In every issue of Horse & Rider you'll find articles on training by the country's leading experts, the latest on equine health care from top veterinarians, trail riding tips from savvy back country riders, and much more!
Overnight pack trips take your trail-riding adventures to the next level. You’ll ride and camp in pristine wilderness areas that offer breathtaking scenery and challenging trails. Don’t let the idea of a pack trip daunt you. Any seasoned rider on a conditioned trail horse with calm pack horses can make the trip if properly prepared. Here I’ll share how to prepare for a successful pack trip. OUTFITTER OR ALONE? If you presently ride close to home, you might consider hiring an outfitter for your first pack trip. With an outfitter, the work is done for you: Experienced mounts and pack animals are outfitted, gear is packed, and the agenda is planned. Wranglers set up camp and guide you over trails. A camp cook provides hot, delicious meals. As an experienced…
If you’re a camping enthusiast as well as a horse lover, overnight horse camping could be the perfect combination of your interests. The key to having a good time is making sure that both you and your horse are prepared by having the items you need. For the Horses This is a basic camp list for horses. As you load an item in trailer or towing vehicle, check it off list. Before leaving, review the items to make sure everything has been checked off and loaded. ◻ Highline ropes ◻ Lead ropes ◻ Highline lead ropes ◻ Extra ropes ◻ Hammer ◻ Insect spray ◻ Grain bags ◻ Rags ◻ Saddles ◻ Saddle pads ◻ Gloves ◻ Water cans ◻ First-aid kit ◻ Bridle(s) ◻ Extra head stalls, reins ◻…
This season, you’ve promised yourself you’ll make the leap. You’re ready to camp with your horse—well, for just one night. You’ll camp beneath the stars before a day of riding. When you arrive at your destination-of-rest, you won’t hear vehicle engines. You’ll be alone with your riding buddies and your horses. But the same scenario that brings thoughts of freedom and wide-open spaces also makes you worry: What will you and your horse eat? What will you need to pack to set up camp? And will your horse be safe and comfortable through the night? To take the worry out of your adventure, we sought advice from a panel of horse and camping experts: equine veterinarian and trail rider Barb Crabbe; longtime horse and mule trainer Steve Edwards (who teaches…
Patton grew up in California and worked with horses her whole life. Her father was an on-the-road rodeo clown who also worked as the rodeo-trail cook using a Dutch oven. He taught his daughter a few tricks of the trade, and Susie Patton has been perfecting her skills ever since. For the past 10 years, she’s been doing so while on overnight trail rides. GOING DUTCH The cast-iron cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid has been around since the early 1700s and was an important piece of equipment for the early settlers, since they could use it for a variety of forms of cooking from boiling to baking. The shallow pot has short legs to hold it over hot coals. Hot coals are placed directly on the lid providing uniform…
