Ultralight horse packing

[Coues123]

Over the years I've tried several ways to teach stock to picket. IMO the easiest way is to teach one to lead by it's foot. Single hobble attached to a lead rope and the simple pressure and release. I move them forward, sideways and backwards. When the stock gets on the picket they know how to react to the pressure.
On the feed issue, a horse can starve to death in knee high grass with no nutrients. I always take supplemental feed and feed based on use and individual animal requirements. If you have hunted an area enough you can adjust to your acquired knowledge.

 

[Travis Hobbs]

At what point do most people start packing supplemental feed? Seems to me that on most archery and early season hunts there should be enough grazing that it’s not an issue til it snows or it’s an area with poor forage.

I feel like most early season hunts I can get away with no supplemental feed. That being said, it depends on moisture content, grazing pressure, aspect or location of camp and how hard I’m riding them.

I do usually pack in some feed though. I’ve been burned a few times by early season snow storms that really dumped on me.

Another bonus of those mules, they can get by on a lot less quality feed than horses. My mules seem to graze on brush and woody vegetation every chance they get

 

[rayporter]

a tip-teach your horse to eat from a nose bag and you wont waste any feed. but dont leave the animals alone with a nose bag on because if they can get to water they will try to drink with it on every time. and the water cant get out of the bag easy.

for real short trips i put my feed in nose bags to pack it in.

 

[pbroski]

What kind of supplemental feed are people packing in? There is oats, barley, sweet feed, dairy rations, alfalfa cubes or pellets. On my last 11 day trip I gave them 1 can of dairy rations each daily. I'm just wondering what you guys use.

 

[PNWGATOR]

We’ve used senior feed and sweet cob and compressed weed/seed free alfalfa bales. Have not tried packers pellets, but will. We turn animals out in a portable hot wire to graze and move it daily, but offer some additional calories and nutrition as well as letting them know where camp is. Not familiar with the dairy supplements and need to look into them it sounds like.

Still learning to solve this riddle with minimum number of horses, especially hunting into October and November.

 

[wysongdog]

I’ve used packer pellets and sweet grain. I like to supplement them along with picketing them out. I’ll leave one pony hobbled and the rest tied up.

 

[cooper42]

Having a camp that required 22 pack horses including resupply and backpack hunts with nothing but a poncho/liner, I've enjoyed both. Travel light freeze at night is a reality. A 1000 pounds of lightweight gear is still a 1000 pounds. I'll give some opinions here that may ruffle some feathers but with 50+ years of hunting and ranching with horses, I've had a few days in the saddle. If you're going to take stock hunting, take care of them!!! Horses/ mules are meant to work hard but they have to eat and drink. The truth is most horses that aren't used regularly are overweight and out of shape. Don't expect them to be ready for everything if they haven't seen anything. If you have never lost a horse on a trip you haven't been out much or have some great luck. If you never seen one roll down a hill just because it tripped, its coming. When another packstring blows up and a young horse comes bucking at you with boxes on the side of a cliff and you're riding a colt leading 4 mules you are going to suck up some saddle.
Hunting with a riding horse/mule and having a pack horse/mule on the move with no base camp is a great way to hunt. Wherever you end up at dark you camp. Depending on if I like where I'm at, I hunt in the morning a foot or horseback and then go find water for the horses. Grazing hobbles and a horse trained to an electric fence make the trip much easier. Horses can travel 15 miles in a night with hobbles so know your horses. A bear will put them through an electric fence pretty quick so know your country. Decker, sawbuck, saddle panniers, Utah panniers, boxes and manties all work. Use the one you like but know how to use it. It's best to know several hitches and when to use them. If it works for you who cares what someone else thinks. I put my backpack gear in plus a few extra camp items and head out for a week. Rifle scabbard is a critical piece of equipment. I only have 2 rifles that don't go in a scabbard. I've killed way more deer and elk by stepping off and shooting to include bow hunting than any other way. I ride with my bow in one hand with the reins and lead the pack horse with the other. I've killed plenty of Coues bucks over 95 stepping off. There are several ways to put a scabbard on a saddle, use the one that works for you. If you can't pull it out while stepping off, 80% of game will get away. I take my long range rifle with my Nightforce scope in a hard case but I pack it on a mule that has packed for 15 years and know it won't touch a tree. Now if they are bulging I ride up to 200 to 400 yards depending on terrain and cover and tie up. If elk are moving up hill not grazing you are wasting your time tying up. Tie up your pack horse and use your spurs. You'll never out walk elk uphill unless you're able to run a 5 minute mile at altitude. If they are moving stop bulging, he just wants to know how fast to push his cows. Wear that horse out to get around them, then tie up and move like you mean it to cut them off. Experience will tell you when to move fast and when to slow down. In AZ and NM the wind changes every 2 minutes so you just have to live with it.

A lot of solid advice in this post. My most recent trip to Wyoming this year I was thrown from a horse 8 miles back in some pretty nasty terrain. My buddy, having more experience on horses than me, failed to realize to realize the situation he was riding us into. I, trusting my buddy, failed to realize the situation he was riding us into. He was just dead set on getting to the elk he put down the day before which ended up being pretty short sighted. It could have went much worse that day but luckily we both came out of it with a lesson learned. That trip was full of other lessons learned the hard way, too. It’s what keeps it interesting but you definitely look at some of those lessons and know how here was a better way to learn them!


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[Coues123]

What kind of supplemental feed are people packing in? There is oats, barley, sweet feed, dairy rations, alfalfa cubes or pellets. On my last 11 day trip I gave them 1 can of dairy rations each daily. I'm just wondering what you guys use.

The simple answer might be whatever supplies the most protein for the least amount of weight and volume. Protein content is subject to growing conditions. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, oats 11-14%, cracked corn 7-12% naturally. A whole bunch of pellets that match same protein level. Packer pellets at about 12% also.

 

[rayporter]

corn is low in lysine which does lower its protein level to 9% but corn is very very good for energy content.

corn can be boosted in protein several ways but it really is not necessary for short term. plain cracked corn is a good choice, just make sure you have conditioned the horses system to it.

soybean meal is a cheap way to boost the corns protein. a handful per 2# feeding is about enough to raise it up to 12%. calf mana will do the same but costs more. calf mana may be better for short term because it is pelleted and the meal is more likely to be wasted. if feeding corn long term at home protein supplement is needed.

just like people, energy content is really important when doing work and keeping you warm

most equine owners dont realize that you can feed many different feeds and save a lot of money by using local feed. two instances are wheat and corn. neither of which needs fed in the amounts of oats or most commercial feed. you can feed a quarter to a third less by weight of each.

horses can not eat soybeans unless they are cooked-soybean meal has been cooked. ruminants can eat soybeans.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I researched this to death and ultimately came to the conclusion that all ultralite horse packing was just too painful.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

What kind of supplemental feed are people packing in? There is oats, barley, sweet feed, dairy rations, alfalfa cubes or pellets. On my last 11 day trip I gave them 1 can of dairy rations each daily. I'm just wondering what you guys use.

Alfalfa cubes.

 

[wysongdog]

Alfalfa cubes.

I found alfalfa cubes in Miles city with grain blended into them and they are really good. I bought a semi load when I came back empty. I think the packer cubes have grain in the alfalfa cubes as well. My favorite for packing in over straight Wyoming alfalfa cubes. They are a little smaller cube as well.

 

[blacktail sniper]

Curious what panniers you all run? I have limited experince packing in. Have been on a couple trips with good friends who are horse whispers i swear amazing what they do. I am looking to take it up myself but nervous I would say I know enough to get in trouble. With my buddies now taking care of their kids which is awesome I have had to go back to backpack solo or with my wife. Retiring in a year and will finally move to MT or WY and will be getting horses. Reason I ask on the make of the panniers I have only seen my buddies use the more open style tops and they cover with a tarp and use a double diamond knot for the life of me cant fig out i get more confused each time i see it. My other thought is just get two horses and saddle panniers and lead them in and still stay light. Not sure if that's a good idea cause while i am 50 now at some point be nice to ride two for my wife and I or son and lead one in. Guess what I am ultimately asking whats the best way to start in terms of horse and gear?

 

[Chase0109]

Curious what panniers you all run? I have limited experince packing in. Have been on a couple trips with good friends who are horse whispers i swear amazing what they do. I am looking to take it up myself but nervous I would say I know enough to get in trouble. With my buddies now taking care of their kids which is awesome I have had to go back to backpack solo or with my wife. Retiring in a year and will finally move to MT or WY and will be getting horses. Reason I ask on the make of the panniers I have only seen my buddies use the more open style tops and they cover with a tarp and use a double diamond knot for the life of me cant fig out i get more confused each time i see it. My other thought is just get two horses and saddle panniers and lead them in and still stay light. Not sure if that's a good idea cause while i am 50 now at some point be nice to ride two for my wife and I or son and lead one in. Guess what I am ultimately asking whats the best way to start in terms of horse and gear?

I'll give my very limited experience from someone who just did what you are thinking of doing. I got my first 2 horses 1.5 years ago. I've done a few hunting trips with them in WY and CO. 2 vs 3 is a personal/financial decision. It works with 2. 3 would be easier in alot of aspects. Looking at 2 vs 3. Increased cost for feed, shoeing, vaccinations, vet bills when they do something stupid, floats, gear/tack. Plus keeping 3 horses legged up vs 2. The biggest thing that kept me at 2 is transport. 2 horse trailers are easy to find at reasonable prices. You can run a bumper pull with any 1/2 ton truck. 3 Horse trailers are more expensive. Usually going to a gooseneck in a 3 horse or bigger. May need a bigger truck to pull a bigger heavier trailer. Plus it is a bigger trailer to get up and down those mountain roads (and try to turnaround). Lots of guys do it, For me, it would just add more to my stress level lol.

If you're always going to be hunting with a partner then 3 may be best (or 5 lol). 2 to ride, 1 to pack camp in. When you kill someone is walking out, or you're making 2 trips with the horses. 1 to ride, 1 for camp, 1 for meat. Then if you need to pack feed in that adds another horse. You can see how this can get out of hand quickly lol. For me personally, I'm just sticking with 2. I'll ride if I can and walk if needed. Walking in/out is still easier to carry a lead rope with nothing on my back. I can then ride out from camp when the horses don't need to haul anything.

I learned alot going down the horse gear rabbit hole. The guys who can manty and tie diamond hitches are incredibly talented! I'm not one of them lol. The bright side is that humans are very inventive and we tend to figure out how to make things as easy as possible for ourselves. To that end, smart horse people have created great ways to pack horses that require no real tieing skills for dumb newbies like me. Each type of pack saddle and panniers have pros and cons. I'll let you know what I chose and why for me.

I started with an over saddle pannier pack system. It worked well on my first and second WY trip. Gives the option of pulling the panniers off and then using the horse as a riding horse. Simple effective, but not quite as stable as a real pack saddle. Also you can pull the plastic inserts and then roll them up to store in saddle bags to be used when needed after a kill. Offers the option of turning your riding horse into a packhorse anytime. I do like the system, but the panniers will wear out. I ordered some ballistic nylon and 2" webbing and had a local seamstress reinforce the bags with additional liners and edge protection. Should last forever now.

TrailMax Pack-A-Saddle | Saddle Pannier Pack System

Carry everything you need in the TrailMax Pack-A-Saddle from Outfitters Supply. This saddle pannier pack system is detachable and can be easily adjusted.

www.outfitterssupply.com

I did purchase a real pack saddle this summer and used it for my CO trip this year. Custom Pack Rigging. I went with the Hooks style solid arches #5. You can run decker or sawbuck style bags on these. The adjustable part means this saddle should work for almost any horse you get. Nice not to need a bunch of pack saddles to fit different horses.
I went with harness #39. I prefer synthetic Beta material. Less maintenance and should last forever. The owner is very helpful. I called and he walked me through what would work best for my gear and style of packing. The over saddle panniers above will work just fine with this pack saddle. Again giving you the option to use them on a dedicated pack-saddle or as the over-ridding saddle option.
http://custompackrigging.com/pack-saddles/

Outfitter supply also offers this saddle. But only with all leather harness. For the same price you can go direct to Custom pack rigging and get the Beta option.
https://www.outfitterssupply.com/Pr...uilt-by-Outfitters-Supply/productinfo/WPS600/

I do like and want a set of the hard bear-proof panniers. Here is the link to the economy version. These have screws in the lid for removal. They function the same as the more expensive ones, just more hassle to open/close. These can only be used on a pack-saddle setup, not with a riding saddle.
http://www.outfitterspackstation.com/beprpa1.html

What I would like next is this hard pannier. Easy access, just costs a bit more. Since I already have the over saddle system I couldn't justify spending another $500 for hard panniers at the time.

TrailMax Bear Proof Pack Panniers with Rain Covers

Keep important items and snacks safe with TrailMax Bear Proof Pack Panniers. These TrailMax panniers also come with rain covers for extra protection.

www.outfitterssupply.com

This is my limited experience opinion. There are alot of very knowledgeable experienced horse people on this forum! Hopefully, they will chime in and give you better advice. I just figured I would share some of what I learned having just gone down the road you are thinking about. At the end of the day, there are alot of options and they all will work. It will depend on your personal preference and what works for you.

Chase

 

[blacktail sniper]

Man th is for the post !! It will be my kid wide and I so I’ll need 3. But he’s 12 he can walk. Lol. Thnx for all the pannier info I should get a bet up silver light for real cheap from my in laws Need to have my buddy teach me to show!!

 

[rayporter]

Chase0109 for a rookie you hit the high spots real well. super post any thing i would argue with would be just personal opinion.​

i have used the adjustable pack saddles for many years and recommend them highly.

 

[Fire624]

I believe Mr Denning has some videos of his set up for two horses, that's what got me down to two mules. Walk in with two. One for camp and one for feed is how I run them. Then after 5 or 6 days I can ride out or if lucky walk out and swap the feed pack for meat packs. Love this set up.

Brand new to Rokslide. Greetings! I live in SW Colorado outside of Durango. Over the years I have spent a ton of time lightweight backpack hunting but as I’m getting older I’m starting to want to get into light and fast horseback/ mule hunting. I have a little experience but not merely enough. I don’t presently own mules or horses but do have acreage and irrigated pasture to house some critters.
Thank you to all who has submitted info in this thread. Very valuable!
Mulepacker do you have a link to Mr Dennings videos? I searched YouTube and Google with no luck. Thanks in advance.


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[Robster]

Check here for the videos. It may be what you are looking for.

Videos - Rokslide

www.rokslide.com

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Brand new to Rokslide. Greetings! I live in SW Colorado outside of Durango. Over the years I have spent a ton of time lightweight backpack hunting but as I’m getting older I’m starting to want to get into light and fast horseback/ mule hunting. I have a little experience but not merely enough. I don’t presently own mules or horses but do have acreage and irrigated pasture to house some critters.
Thank you to all who has submitted info in this thread. Very valuable!
Mulepacker do you have a link to Mr Dennings videos? I searched YouTube and Google with no luck. Thanks in advance.


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Ya I should have been more specific,,it was Robby Denning from this site and he put up some videos of his hunts in the late season for mule deer like 4 years ago maybe and he was running two horses and walked in. I want to say he had a new carbon barrel rifle he was packing in. If you want to see some set ups and shoot the shoot about it hit me up. I cant find the video now.

 

[NeverSummer]

I ultralight horse hunt all the time. I ride in with a day pack and some panniers and a lash rope rolled up behind my saddle and walk out with meat. Or walk a horse in, ride one, pack.one etc. I never set up fancy camp, just use my backpacking gear. Lots of my friends do this too, usually horse people who want to make better use of their 4 legged friends.


I've spent most days on a horse since I was 4 years old. There's a lot of ways to do it but make sure you know how to load a pack horse if you're in rough country or you're gonna have a very bad day. I see some dudes back there in bad spots with no experience every year. Taking a packing class is a wise investment. Livestock are fantastic but require investment of both time and money. Best of luck.