# !!Horse Camping!!



## rockinrobin4115 (May 28, 2007)

Hey everyone!

Please give me any and all thoughts, advice, tips, suggestions...on horse camping. 

We are taking a couple of horses about 2 hours north to a wonderful place to trail ride and we plan on staying overnight. I think we are ready and prepared, but just want your thoughts and advice on the subject as well in case we forgot anything.

Thanks!
Robin and Deva


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## Trails (Jan 28, 2009)

Horse camping is wonderful you'll have great time. The wife and I are doing the same this weekend as well. We'll be visiting Washington's high country and traveling down the Pacific Crest Trail. 

As far as as tips etc. I'll be presumptuous and offer THIS for lots of good tips on horse camping. 

Nine Tips for safe horse camping

How to set up a highline for securing your horse

Ways to stay safe in the saddle

Staying found


Have a great time and be safe!


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## rockinrobin4115 (May 28, 2007)

WOW! GREAT informative links - THANKS! I am so excited for our horse camping trip and trail riding adventures to come!!!


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Camping with my horses is regular activity for me. I did a lot of CTR early in my horse career. Since they judge you from when you arrive Friday afternoon until you leave on Sunday. Camping with the horse was part of the juding and I learned a lot.

You should be able to camp with your horses tied to the side of the trailer, to a highline, in a portable corral or forest service or ranchers permanent corral. We frequently sleep in the GN of the trailer. But depending on the time of year have set up smaller tents, large wall tents and some times just rolled the sleeping bags out under the stars.

My horses know how to hobble. I often turn them loose to graze in the morning and evening. I've learned that my horses will focus on eating for about 60 minutes. After that, they are looking to get into mischief. So as long as their heads are down eating, I let them graze, As soon as I see them looking around, I tye them back up. We often string a hot wire around a meadow to let the horses graze during the day. But we always highline at night. I don't like chasing horses back to the truck/trailer in the dark. I always keep one horse tied up. If I have to chase after the others, I don't want to do it on foot.

Here are two of my horses grazing while I cook breakfast.









I saw an old sheep rancher once, Who always carried a small nose bag of grain. He would turn his horse loose for lunch stops on every ride, When it was time to collect the horse, he shook the nose bag. He had trained his horses to come get their grain when lunch was over. He never had to go chase them. They always came to him.

Here some horse we hobbled during lunch. We turned them loose to graze with hobbles while we sat on a log and ate.










During the summer, there is usually enough natural grass for the horses to eat. But during the fall hunting season, I have to pack in hay cubes or pellets. Even if there is grass, I usually bring some hay or cubes to keep the horses occupied while they are tied up.


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## rockinrobin4115 (May 28, 2007)

wow, even more great info, thank you!

well we did it! trailered the horses 3 hours north to the horse camp, went for a nice evening ride (wasn't too impressed with the trails...) and tied them to the high line for the night. 

Deva did awesome, so did the other 3 horses. i was so happy we were able to experience this and things went so well, great training experience! 

we can't wait to do it again!!

peace and love to you all and all your horses!!
Robin and Deva


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## rockinrobin4115 (May 28, 2007)

beautiful pics by the way!! i really wish i had taken more than just a couple during our camping trip....oh well, next time i will!!


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## cloudy18 (Apr 29, 2008)

Where'd you go? Have you tried Tamarack trails near Danbury?

Saint Croix State Forest | Hinckley Minnesota Hikes | Trails.com

Went last week just for a day ride, but there is camping. VERY cool trails, narrow, water crossings, stairs built into hills, narrow bridges. The bridges were all low, but I guess somewhere there is a high one, but it has railings and is wider.


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## rtdonell (Apr 17, 2010)

I would love to go horse capming. BUT my riding partner is a woman friend. My *WIFE* does not ride. See my problem? LOL


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

My wife rarely rides with me. My daughters have been my riding buddies, But they are all gone or have school, band, jobs boys etc that distract them now days. So I've recruited a neighbor who likes to ride and camp.

My wife likes to travel. She tells me I need to see The great Pyramids of Egypt ( where she rode a camel, but she won't ride my horses at home) or the Colosium in Rome, or the Great Wall of China, or most recently the Sydney Opera house. I reply that instead of spending 18 hours sitting on a airplane to go eat strange food and suffer in the heat of foreign land, She needs to ride a horse to top of the Wind Rivers Wilderness and see Square Top mountain. Eat fresh caught trout, and enjoy the cool mountain air.

She may never go camping with me, But she doesn't complain when I go or if I take my daughters.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Painted Horse said:


> My wife likes to travel. She tells me I need to see The great Pyramids of Egypt ( where she rode a camel, but she won't ride my horses at home) or the Colosium in Rome, or the Great Wall of China, or most recently the Sydney Opera house.


I could see her point, IF I could actually go and see these things. But mostly what I see in those places are the backs of the heads of the twenty thousand or so other people trying to see the same thing :-(


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## Mingiz (Jan 29, 2009)

I have been horse camping for about 9 yrs now and love it. I started out in a tent now I have a LQ. Before I go I make a list of things that I need for me the horses and the trailer. I always carry a first aid kit either in the trailer or in my saddle bags...Main thing is be prepared for anything that can happen and keep a level head if it does. Most of all enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!! I mainly ride in MD & VA. A few pics for ya








Chesapeake Bay behind me My back yad


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Got my 20 year old daughter to join me this weekend. The 24th of July is a long weekend in Utah, so she had an extra day out of school. So we head for 9500 foot elevation, took our jackets and got out of the heat.









Doesn't that just look cool.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Seems as though we have two distinct definitions of "horse camping".

1) Load the horses into a trailer, possibly one with attached living quarters, drive to a campground somewhere and park, and ride the horses from there, returning at evening.

2) Load the camping gear on the horse(s), ride somewhere, and camp there.

I'd think there'd be a good bit of difference in planning & packing between the two, no?


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

We do both. Depends on the weekend. I don't have a LQ. This past weekend my daughter and her friend slept in a tent, I slept in the GN. All fall we pack in a wall tent, cots, wood buring stove etc. It's more comfortable than staying in the GN. I hate to pack that much stuff for an overnighter.


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