the horse learned to trust me, as she had numerous frightening experiences with me on her back, ASKING her to tolerate the situation (not telling her), and a couple times, when she got caught up in wire, fencing, or bailing string, when necessary, I literally crawled under her to free her. I do not advise crawling under a horse when they are frightened, but I had done this hundreds if not thousands of times, while she was calm.

But going back to PredatorSlayer's post, he is correct, stay away from arabians unless you have tons of experience with a variety of horses.

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