Single Riding Horse for 3 days In

[ndbuck09]

Have a horse I use for pointing dog field trials. Spend a lot of time in the saddle throughout the year in all kinds of terrain in many different states. Have been doing this for 4 years now and this summer I'd like to start to use my horse to scout with the goal of using him to hunt muleys this fall. With that comes the need for dialing in my method for a single riding horse packing in. I have backpack hunted for 14 years so have my ultralite kit dialed and will just use all of that stuff for 2-3 days out trips.

The place I don't know what I don't know is the aspect of truly being out there for 3 days and going in on a single horse. I want to get the biggest saddle bags I can as I think I can fit the items I normally would have in my backpack distributed into saddle/cantle bags. Going to run a highline and also hobbles to let my horse graze some when I'm back at camp (he's very comfortable on a picket line as that's the standard in field trial camps). I'm sure there are guys rolling with a single horse so anyone have any additional tips for the new guy using his horse in the mountain trails? Anyone have any pictures of their single horse loaded for a 3 day trip with their riding saddle and saddle bag setup?

 

[Travis Hobbs]

Get your Smith & Edwards Heavy Duty Nylon Saddle Bags - Extra Large at Smith & Edwards!

Pocket size: 12" x 13.5" x 7"Material: Super tough bear cloth nylonColor: Brown 3/4" leather straps to secure flapsNickel plated hardware & brass grommetsWon't rot or mildewMade here in our own Smith and Edwards tack shop - Farr West, Utah

www.smithandedwards.com

These are the best “saddlebag” on the market IMO.

They also make a kick ass bag system that goes over your riding saddle that you can pack camp and an animal in easy.

Get your Smith & Edwards Cordura Saddle Pack Bags at Smith & Edwards!

Size: 9" x 26" x 20"Material: 22 oz nylon corduraColor: Black2" nylon webbing strapsNickel plated hardware & brass grommetsIncludes cantle and horn slotsMade to fit over your riding saddleOpen pocket styleCompact and lightweightSet of 2Made here in our own Smith and Edwards tack shop - Farr...

www.smithandedwards.com

When you say saddle bags, I think bags that stay on all the time, while you ride. (First link) Then, there are saddle panniers- that basically go over saddle where you would normally sit. (Second link)

 

[ndbuck09]

Thanks! yes, I was talking saddle bags that go behind the saddle for riding with them. I do have saddle panniers I picked up in the classifieds here to have along during hunting and then if I had meat, I can deploy them over the riding saddle and walk out. Just pretty curious to see some pictures of folks/hear from folks that run a single riding horse when going in for 3 days or so.

 

[TaperPin]

My great uncle hunted timberline for 50 years with a single horse. I wish a photo of him was easier to find, but this photo is similar - stuff hanging off the horse all over and of course his bags were canvas or leather. Camp was where you stopped for the night - tents were for girls, he said, but his big bed roll might as well been a tent as heavy as it was. 3 day trips were unheard of unless he lucked into a big ram - he’d hunt with this setup for a week - it seemed like extra food and a grain bag would just get lashed on to the mess. That horse went almost everywhere he did.

The local tradition in that part of western Wyoming was big strong horses with big feet - his horses and those of his hunting buddies all looked halfway between a quarter horse and draft horse. He was not a small man, and old camp gear was heavier than today, but that was also the type of horse readily available. In many rural areas in Wyoming during the depression, or any time really, when a farm or ranch went belly up and animals couldn’t be sold at any price, they were turned loose. Many wild herds are a little thicker than others because of the draft horses that escaped or were let loose 100 years ago. My great uncle was probably breaking wild horses for extra money after WW2, which is probably where his hunting horses came from.

Today, mountain horses of the same lineage, that my cousins are hunting with, are only slightly smaller, and stocky horses are the norm all up and down many mountain ranges.

Do what you’re used to, but it’s pretty convenient to have hobbles if there isn’t anything to tie off to.

A friend that brings his horse to Wyoming has to take it easy on him as he gets acclimated to big elevation gains. Like most horses not used to the mountains, the steep areas with loose footing are the most likely to cause a wreck.

 

[khart_6882]

Some of these bags posted here look like a tremendous amount of weight on your horses kidneys. Have you considered just leading your horse in with a pack saddle on him?


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[cowboy]

Some of these bags posted here look like a tremendous amount of weight on your horses kidneys. Have you considered just leading your horse in with a pack saddle on him?


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Lead in with riding saddle and saddle panniers. Been doing it for 30 yrs.

 

[yama49]

Some of these bags posted here look like a tremendous amount of weight on your horses kidneys. Have you considered just leading your horse in with a pack saddle on him?


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I asked my vet that question. He said no way u can hurt kidneys that way. A packhorse loaded has pack boxes 100lb on each side I sure wouldnt worry about saddle bags. JMO

 

[mt terry d]

Get a set of saddle panniers. Then throw on a top pack and hike in.
You can have a pretty luxurious camp. Then you can day ride from camp if you like
and you can pack it all out in one trip.

These below are just an example. Be sure to do a bunch of practicing with
your pony so he gets used to it.
Don't need any wrecks in the backcountry.
A crupper is a good addition.

Trailmax Saddle Panniers | Today's Deals

TrailMax Saddle Panniers fit securely over your western riding saddle and can be used to carry gear into camp or to haul game. Made from heavy-duty PVC coated

www.viphomesite.com

 

[bmart2622]

I asked my vet that question. He said no way u can hurt kidneys that way. A packhorse loaded has pack boxes 100lb on each side I sure wouldnt worry about saddle bags. JMO

Boxes and panniers hang off the side, saddle and cantle bags dont, completely different. Theres no way Im packing camp in on the same horse Im riding

 

[Archer86]

I wouldn't load up a single horse with enough gear to camp for three days and ride him in if I was going to take a single horse its getting panniers that go over the saddle and leading it in then ride out from camp everyday. Easier just to get a second horse then your rider has a buddy

 

[mt terry d]

Easier just to get a second horse then your rider has a buddy

And then you get another.
And another.
And another.
And another.
and..........
easier? haha!

 

[Archer86]

And then you get another.
And another.
And another.
And another.
and..........
easier? haha!

Yeah I have that problem at 4 now. Haha

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Regarding saddle panniers, a lot of guys like these for a riding horse, as they're light weight, roll up behind their saddle, plus use them to pack out meat or pack in camp when leading.

Pack Lite - Hunting Pannier (Set of two)

The Pack Lite XL Hunting Panniers boast the same durability as our highly sought-after XL Hunting Panniers but with a weight reduction of 2 1/2 pounds (5 pounds, 12 ounces for the set). Universally fitting horses, mules, donkeys, sawbucks, deckers and riding saddles, these panniers are perfect...

www.mountainridgegear.com

Whether you lead in or just pack out meat, you'll need some kind of saddle pannier. Many guys like the separate ones, versus having both sides connected in the center. Separate allows you to lift one bag at a time rather than try to get the whole thing on top of the horse at once.

Here's a video from Davis Tent, how to use separate panniers on a riding saddle:

Enjoy!

 

[Preston]

One thing I noticed about saddle panniers is they ride low, it would be like carrying five gallon buckets of water. I started tying up the load on each side with a simple basket hitch. These elk quarters were not tied up. In the second photo I tied up the panniers so they ride higher up.

 

[butcherboy]

Used to do it all the time with just saddle bags and a back pack. I would carry saddle panniers rolled up and tied on behind the saddle for packing meat. You can shove a lot of stuff into saddle bags. Probably more than you would need for a 3 day hunt.

 

[TCC]

I agree with Archer 66, extremely easy to hav

 

[TCC]

I agree with Archer66, extremely easy to have a 2nd horse for packing and they keep rach other company when left alone. There are a lot of big saddle bags that include large cantle bags on the market that would hold all I need for 3 nights - I have a set from Smith and Edwards in the iron cloth. Mountain Ridge meat panniers are excellent/light, plus ride higher than all others I have used. Not talking about their xl or regular soft panniers which are for other purposes and heavier than the meat panniers. Thats what I would use if only one horse.

 

[Mike 338]

I've loaded up one mule with saddle panders + a top load and walked in, leading the mule. All that included her feed as well. Not much grass in the high country and even if there was, hunting from dark to dark doesn't leave much time for grazing. From camp, I'd ride her each day to where I hunt. I now have two mules. One to ride and one to pack. I'll pack in feed for both on a separate early scouting trip.

Going ultra lite on a scouting trip with minimal gear and just saddle bags is OK because you're not pressed for time in the same way as on a hunt. Grazing takes time and you're not dealing with snow. On a hunt, you leave early and get back late and your horse doesn't get much attention. Learning to lash panniers and a top load is a fun and usefull skill to learn. Leading the horse in/out is a viable option assuming you're up to the walk. There's no heavy load in your back and it's usually downhill one way.

 

[khart_6882]

I've loaded up one mule with saddle panders + a top load and walked in, leading the mule. All that included her feed as well. Not much grass in the high country and even if there was, hunting from dark to dark doesn't leave much time for grazing. From camp, I'd ride her each day to where I hunt. I now have two mules. One to ride and one to pack. I'll pack in feed for both on a separate early scouting trip.

Going ultra lite on a scouting trip with minimal gear and just saddle bags is OK because you're not pressed for time in the same way as on a hunt. Grazing takes time and you're not dealing with snow. On a hunt, you leave early and get back late and your horse doesn't get much attention. Learning to lash panniers and a top load is a fun and usefull skill to learn. Leading the horse in/out is a viable option assuming you're up to the walk. There's no heavy load in your back and it's usually downhill one way.

Packing in feed ahead of time seems like the way to do it, especially if you’re hunting solo and you don’t have hours of free time to hang out with them while they graze. And that’s if there’s even decent grass available. Do you pack in alfalfa cubes? Bank on 15-20lbs a day?


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[Mike 338]

Packing in feed ahead of time seems like the way to do it, especially if you’re hunting solo and you don’t have hours of free time to hang out with them while they graze. And that’s if there’s even decent grass available. Do you pack in alfalfa cubes? Bank on 15-20lbs a day?


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I used to use cubes. Now I pack Certified Timmothy Grass Pellets and use canvas feed bags. My mules never really liked the cubes and occasionally they'd choke a little on them. Timmothy is a low protein feed which I like for "standing around" mules.