# horse camping/tying overnight?



## Lapritchardmn (Jul 16, 2013)

Hey friends!
I have 2 horses who I will be taking camping this weekend. The first is an 8yo TB/paint gelding, and the second is a 20yo TB gelding. The TB is old hat and I have no concerns about him, however the youngster might be another story.... He is normally very solid and not very spooky but I have never tied him for an extended amount of time (overnight).
I have been camping before but not with my own horses. I am wondering if you guys have any thoughts, tips, ideas, tricks for camping with horses and leaving them tied overnight. When you camp do you ever leave them alone during the day or do you leave someone to stay with them? Is it best just to go ahead and do it and let them figure it out? Would love anything you guys have!


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

They all have to have their first over-nighter sometime. Put a full haybag in front of each of them before you go to bed and things should be fine as long as he knows how to tie. 

I might leave mine alone for an hour or so to go off and visit other campsites but I wouldn't want to leave them unattended for much longer than that. It would be different if you're camping at a private place but we go to parks and there's always too many kids wandering around loose for me to feel comfortable with leaving them alone.


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## Lapritchardmn (Jul 16, 2013)

Thank you for your comments!


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

When I tie overnight I put a can of rocks on the highline so if they start messing around too badly I'll hear them. I heard it the first night due to a moose on the other side of the lake bellowing. Ponies weren't happy.

My last camping trip was 3 ponies, 2 of which of them which had never been highlined before. Heck, 2 of them had never been packed before.

No issues whatsoever.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

ChitChatChet said:


> When I tie overnight I put a can of rocks on the highline


Do you tie them on the highline so they can reach the ground with their noses, or shorter?


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

Just enough to they can lay down. The highline is stretchy so if they can just get their nose to the ground directly under the highline then they can lay down.


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## Lapritchardmn (Jul 16, 2013)

Thanks for all your comments!! We ended up going to a different park that had small fenced enclosures... no need for a high line. We are going to try that next time.  Thanks all!!


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Even with individual corrals/stalls I would never leave them unattended for any length of time. If you must leave for an emergency or some other good reason, then notify another camper group, ask if they would keep an eye on your horses and give them your cell number if a signal is available. After all, horses are Murphy's Law on 4 feet.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

It is a good idea to teach horses to accept being tied, before you head out camping
We have hi lined horses before, but prefer tying them solid.
Some of the equestrian staging areas have tie rails , and at the Ya Ha Tinda, there are some stalls, that were former PMU stalls.
Little Elbow has tie stalls, some of which are covered.
However, many times we pack into wilderness, so besides some grain, horses have to live off of the land, as a pack horse can only carry so much.
Thus, our trail horses are also taught to leg picket
In the fall, I go on hunts with hubby, and our horses have to be good on standing tied, because we have left them tied after riding some distance form camp, continuing on foot, and returning after dark at times


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