# Camping out and trail riding



## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Ooooo pretty! I've not been but it sure looks nice. I like anywhere that my horse is welcome 
We are hopefully going to Lake Carl Blackwell near Stillwater Oklahoma on Friday. We can only spend one night but it should be fun, they have some nice trails. The AHA does do endurance rides there this month. 
I'll look up Lake Sam Rayburn. Looks like a great place


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

Sam Rayburn is known for world class bass fishing. They have big tournaments there on a regular basis. I have never been to the lake until 3 weeks ago and I live just 95 miles away. We had a camp elsewhere so I'd never been. The lake is huge and there are tons of parks and campgrounds all around it.

Ebenezer is the only equestrian park. Has a terrific brand new bath house. Bathrooms on one side, individual private showers on the other. Ten camp sites with corrals, covered tables, fire rings, electricity (woo hoo ) and a poop spreader! It is not very expensive either! There are tons of trails all over the place. I image one could ride for days on different parts and never see the same thing. I did see a deer and her half grown fawn - they were gorgeous. The forest is gorgeous there, tons of flowers, ferns, berries, lots of hardwoods and evergreens. The trails are marked too, which is nice. I am going to look up the place you are talking about - I want to go ride in other places next year and need to get a game plan going!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

The closest we have been to Texas is SE Oklahoma. We rode the Ouachita Mountains on the Arkansas border. I believe its part of the Ozark mountain chain. Very pretty but rough riding!


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

Hi there, I got all excited when I saw this thread. I haven't actually been camping with my girl yet but have a horssey adventure planned for the summer (when it finally gets here!!)

I have always wanted to go camping on horse back and this summer a couple of gf's and myself have a plan. My husband and I have a guided hunting business and at the back of the property we hunt on is a hut called the Whare (moari name for hut pronounced far ray). We are going to ride back to the Whare and camp for a couple of days, my plan is to go in on the quad bike with our supplies before hand so all we have to worry about is the ride in. By using the bike I can also slip in a couple of good bottles of wine for the evenings which I am sure will go down a treat.

Don't know if this post is relevant to the subject quite yet, hopefully in a couple of months can report on my camping excursion. In the meantime here is a pic of the Whare where we will camp.


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## Mingiz (Jan 29, 2009)

I just got back from 5 days of camping. I have been the last 2 weekends.Was planning on this weekend but the weather here isn't the best right now. So were planning on next weekend. Since I got my LQ I go camping every chance I get...I started out in a stock trailer and as the years went on I upgraded until I could afford the lq. I usually go to the mountains in VA. It's a 3-4 hr haul where ever I go. I love it just wish there were more closer areas to go....
Top of Kennedy's Peak in Fort Valley VA






My mountain goat Reno..This was his 2nd ever and he was awesome 4yro MFT

Our Trail Dog



Looking at Kennedy's peak from the campground..It's the tall peak


My Rig bad shot but all I have now


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## toadflax (Jul 14, 2009)

Oh-h-h, I'm SO jealous of you all!! We used to do a four day ride about 100 miles total, around a game preserve in New Hampshire. Lots of work and someone was always cranky but it was awesome riding (when it wasn't raining.) So cool going to sleep at night with firelight and the sounds of horses chewing.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Great stories everyone! Our plans to go to Oklahoma got canceled :-(
We called to make reservations and found out its homecoming for OSU. The park, which is owned and operated by OSU, is already packed.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Well it's hunting season here and I spend pretty much every free day up in the mountains hunting. We packed in a camp and set up a wall tent with a stove at 8000 foot elevation. We leave the tent, cots, sleeping bags, and just come and go as time allows. We will pack everything out Halloween day.










We are 7 miles in from where we park the truck.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

Hey painted horse. What will you be hunting? You guys have hunting seasons don't you? Here in NZ we are lucky we hunt all year round with no limits. My husband and I have a guided hunting business here, I would eventually like to offer our clients the opportunity to ride horses back to the hunting area. They are the two best things in the world - hunting and horse riding. It doesn't get any better than that! 

By the way there is an awesome buckskin horse in the bottom pic, what breed is it? I love it, it is stunning!


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## dashygirl (Nov 21, 2006)

Painted - I really think I've gotta come riding with you one of these days!  You've always got GREAT photos of your camping/trail adventures!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Funny, Painted Horse gets to ride more during hunting season and we ride less. All our favorite areas are closed to horses during hunting season. (deer hunting)
Deer hunter: "I just shot the biggest deer of my life!"
Trail rider: "Whatever mister, but can I have my saddle back?"


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Vidaloco said:


> Funny, Painted Horse gets to ride more during hunting season and we ride less. All our favorite areas are closed to horses during hunting season. (deer hunting)
> *Deer hunter: "I just shot the biggest deer of my life!"*
> *Trail rider: "Whatever mister, but can I have my saddle back?" *




Oh Dear!:shock:


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## stacieandtheboys (Jan 6, 2009)

QOS that is awesome to hear! We live in Abilene now but I went to school in Nacogdoches for a few years and know where Sam Rayburn is. We are going to start doing some overnights once I get my mare sound again and can wait to get out and about here in TX


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Vidaloco said:


> Deer hunter: "I just shot the biggest deer of my life!"
> Trail rider: "Whatever mister, but can I have my saddle back?"


Yeah, reminds me of growing up in the rural northeast: dairy farming country where the most popular breed of cow was the Holstein: Holstein cattle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lots of hunters would come out from the city, and every so often would bag one of them "big black and white deer".


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## dashygirl (Nov 21, 2006)

jamesqf said:


> Lots of hunters would come out from the city, and every so often would bag one of them "big black and white deer".


Wow, that's ridiculous!


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Moonshine Maya is a registered Foxtrotter. all the horses in the photo are. Her dam is the dark buckskin to the far right of the photo and her brother is the black gelding that I ride.

Bull Elk season ended last Thursday, General Season Mule Deer is now open and we have some control tags for Cow Elk. We will mostly be looking for Cow Elk. They have better flavor meat( in my opinion) and are much larger than a deer. A good cow Elk is 600lbs vs a Mule deer buck at 200.

Here is a group of 4 bulls I saw yesterday at daylight.









Vidaloco, Yes I do ride more, I do more adventuresom riding during hunting season. We are frequently riding in total darkness. Either riding into camp late in the dark or getting up early and heading out to our favorite spot to hunt before the sun comes up. Most summer rides are on trails, Hunting season we wander all over the mountain looking for the game animals. Up and down steep hills, through brush, over and through blow downs. We pack more during hunting season. Both in hauling in our camp gear and packing out any game we harvest. They not only climb steep hills, but we are usually at 8000-9000 foot elevation. During the summer, I usually ride a weekday evening here and a saturday all day there. Hunting we ride 3-4 days in a row and repeat each week for month. So the horse develop a better bond with us. they are getting used more, Worked harder, Being with us more hours per day. I think it's the best training my horses get.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

Also painted horse, I guess it is easier to approach game animals from horse back. I find that here, we have a lot of wild pigs (people pay us to come and hunt them) and it is amazing how many I can see when I am out horse riding. It is not unusual to walk around a corner and meander through a mob of pigs who don't run until I am nearly on top of them. 

I really don't do any hunting from my horse, and to be honest I am not sure why. I really need to pull finger and get into it, Phoenix, my horse is already used to shots fired so there is nothing to stop me. You have inspired me to get on with it Paintedhorse! ( I use a 7mm Rem mag by the way).


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

kiwigirl said:


> It is not unusual to walk around a corner and meander through a mob of pigs who don't run until I am nearly on top of them.


I wonder if you could do mounted horse archery or spear hunting with them - a la Plains Indian buffalo hunting?


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## IheartPheobe (Feb 15, 2009)

Sounds so fun! Our barn owns a field at the end of the road and we went on a trail (the corn fields are in front of the forest) and then just came out of the forest and rode down the corn field a bit before going up the field. . let the horses out and slept there. ahh fun! ;D


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

wow wee - thanks everyone for sharing their stories and pictures - gorgeous horses and beautiful views!

Stacy - come on back to east Texas and ride with us at Ebenezer! We are going back on October 30, 31 and November 1st. I am looking forward to it and making plans for menu's etc. and what all I need to drag. Will try to keep it simple but fun. 

My gelding gets so excited going on trail rides. He loves it and so do I! We may take a quick trip up there this coming Sunday - it is a 200 mile round trip but we can go stay Saturday night at my cousin's home that is just 25 miles away so we just have to drag 100 miles on the way home - so worth it. We rode here locally and I must say, after Ebenezer, Tyrrell Park's Cattail Marsh just doesn't cut the mustard!

I am camping in a tent - I am pea green of those who have LQ trailers - sigh....in my dreams. I don't even need fancy - just easy!!

I would love to see more pictures and hear more stories of good places to ride and what everyone is doing.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

QOS said:


> wow wee - thanks everyone for sharing their stories and pictures - gorgeous horses and beautiful views!
> 
> Stacy - come on back to east Texas and ride with us at Ebenezer! We are going back on October 30, 31 and November 1st. I am looking forward to it and making plans for menu's etc. and what all I need to drag. Will try to keep it simple but fun.
> 
> ...


I know what you mean. I sleep in my two horse straight load on overnights. It is a lot to pack, and I'm looking at goosenecks with oversized dressing rooms to use as a weekender.

Labor Day weekend I did a three day ride and Don (my hubby) brought his 5th wheel camper. I felt like I was in a luxury resort!

Even with all the packing, it's so worth it and my horse also seems to love it.

Painted Horses, I think where you ride looks like what I image Heaven to be! Thanks for sharing your amazing riding territory with us.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Kiwi, I never ever shoot from my horses backs. I ride my horses to where I want to hunt and tie them up. If I see game while I'm riding, I jump off the horse and tie them up or hand the reins to another person. Remove the rifle and step away from the horses before I fire.

My horses are used to the noise. But there are several reason, I'd never try and shoot from the saddle. 1st. Most of my shots are long range. ( see pictures of how big and open the country is) I need to get my rifle as steady as possible to hit a target 300 yards away. No way possible to do that from the saddle. 2nd. I want to protect my horses ears. Muzzle blast from a high power rifle is deafening. 3rd, I don't want to get stepped on. I am focused on the target, I am not watching the horses when I am trying to shoot. I don't want a horse to spook and dance around and step on me. So I make sure I move 10-15 yards away from the horses prior to discharging the rifle.

Unlike cowboy westerns, Most hunting rifles are not the slick little saddle guns seen in western movies. Modern hipower rifles have scopes and are just plain bulkier than the rifles in motion pictures. Getting a rifle in and out of the scabbard is MUCH easier done from the ground, not the saddle.

Taking a few extra seconds to do the above, gives your mind time to digest what it has seen. What was the aminal you spotted, Is it a trophy, Is it an elk or some ranchers cow?

Hunting from a horse is a great experience. But shooting a rifle from a horse's back just isn't part of the adventure. Now I do often carry a pistol while riding in the wilderness areas. It's there in case I run into a bear or lion and want to scare them off. Firing a pistol from atop a horse is possible, But I wouldn't expect to be accurate with it. It would just be more of a loud noise maker, to scare the bear away.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

Its all right painted horse, I never thought for a minute that you were slinging your gun and shooting from your horse!:lol: I understood that you are using the horses as to and fro transport - not actually hunting aids LOL. ( I have this picture in my mind of a set of antlers taped to your horses head so it can be used as a decoy - I crack myself up!) 

I was thinking that there is nothing stopping me from riding Phoenny into the hills, getting off her and going for a quick walk to shoot some animals. I understand completely about the shooting,some of the shooting we do here is out to 6,7 hundred yards, I know that it ain't going to happen from the back of the horse LOL. We have a lot of wild goats here, they are good eating and plentiful. Phoenix is used to shots being fired so it would be no problem for me to get off her, go for a little walk and pot a couple of goats. I could load up my saddle bags with some meat and be back home in time for dinner. My original point was that I just never actually do it and I am not sure why.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

kiwigirl said:


> I have this picture in my mind of a set of antlers taped to your horses head so it can be used as a decoy...


Err... Just remember that the decoying could work both ways. "Hey, Billy Bob, that sure is an ugly deer you got. And what's that on his back?"


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

:lol: LOL.....thats a good point!


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I hope there is no Billy bob that stupid. 

We tie deer onto the backs our horses to haul them off the mountain. Same goes for Elk. . Usually they are drapped over the saddle, not tied to the head. I live in an area where there are various hunting season. Hunters need to identify their target very carefully. While all elk have the same coloration and general size. Cow elk have no antlers, Spike Bulls have a single point on their antlers and Mature Bulls have branch antlers or multiple points.


So back to camping. I used to have a nice LQ. I have 5 daughters. But now days most of my daughters have moved on, I've sold the LQ and sleep in the gooseneck or a tent. For hunting camp, where we stay put for a longer period of time, we set up a Wall tent. cots, sleeping bags, a wood burning stove and feel pretty comfortable even when the temps drop into the teens.









For shorter stays. like a weekend in the wilderness, we usually just haul in a smaller dome tent and use self inflating pads on the ground.









And sometimes we just stay at the trailer and day ride. A couple of us can sleep up on the gooseneck bunk. If my more than one of my daughters come they can set up a cot out side, or sleep on the floor. We make do.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

Wow, painted horse that is a fantabulous trailer! I can feel myself going green with envy. Is it four horses and the accommodation space?


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

Awww cute horsies! And pretty pictues to!


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

jamesqf said:


> I wonder if you could do mounted horse archery or spear hunting with them - a la Plains Indian buffalo hunting?


 jamesqf I can imagine what would happen if I tried something like that! I would probably pierce my horses ear!! Tell you what though I would get some game if I could do it. I wonder.....hmm


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

It's 4 horse, Mid tack and a dressing room in the front. The Dressing room ahas a bunk up over the gooseneck, a boot box to throw stuff in and 10 coat hooks on wall. From which I hang coats, chaps, helmets and just about any else that I can hag up to get it off the floor.

My main like about the trailer, is I can leave my camping stuff inside and it's ready to go as fast as I can hook up the truck. And I stay dry inside during a rainy night.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

It's very cool!


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

That is a spiffy dandy looking trailer!! I would love to leave everything in the trailer so it was ready to go! 

My tent is currently on the floor bunched up in the garage waiting to be folded correctly and put back in its little bag - I took it out to dry out!! Now it is raining AGAIN. I don't care if it rains now as long as it doesn't rain NEXT weekend!!


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