With the exception of trails and businesses closer to and accessible by the major metropolitan areas, we are experiencing a relative reduction in back country use, and thus the subsequent reduction in the need for outfitters services.The reasons are many. Top of the list is our country’s changing demographics mentioned in the last post. People are simply further removed from horses and the rural lifestyle. In addition, the back woods are far, hard to get to, not necessarily comfortable and easy, often far removed from cell phones and instant communication, and we’re less willing to go that route.
However… I, for one, am not throwing in the towel. Even if our outfitting business completely fades away, I so love my back country horse trips that I’ll continue to be out there as long as I can. Of course, I’ll keep trying to convince you to get out there, too. And I’ll also do my best to share important skills that will help make your trip safer and more enjoyable, hopefully make it more possible for you to give it a try.
So for those folks who are interested in a back country horseback trip now, you have two choices to start with. Go without an outfitter. Go with an outfitter.
There are plenty of advantages to both. I’m an outfitter, so I may be biased here in trying to convince you to use outfitting services. But I’m also practical, and it’s more important to me to know folks are heading out there, even on their own, so I’m glad to share some insight here.
Your first choice is going without an outfitter. The most obvious advantage would be, of course, saving money. In addition, going without could enable you and your partner or group more freedom and flexibility, as well as more peace and quiet.
I have heard a few stories about “bad” outfitters, and I don’t doubt they are out there, but I truly believe it’s the 2% rule. Most of us do this because we love to work with people and horses in the back country. It's more than our business. It's our life. (In the next post, I’ll discuss some ideas to consider in choosing an outfitter.)
However, going without an outfitter presents some problems: more work, more gear, no guarantee of experienced trail horses, more stock to manage, more decisions, more responsibility.
I don’t mean to scare you off. I mentioned earlier that the first pack trip I ever went on, I headed out having learned all I knew from a book, headed into uncharted territories, and had a group of teenage kids on horseback in tow, completely dependant on me. As you can guess, I learned a lot. Mostly, that it is all possible. You don’t have to be perfect when it comes to packing and camping in the back country. In fact, the more open you are things that just come up, flexibility, you know, the better. Horses are very forgiving. And so are outdoor experiences. It’s nice out there. It’s a lot harder than you may think to go really wrong!