Camp meals and menu

Now is the heart of winter. We are snowed in. The horses plow through three feet of snow, or remain confined to their trenches and packed trails. More and more time is spent within the comfort of their sheds. The days of running free and wild have been snowed over for a while. Their winter has begun; they slow down and retreat in turn, accepting the powerful confines of the season.

With all this snow, it is challenging, perhaps unnatural, for me to turn my mind back to summer, back to warmer days, green grass, and open mountain passes. But reminiscence of summer and the ensuing pack trips is both a fond memory and a positive aspiration.

So, return with me, or look ahead, now to the high mountain, back country horse pack trip. We’re out there with our horses; the horses are hobbled or picketed and contentedly grazing. Camp is set, ready for a comfortable night stay. The saddles are covered, a small camp fire is built, and water is hauled from the creek. Now, we turn our attention to feeding ourselves, to the camp meals and menus.

I’d like to share some our simple menus that we’ve served for guests on pack trips, or made just for ourselves when out at camp.

My rule of thumb is to keep food as simple as possible, but make sure we have plenty of it. Balanced meals, nutrition, liquid intake, simplicity of preparation, storing foods, keeping foods fresh – all of these are taken into consideration. Most important, we want a meal that tastes good. The point of the meal is to nourish and satisfy both body and soul.

Our outfitting business has chosen not to cater to those requiring four-star, gourmet meals. We’re wilderness outfitters. We ride horses, sleep in tents, and get dirty. Save the fanciest meals for back home or in some resort where someone else is doing the dishes. As long it is just the three of us doing the work together as a team, there are some things for which I draw the line. Preparing a meal that would require me to stay back at camp, spend my day cooking instead of being out there riding, is not an option. Me, I’d rather ride. And even after a long hard day in the saddle, I can pretty well guarantee a good, hearty campfire cooked meal that has yet to leave a guest dissatisfied.

Keeping it simple for me means a one-pot meal whenever possible. It means preparing a good deal of food ahead of time at home – probably not complete meals that have been cooked and frozen, but at least side dishes, accompaniments, or the better part of the preparations. You can scramble and season your eggs, chop your veggies, and grate your cheese - all well ahead of time, then store in a ziplock bag and freeze. All of this not only saves on cooking, but on clean up.

Keeping it simple means a good, hearty camp fare, and plenty of it. No one should go hungry. And keeping it simple means allowing yourself time to enjoy the company, the horses, the view, and the mountains. That, my friends, is why we’re out there.

Prepare at home well in advance. Make your menu. Make your list of ingredients. Get your ingredients together in the most efficient packaging. Freeze foods well in advance so that they remain frozen for longer.

Practice at home first. If you’re planning on using a camp stove, become familiar with its set up and operations. If it’s your first time cooking over a wood fire and hot coals, not charcoal briquettes (unless, of course, you choose to pack in a bag of briquettes, too?), build a fire pit in your back yard, or visit a designated camp site first to learn the ropes. Burnt food, or food left raw or doughy, is a bummer when you’re down right starved. If you’re planning on using a dutch oven, try it at home first. Learning when you’re tired and hungry is not recommended.

A few things I keep in mind when planning a menu:

1. Simplicity. I can’t state this one enough.
2. Variety and good taste. Might as well enjoy it, and we do.
3. Nutrition. The better you eat, the better you feel, and that is of upmost importance when your body is working as hard as it is packing in the high country. Consider well balanced, complete meals, with adequate fruits and vegetables, not just meat and potatoes. This is not the time and place to diet, though be sure you know any specific dietary needs or preferences for all folks you’ll be cooking for.
4. Hydration. This is a factor, perhaps more so in the high country, but for any intense physical activity, which horse camping is. Encourage beverages at every meal, and make sure there is always fresh, clean drinking water available to refill a cup or water bottle.
5. Quantity. Not only considering the quantity of people you’ll be cooking for, but making sure there is enough for all. Consider the caloric intake. Better to have to deal with left-overs and table scraps than to make anyone go hungry out there. Snack. Always have food available, be it at camp, or on the trail in your saddle bags, horn bags, or pockets.
6. Time. How long will you be out? How many days and how many meals will you need to plan? How long will you be able to safely provide fresh and frozen foods, and at what point would you be safer relying on canned, dehydrated or preserved?

When I am horse camping alone, my hands are full with setting up camp, caring for the horses, and riding all day long. For practical reasons, I keep the food as simple as possible. I have resorted to those instant “backpacker” meals in a bag where all I had to do was add hot water and wait. The packages were designed for two persons. I can eat the better part of the whole thing. No way would one of those have been enough for two persons. Adequate caloric intake is important. If there is one thing I need to work on for solitary eating habits, it’s trying to make sure I get enough.

When it is just our family of three I am cooking for at horse camp, I’m willing and able to take a little more time for preparing meals, and I am far better at allowing myself more time to sit down to enjoy the meal. We’ll sit around the camp fire long after our plates have been scraped clean, just enjoying the mountain and each others company.

When I am cooking for a group, I spend more time preparing, and less time kicking back. Cooking over the fire, which is the center of attention to any camp, I can still manage to enjoy the stories and conversations just the same. However, with a group, somehow, it always ends up being more prep, more cooking, more clean-up, more dishes, and just plain more work. Unless you have (or are) a designated camp cook who remains back at camp cooking, cleaning and tending to any stock left behind, remember my advice from the last post: If you are camping with a group, share the load. Enjoy it all together.

Here is a sample menu for a five day pack trip.


Day 1

Breakfast: Not provided

Lunch: To be prepared and packed at the Ranch before saddling up and heading out. Set out all the fixings for beef and bean burritos. Each person can make their own, wrap them up well in foil and pack them in a paper sack, along with a few homemade cookies and fresh fruit. Lunches will be packed on each individual’s riding horse.

Dinner: Cream of broccoli cheddar soup (the packaged soups made by Bear Creek are my favorites), steaks cooked over the fire, baked potatoes (pre-cooked, warmed in foil in hot coals), Caesar salad and fresh bread (made ahead of time, wrapped in foil and gently warmed over the coals). Chocolate cake (made ahead of time at home) for dessert.


Day 2

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with ham and cheddar cheese (eggs can be stored scrambled, seasoned and frozen in ziplock bags, or carefully pack cardboard cartons and bring along the real thing), cinnamon rolls (made ahead, wrapped in foil, and gently warmed in a dutch oven or over hot coals), fresh melon.

Lunch: To be prepared and packed at base camp for consumption during the days ride. Sandwiches and snacks may include: pb&j, lunch meat or salami, jerky, cheese, crackers, fruit, cookies, chocolates.

Dinner: Black bean soup, chicken fajitas with fresh veggies (chopped and marinated back home), tortillas and/or cornbread (baked ahead). Peach cobbler or blueberry crisp (made with canned fruit and baked in a dutch oven at camp) for dessert.


Day 3

Breakfast: Green chili stew (made ahead and frozen), fried eggs, tortillas, canned fruit.

Lunch: To be prepared and packed at base camp for consumption during the days ride. Sandwiches and snacks may include: pb&j, lunch meat or salami, jerky, cheese, crackers, fruit, cookies, chocolates.

Dinner: Minestrone soup, Buffalo Burgers with all the fixings, potato chips, salad. Cheesecake w/fruit topping for dessert (made at camp with an instant boxed mix and canned fruit).


Day 4

Breakfast: Veggie and cheese omelet, spice cake (made ahead of time), bacon, canned fruit.

Lunch: To be prepared and packed at base camp for consumption during the days ride. Sandwiches and snacks may include: pb&j, lunch meat or salami, jerky, cheese, crackers, fruit, cookies, chocolates.

Dinner: Split pea soup, BBQ shredded pork (made ahead and frozen), cole slaw (chopped and prepared at camp), rolls (made ahead, wrapped in foil, and carefully warmed over hot coals. Blond brownies and bourbon balls (both made ahead) for dessert.


Day 5

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, sausage gravy (easy to make at camp, though I have also made ahead and brought frozen), biscuits (the canned ones don’t do well in elevation, but any instant mix baked in a dutch over is a good bet), canned fruit.

Lunch: To be prepared and packed at camp for consumption during the trip back to the Ranch. Sandwiches and snacks may include: pb&j, lunch meat or salami, jerky, cheese, crackers, fruit, cookies, chocolates.


In addition/all days

Beverages: At each meal at camp, I boil up a pot of cowboy coffee and have a pot of water on for anyone wanting hot chocolate or tea. I also put out fixings for tang, Gatorade and/or lemonade. A little flavor to the water may encourage folks (especially kids) to drink more.

Snacks: I like to have a grab bag (usually a large plastic container) available for each person able to dig into at will in order to refill their pockets and saddle bags or munch on while at camp, which includes: crackers with cheese, trail mix, individually wrapped chocolates, jerky, dried fruit, fresh fruit, granola bars, hard candies, and my personal favorites, smokehouse almonds and peanut M&Ms.

The Camp Kitchen

Cooking at camp.

For some, the best part of being “out there” is the food. It’s up there on my list, however the riding, nature and camaraderie with my family and horses still comes first. Then perhaps the food. Why? We eat the simplest of fare, and truly make a point to keep it all as effortless and unfussy as possible. But somehow, even the most modest of meals tastes so good…

Everything tastes better out there, sitting around a campfire, after a long day of riding. And old camp cook I once met told me her secret to camp cooking: ride them an hour longer. Exhaustion makes everything taste better.

Maybe it’s the exhaustion, the elevation, or the feeling of contentment after a great day of riding. Maybe it’s the view, the fresh mountain air, the enjoyment of being out there with good friends or family, or the smell of the wafting wood smoke and fresh spruce bows. I think it is somehow a combination of all these things. Stirred together to make one wonderful, memorable – but simple – meal!

As you may have guessed by now, keeping it simple is my top priority. Just about anything tastes good out there, as long as we have plenty of it. I’m more likely to enjoy a elaborate feast and gourmet fixings when I’m home and well rested. Out there, fancy fare fine, but so is a pot of stew and tortillas. Unless we have had to cater to demanding guests, our trips are about the riding, and being out there. I’m fine saving the 4-star fare for nights back home. I guess we’re easy to please, but when it’s just the three of us at camp, we’re happy with any good hot rich meal on our lap, a sunset before us, the crackle of the fire, the snorting of contented horses grazing nearby, and the distant hum of the creek. What more could I ask for?

Being the camp cook, of course, has a large impact on my choices. I’m out there riding or working all day. I’m not a camp cook to sit around biding time before preparing the next meal, and waiting for the troops to come to the fire. When it’s time to eat, I’m as tired and hungry as the next person. But first, I make sure the horses are cared for. I can’t kick back and enjoy my meal unless I’m certain my stock is well cared for and enjoying their own meal.

So what is the secret to camp cooking if it’s not in fancy fare? For me, it all starts with preparations at home. The more I can do ahead of time, the less I have to out there, when I’d rather be riding or enjoying the view. Planning menus, packing in an organized fashion, making sure all the pots, pans and stuff I need for cooking is well arranged and easily accessible, keeping the kitchen easy to maintain, and even cooking meals ahead of time. As well as keeping the menu straightforward and uncomplicated, the camp kitchen should be kept simple, organized, clean and tidy. Laying it all out and organizing at home first is the place to start, not when you’re out in the mountains, cold and tired and hungry, it’s getting dark, and you don’t know what to do for dinner.

Gear.
A camp kitchen can be as minimal as a small pit campfire or single burner backpacker style propane stove. Or as elaborate as our aluminum pack saddle “instant” kitchen. Alone, or just the three of us for an over night or two, we’re happy with a log before the fire and a folding metal grate over the embers to cook on. For an extended stay or a client pack trip, we’ll string up a tarp and create a designated cooking area. The fancier and/or cold weather operations may opt for a wall tent with a wood stove, tables and chairs.

No matter what your wants and needs for the kitchen set up, your gear will often be the same. And organization of that gear is always a good idea. No sense in rummaging about camp in search of a spoon when that soup is boiling over. Keep it clean, close and organized. I like to use those travel toiletry organization bags. Mesh pockets to hold everything in place and make it easy for me to find things. A few of them will serve our needs. They can be hung from a tent or tree to keep everything easily accessible and in plain sight. Alone or for just a quick trip, I can fit all our gear in one medium sized bag. When heading out for an extended trip or with guests, I’ll take a few bags: one for instant cooking/kitchen needs, one for kitchen/camp clean up needs, one for personal clean up (handi wipes, hand sanitizer, sun block, TP, etc), and one for first aid. All can be hung and found around the designated camp kitchen

Following is a list of gear I make sure I include in our camp kitchen supplies:
___ Kitchen tarp and rope/string for hanging (optional)
___ Matches and fire starter (know the regulations for campfires in your area before heading out)
___ Trash bags (if you packed it in, pack it out!)
___ Kitchen utensils - knife, spoon, spatula, can opener, cutting board (look over your menu and make sure you have what it takes to prepare the food accordingly at camp)
___ Pots & pans
___ Coffee pot
___ Eating utensils - plates, bowls, cups, silverware for each
___ Dish cloths, soap, steel wool, paper towels, drying bag
___ Food, in accordance with pre-planned menu
___ Extra condiments, salt, cooking oil, tub margarine, ketchup, etc. (forgetting the cooking oil is about the worst…)
___ Water filter(s) and/or water purification system for use at camp
___ Extra water containers for boiled or filtered drinking water
___ Water buckets for getting water from creek
___ Camp shovel and lightweight ax (for preparing ground and wood for fire)
___ Lightweight campfire grill (if fires are permitted)
___ Pothook frame and hook for cooking over campfire (optional)
___ Camp stove, fuel bottle
___ Lightweight cord and string for use around kitchen (used for clothesline, hanging tarps or food bag, etc.)
___ Flashlights, camp lantern (optional)
___ Camp table, chairs and table cloth (optional)

Packing.

Once your menu is figured, your packing list prepared, and your gear gathered, then it’s time to pack. Pack ahead of time, so if food needs freezing, you’ll have plenty of time to get it frozen. Keep lists of last minute things that will need to be packed. I save packing the coolers for last. And if lists need to be revised, you will be able to check and double check.

Organize the gear, then the food according to dates and meals. Stick to your menu and keep track of the ingredients and gear you’ll need for that menu. Label everything. Wrap stuff well. I use newspaper, which can later be used for starting fire, or spare dish cloths, or plastic bags, which will then serve as our trash bags, for wrapping fragile items. Careful of shaking and breaking. Remember, this stuff is going on a horse… Food is packed into cardboard boxes and a cooler or two. (Extra precautions may be necessary for bear-proof food containers in busy bear country.) Boxes are then duct-taped closed then labelled. Take extra care in packing items that are fragile, breakable if dropped or shaken, and items that may rattle. All items must be safe and secure, as each pack should be sound and silent for the well being of the pack horse (and packer). Consider packing important items in trash bags or ziplock bags that can be re-used at camp, in order to keep these items water proof

To help keep food fresh and cold, consider freezing ahead of time. This can work great for complete meals prepared ahead of time, and for scrambled eggs ready to cook. Pack cold items well, wrapped in newspaper and labeled. Pack your cooler practically: food for the first meal is on top, and work your way down to the last items you’ll need. Leaving that cooler open to fish around for food wastes precious cold time. To keep food cold at camp for extended trips, consider using a nearby cold creek or snow if available near camp. If not, make sure you keep your cooler in the shade, and consider covering the cooler with a wet rag. The evaporation from the rag helps keeps the cooler colder. Don’t forget too, you may not need a cooler at all. Consider packing backpackers meals, dehydrated or canned foods. Chances are you’ll survive quite well without gourmet fresh fare for a day or two.

Procedure.

At camp, when it comes to cooking, just like when it comes to eating, everyone should pitch in. Even if you’d rather cook alone (to keep from crowding the kitchen with too many cooks), other folks can pitch in and help out by gathering fire wood, stoking the fire, chopping vegetables, hauling water – or even making sure the horses are well tended to so this cook can focus on the people food.

Forget something? Get creative or get over it. You can always make due. I remember the story of one trip where the group stayed an extra day or two, ran out of planned meals, and made due just fine with peanut butter and hot chocolate. They returned home just thrilled to have had the chance to be out there even longer than planned. (Of course, everyone back home was more than a little worried…)

I can’t say we like to rough it that much. But truth is, I always pack way more food than we could possibly consume, just in case. And if we ever decide to – by choice or necessity – stay out an extra day, I know we’ll always find plenty to make do.

Clean up.

Ideally, everyone does their own. It's easy to keep track of your cups (you can label them for a crowd) so you're not stuck doing the dishes instead of doing better things... While cooking or eating, I put a big pot of water on the fire. For trips with guests and for recommended water purification procedures, even wash water should be boiled first. I can’t say I do this on solitary or family trips. Once heated and after the meal, the water is divided into two pots – one for washing, the other for rinsing. Use biodegradable soap. Wash water is dumped far away from the creek and far enough away from camp (even farther in busy bear country). Keep your creek or water source clean. Don’t wash or rinse in or near it. Extra dish towels or even a large mesh bag used for hanging dishes to dry, all come in handy to keep cleaned dishes clean. Food scraps should be kept to a minimum with proper planning. If you do end up with scraps, consider feeding them to your dog (that works for us!) or scraping plates into the fire. Feeding wildlife is obviously not encouraged.

Next week, I’ll share some our simple menus that we’ve served for guests on pack trips, or made just for ourselves when out at camp.

Tricks of the trade: Tying to the highline

Out on a pack trip, the highline serves as the barn for the night for our horses. The longer we stay at any one given camp, the more the horses learn to find a comfort zone by the highline. Although riding or pastured during the day when at camp, even hobbled horses have been known to hop back up hill and stand in the trees under “their” place in the highline when frightened, for protection from a sudden rain or hail storm, or just to rest when their bellies are full.

The highline can be as simple as the lash rope when removed from around the pack saddle, stretched between two trees with the cinch used as a handy tree saver; or a specialty rope like we tend to use now which is plenty long, perhaps 70 or 75 feet long, with metal rings to tie to, woven into the rope at about 10 foot intervals for a safe distance between horses.

A simple option is a long 75’ or longer climbing rope that can be packed last – then unpacked first when at camp. Using old cinches or proper tree savers, secure the rope between two large, sturdy trees, a minimum of 10 inch diameter. The rope should hang high; at the lowest point in the center, it should be about as high as you can reach with your arms over your head. I usually have to jump up to catch the rings of the highline when tying up horses at night. My boys are much taller than I am…

Now, here’s a handy trick I read about years ago and have used from time to time throughout the years. Cut short sections of ¼ inch diameter rope (I use climbing or marine rope), each about two feet long. Burn the ends to seal, then tie the ends into a slip proof knot so that you have a loop about 10 inches long. Make several of these – one for each horse. Then when you’re at camp, each of these will be the “ring” onto which you tie the horses’ lead rope to the highline. If you loop these over the highline, then pull the backside through the itself (see the photo above – it’s really so simple) you’ll end up with a slip proof ring onto which you can tie your horse’s lead, and not worry about the lead rope (and the horse) zipping back and forth on the highline all night, and getting too close for comfort to the horse next door.

To tie the lead rope onto these or the metal rings of the highlines, fold over the last 2 feet of lead rope, pass this folded section through the ring on the highline, grab the folded end as it comes halfway through the ring. In the same hand, also grab the end of the lead rope which is hanging loose on the opposite side of the ring from the folded end. With your other hand, turn back a section of the lead rope coming down from the ring and attached to your horse (caution here to keep fingers out the way!) and make a little loop. Drop the folded end and the loose end through this loop. Adjust your slack and tighten from the length of rope leading back down to the horse. There should be enough slack in the line so that the horse’s head is not held up high, but not so much that he or she can take several steps to the side and possibly kick the neighbor.

The photo above has the white marine rope at the top representing the highline. The yellow striped rope shows the simple but secure "rings" attaching to the highline. Then the white marine rope at the bottom shows how the horse’s lead rope is attached to the highline ring.

This is a great knot because it is so quick and easy to tie up, only one of our horses knows how to untie this knot (he can untie most any knot), and no matter how the horse may pull back, it is a breeze to untie by simply pushing up with the section of rope which leads back to the horse, thereby relaxing the loop and allowing the folded end and loose end to slip out. We use this same knot to tie together our pack string – securing one pack horse’s lead rope to the pigging strings on the pack saddle of pack horse in front.

Part IX in the series on Horse Packing How-To: Setting up camp

The first tid bit of advice, coming from my recent experience of doing it alone: work together! Share the work load!

Usually, it’s the three of us (my husband, son, and self) and we all take our respective jobs. It is pretty much the same when just the three of us are out there, or if we have a group of clients we are taking on a pack trip. After unsaddling and turning out the horses, a job which always comes first, the next order of business tends to be to string up a large tarp. The tarp is double duty – it serves as a mantie or cover for the panniers on the pack saddle as well. At camp, the tarp will serve as “camp kitchen,” and sometimes, all we need for sleeping quarters. In stormy weather, it’s a good place to unpack the panniers and sort out the camp supplies, keeping gear (and yourself) relatively dry.

Our two quickest methods for hanging the tarp: One is by stringing a lash rope from one tree to another, using the cinches for tree savers. Run the tarp length wise, centered across the rope, then string out and down all four corners to neighboring trees or to stakes in the ground, creating an instant gable shaped roof line. Method two is stretching and tying off diagonally opposite corners to trees, up high enough to make a comfortable and workable ridge line, then tying off the two other opposite corners to stakes in the ground. This way is fast and easy, though your tarp may not be as high. Even works quite well for one person, as I learned recently.

After the tarp shelter is secured, then the other assorted tasks can be delegated. One of us gathers wood and water, digs a fire pit, starts the fire, and purifies water if need be. One of us sets up the tent, if we are using one, or lays out the sleeping pads and bags and pulls out camp chairs (a great luxury and one of the finest reasons for selecting horse camping instead of back packing!). And one of us unpacks the groceries and starts the meal. I can pretty well guarantee by this time, we’re hungry and tired.

As a single camper, this can seem like quite a lot of work after a day in the saddle, as I learned. However, when we work together, like with so many things in life, we make light work of it. It’s just one small “chore” for each of us, and a good way to stretch out after a day horseback.

And before you know it, camp is set, we’re sitting comfortably by the warm fire, eating a good meal, and enjoying the incomparable view of the wilds in the evening in the high country.

Obstacles along the trail

I learned the hard way about solo horse packing. However, the best thing I learned was that it’s really not so hard.

The biggest obstacle is, of course, fear.

Fear of runaways. What if my horses leave me, run for home, and I get stranded out miles from a road on a trail I probably won’t see anyone on for a day or so? What I found out was that after the first night of being tied up next to my tent and being let out to graze at first light, just the two of them quietly eating next to me sitting on a log with my hot coffee in hand, was that only through trials and traumas like this do we really bond. My horses were there with me, in body and mind. Perhaps it was survival. They were going to stick with me. By the second night, in a new camp, I allowed one to graze untethered. When he became frightened, he ran back to me. I learned to trust them. They were trusting me.

Fear of bears. Probably the most common question folks ask. And truth be known, I slept with a weapon by my sleeping bag, just because of the fears others have instilled in me with these questions. Around these parts, a loud noise (and I can be loud) is enough to scare a bear away. I have done that. I have lived in bear country for years, know how rare they choose a human confrontation, and have even chased a bear away by myself. I should know better than to be afraid of wildlife. Respectful and understanding, yes. Paranoid, no thank you.

Fear of being lonely or bored. Well, I’m a solitary sort. I don’t know if I’ve been bored for more than a fleeting moment in my entire adult life. And loneliness is a state of mind. Alone need not be lonely. I had a loving husband and son back home. That is a security blanket to wrap around any time loneliness may poke its ugly face in the “alone” picture. In the meanwhile, I cherish time alone. And besides: when you’re with horses, you are never alone.

Fear of getting lost. Perhaps this could be a true fear if I was in unknown territory. But I had been on this trail twice in my life. It was not entirely new. More important, I know these mountains well enough from years of working and exploring with my boys. And most important, after spending enough time off the beaten trail with my husband and son, I’ve learned enough about survival that “lost” I suppose is a “more or less” deal, kind of like alone/loneliness. Taking an alternate or indirect route might be a better way to call it. But lost? By now I better be able to find my way around. I suppose this is where preparation, planning, and experience come in. Believe me, I’m not trying to brag here. My experience is still minimal compared to many. But I was not heading out unprepared. I knew what I was doing, and where I was going. More or less.

Fear of people. The stereotypical back country crazy man? My fear of people is tested enough back home with my neighbors. On the trail, however, folks are pretty awesome and friendly. As a rule, I stop and talk to everyone I see. There are some neat folks out there. I try to be “an ambassador for the sport” at each opportunity which arises. I think we all should be. However, the opportunity didn’t arise much. I ran into one man on a motorbike on the first day, and a couple backpacking on the third day. They were, as I expected, great encounters.

Now, what did turn out to be the hardest part above and beyond the fear in my own mind was the physical work. Doing the work that I am used to sharing with three: me, my husband, and our son. Going alone in this respect was HARD. Setting up and breaking down camp, lifting the load on the pack horse, lashing down the load alone, preparing meals and cleaning, gathering water... Riding was easy. This other stuff was hard. I learned a few tricks, and a few things I’d do different next time. First, I want a small pack horse! My days of lifting a fully loaded pannier onto a 15.2 hand horse are OVER. Well, truly, I don’t think I could ever lift 60 pounds alone that high. So, I have these fantasies of a couple of little horses or mules… no more than 13 hands high. In the meanwhile, I learned I could load just a fraction of the panniers first. Then lift that small load on the pack saddle. And then stuff the rest of my load into the panniers in place on the saddle, standing on my tippie toes, or on a stump or rock if available. I didn’t bring a scale, but weighed my contents before leaving the ranch, and kept track of what went in each pannier. I actually kept a list, and this worked well for repacking evenly each time.

Setting up and breaking down camp, including pitching tent, stringing up a tarp, gathering fire wood and water, covering the saddles and gear, etc. took one hour in the evening and one hour in the morning. I reckon next time I’d try an easier tent. Simplify! But I don’t know how to save much time there… except share the work load!

And tending the horses takes about a total of ½ hour in the evening and ½ hour in the morning. I wouldn’t skimp on their care. As they’d graze in the evening, I’d brush them out and double check for any wounds or sores (of which there were none). My one mistake here was that I didn’t pack them any treats. There is plenty of good high mountain grass out there; they did not go hungry. But the extra treat also represents extra care and loving, and my horses would have appreciated that. Goodness knows they deserved it.

See? It was not so hard, and will be even easier… next time!

Going alone

I don’t know why I did it, except for some ceaseless, burning voice inside me, whispering, almost nagging like the wind that I had to go.

In part, I did it for myself. In part for my son. In part for my husband. And a part for anyone else who might be intrigued or inspired by what some middle aged woman born in Jersey might do after living in the wide open wild mountains this long.

It was not a big deal, not a long trip. I planned on four days and three nights. I completed it in three days, two nights. And during that short time, I accomplished all I set out to do. I had all the adventure I set out to find. I achieved all the goals I made for myself. And by returning early, showed my husband and son how important they are to me. Brownie points.

It was certainly not about getting away from them. It was just about proving I could do it myself. All by myself. Something I used to always feel I could do before I got married (that was later in life – I was 35). Something I used to feel before my “little boy” surpassed me in height. Now six feet tall and still growing, I surprise myself to hear how often I ask him to help; how regularly I leave the hard, high, heavy work for him to handle; how much I turn to him now when chances are, I could do it myself.

And then there is the issue of proving oneself. To oneself, to ones family. Not so much to prove strength, ability, independence. No, it is far more than that. More important, I feel, was that I wanted to prove to my son that with proper preparation combined with confidence in ones self, a hunger for adventure, and a trust in faith, in whatever direction ones faith may follow… that one can do anything. We can go anywhere. We can be anything we want. Even some crazy woman’s version of Jeremiah Johnson, just for a few days.

My faith is in my horses. My mountain. My boys. My self, including body and mind strong enough to get me through alone. Mother Earth and her wilds, her wildlife. This is my temple. And so, in a way, I set off to a sanctuary, both within and around me.

It was just a pack trip, a solitary journey covering 40 miles in the mountains we call our Big Back Yard. A distance my boys could cover within hours on motor bike or snowmobile (if allowed into the Wilderness…). A horseshoe shaped path around our ranch. Just me, my riding horse, and my pack horse.

No big deal, I suppose. Yet I feel bigger for it. I feel as if I climbed my own Everest. That’s nothing I’ve wanted to do, but this, a solitary pack trip, was. And I did it.

I tell my husband we can not wait for change. We have to create it. If it comes unannounced, we learn to ride the waves. But in the meanwhile, instead of sitting back on the shore and waiting for the big one, we can dive in and enjoy. Change is all around us, with every ebb and flow. It is what helps us see the magnificence in the sun rise, the beauty in the evening light, the joy in every day, as every day is new, and we too are as new as the hour. If we let ourselves. If we remind ourselves. And sometimes, if we challenge ourselves.

Part VIII in the series on How To Horse Pack: Arriving at Camp

This may not seem like much of a topic, but after remembering how stressed I’d be on the trail, right before arriving at camp, thinking about how to handle who and what first and how… I’ll hope I’m not the only one who might have appreciated a little advice on what you do when you get to the camp site.

It’s this very reason that I’ve envied back packers (mind you, however, I am an avid and true blue horse packer). They arrive at camp, drop the load from their back, and sit back and rest a while. Then lay out their tent or bivy sack, heat up the water for their dehydrated dinner, and call it quits. OK, I don’t know if this makes up for the burden of carrying 70 pounds on your human back all day, but it’s the compromise. We horse packers don’t have the load, but once we get there, the work is far from over. (Oh, and in further defense of the horse packer – yes, you can tell I’ve been in this debate more than a few times – “sitting in the saddle” all day is far more than just sitting… Let me know what you think after you’ve spent 5 hours or so in the saddle in the mountains one day.)

So, what do we do when we arrive at camp?

Well, first of all, the horse comes first. And usually we have a few horses to care for. So, there’s work to be done.

When we arrive at a location we plan to set up camp, the horses need not be too close to camp. Remember, once they stop and relax, they’re more than likely to be needing to relieve themselves (probably the rider will be too), but no one needs that where you’ll be pitching your tent. We find a group of trees just far enough away from where we’ll be setting up camp that it’s easy to lead over the pack horses one at a time to unload, but odors will not be offensive.

Usually by the time we reach camp, the horses are tired and hungry (once again, probably the rider will be too). I stop, drop the lead rope of the pack string, drop the reins of my riding horse, and chances are more than likely that they’ll all do nothing more than lower their heads and begin to eat. As a probably obvious tip here, make sure you stop in a grassy location. The horses are more interested in eating and resting than running off. This gives me time to dismount, remove my horse’s headstall, hang it over the saddle horn, and clip on his lead rope; then take off my hat and chaps, which I usually just hang over my saddle; and untie the pack string.

Bringing the stallion to camp adds a little extra caution. I’ll drop his reins and let him graze, only long enough to remove his bridle, and clip on a long lead rope which I can picket to a stump or rock or bush if need be, to keep him at a safe distance from fighting with the other horses. But since he’s a skinny boy, I’d like him to be grazing as much as possible when he’s not working. You can use this trick if you have a horse that fights, bites, kicks, or runs off.

Then, each pack horse is led over closer to camp, and their load is lifted, unloaded under a big tree in a neat pile. Sometimes not so neat. But it’s all there. All the fixings for setting up camp in one big pile. We can take care of all that later. First, the horses. One by one, the horses are led over to a good sized fallen tree (in our neck of the woods, these are plentiful) that works as a great saddle rack. There, each horse is unsaddle, inspected for chafing, wound or saddle sores, briefly curried, and sprayed with fly spray if need be.

After each horse in unsaddled, they can either be tied to trees (high and tight) for a short period of time if this is permissible in your location, or better yet, set up your highline with tree savers (or cinches) right from the get go, and tie the horses safely up there.

The saddles are left uncovered to air out if it’s not raining, but we don’t forget to cover them before night fall, throwing one of the pack tarps over them to protect them from rain or snow, frost or dew.

After the last horse is unsaddled and tied up, we usually leave the horses tied and resting while we address the unpacking of the panniers and the setting up of camp. A little bit of down time for them won’t hurt, though we know what they really want is GRASS.

So, after camp is set and our personal belongings are all in order, before we can sit down and relax (or eat… and I’m usually pretty hungry by now, so keep those snacks handy), the horses have to be turned out to graze. I’ve address how we do this in a previous post.

When the horses are all turned out and grazing, and all stock seem well and fine, and the camp is set… then and only then can we sit and relax. But since we didn’t have to limit our gear to what we carry on our human back, and had our horses help instead, chances are we packed a chair, and now we’re sittin’ pretty!

Part VII in the series on Horse Packing How-To: On the trail

As we head out again to the high country with our horses, this is the season to be amassing notes, photos, information and ideas to share with you at a later date and a slower time. And stories, including Floyd Stories… Ah, the ebb and flow of life. It’s flowing now. Lots of fun, and never enough time to do all we wish to accomplish on any given day. A good feeling, to have so much you want to do, you enjoy doing, you wish you could do…

In the meanwhile, a brief set of notes to share with you on horse packing. These on the actual how-to on the trail.

First of all, it sure helps if your riding horse or mule neck reins and doesn’t mind a rope under the tail. Most horses (and almost all mules) are surprisingly undisturbed by a rope rubbing under their back end and will completely ignore this, or perhaps clamp down their tail briefly. I don’t think I would like it much, so the few that do over react, and a few will, I give them time; they’ll accept it eventually.

Next, if you are leading more than one horse or mule in a pack string, take care to tie them together safely. We use a “pigging string,” a piece of bailing twine looped over the front brace of the cross bars in the pack saddle before packing the horse, and hanging out the back end of the pack over the horses rigging along their back. The lead rope of the following horse is then tied onto the pigging string. (This works well too for leading a group of saddle horses – just loop the pigging string over and under the saddle horn and be sure the cinches are tight.)

The pigging string serves as a release point in an emergency, such as a horse slipping down trail. Better to allow a break point than lose your whole string. The horse’s safety matters to me. I figure I have no right being out there working with my stock if I can’t care for them in a safe and sound manner. Pack extra bailing twine. It can snap en route. Replace it as needed. Anyway, you all know how many other uses you’ll find for string in camp if you don’t use it all getting into camp…

We tend to tie the lead rope on long enough that the following horses can put their head down to drink at creek crossings if need be. We’re often out there for long hours, and our stock work hard. For short trips, you may consider tying shorter – not so close that the horse will ride up on the horse in front, but not so long that the horse can put his head down and graze as he moseys down the trail.

Finally, the most important part is caring for your stock on the trail. I once read that a truly good packer rides looking backwards half the time. I strive to do this. I try to gently hold my riding horse up as needed at creek crossings, bridges, rocks, and other obstacles in the trail. Make sure the string all find their footing and safely cross. Keep an eye on the stock to make sure they are not being dragged along or pulling back, and that they are staying in line. The order of your stock in the pack string is essential. A bossier horse will work great in the lead to keep others in line behind, unless he or she kicks, then that one needs to be at the end of the line… unless he or she bites. Get to know your stock. Find the order that works best for them. Allow them to be happy and comfortable. I don’t want my horses grumbling and uncomfortable in the pack string. It is work, but not a bad job. They more content the stock is doing their job, the easier my job is, of course.

Part VI in the series on Horse Packing How-To: Packing the Load

There are a lot of adjustments to the pack saddle rigging. Spend the time to properly fix and place each strap for the most comfortable fit for your horse. The only tight fit should be with both cinches. The breast collar and crupper should be comfortable – not tight, but not so loose it hangs and rubs. Keep a good eye on your stock, especially the first few trips. Our goal is always to have our stock arrive home after a trip without rubbing, scarring or chaffing.

Like I mentioned in an earlier Floyd Story, you can over tighten the load and have a very uncomfortable horse. As with a good rider that can safely ride with a loose cinch by adjusting his or her body weight, what’s more important that a super-tight cinch is the equally balanced loads.

So, that’s where we’ll begin. Before packing the load, you need to sort and weigh the load. I can’t stress the importance of this step enough. Your goal is for equal weight and bulk on each side of the horse. Really equal. “Sort of” is not good enough. We use soft sided canvas or iron cloth panniers, and choose the gear to fit in each so that each pannier ends up approximately the same size, and definitely the same weight. Each pannier is weighed on a hanging scale (hanging from a rope in our barn or packing area at home, or from a tree limb or strong human packer at camp), and adjusted accordingly. Our goal is to be exactly equal. We will settle for no more than a pound difference. This may sound crazy, but we’ll throw in a rock to balance the load. I believe it is that important. Otherwise, you’re relying on the tightness of the lash ropes and cinches, and I don’t think my horse needs anything strapped on that tightly.

As for maximum weight, a common question asked by our clients each year, it all depends on your stock, your trails, and how far you’ll be going. We don’t overload our stock. We start at 10,000 feet elevation and go up from there on some very challenging, steep and rocky high mountain trails. I don’t need to kill my horse, or even have him wiped out or injured, for anyone’s load. We average our max load at 125 or 150 total weight per horse. That means that 125 or 150 pounds has to be evenly divided between the two panniers and the top load. (I do not include the saddle and rigging in this figure.) That ends up being plenty of weight and bulk, dead weight, mind you, for our stock to climb up these mountain trails.

To pack the load on the horse, we work as team, one of us holding the horse and reaching over to adjust the straps, as the other one lifts the panniers up onto the pack saddle rigging. When the panniers and top load are in place, a mantee or folded tarp is laid over the load. The load is then secured with the lash rope and cinch.

I imagine every packer has his or her own favorite way to secure the load. We stick with the box hitch. It’s worked for my husband quite well for 30 or 40 years now. You can learn and master “fancier” hitches like the Diamond. Whatever works for you. It is personal preference, and I imagine the several options will all work well if they are done right.

Double check your work. Loads must be even, and you can tell just from looking at your final packed stock if it is all hanging tight, secure and evenly. If not, believe me, it’s a lot easier to stop and re-pack at home or at the trail head, than on the trail after your full pack saddle rolled under the belly of your horse or mule.

Care for the horses in camp: theory in practice

After previous posts discussing the “how to” of caring for horses while at camp, I thought it might be of help to see and read about some specifics. This is theory in practice, examples of actual situations of us caring for our horses while at camp. There is no one right way; it is a lot of trial and error, of working with the number of horses you have, their personalities, and the location and situation of where you are.

Example one: 7 horses at a new camp. The horses have worked hard, bringing us and our gear to camp, but once there, most are not working. It’s time out for a few days. Therefore, they can graze during the day.

During the day, we have set up a portable electric fence which runs from one group of trees, across the meadow, to another group of trees. It is hard to find any sort of clear path through the trees, so they act as a natural boundary. At night, the horses are tied to a high line in the middle of those trees, so it’s pretty much the center point of their world up there. A creek runs through this “corral” which is pretty handy, but if there was not, the horses would be led to a water source before turning them out and again before bringing them in. Within the corral, two horses are left free to roam (the most passive, follower types) and five of the seven horses are hobbled (the more experienced hands who have learned that hobbles won’t stop them, and those who may know the way home). A “just in case” measure. Though they can move pretty far and fast with hobbles, we usually can run faster…

At last light, we lead the horses up to the trees and tie them to the high line for the night. Lead ropes are clipped back on, or untied if they’ve been safely tied up around their neck in a no-slip knot during grazing, and hobbles are removed and now buckled losely around the horses neck so that they are handy in the morning. Each horse is given a generous handful or two of horse cookies once all are tied up. They learn to settle in for the night. A newbie may paw and become anxious, but they will learn, they will settle down with time.

At first light, I go let them off the high line. They are happy to see me and nicker and paw. I put hobbles on those that will need hobbles before I untie them. They are anxious and hungry in the morning, rightfully so, yet for my personal safety, I require that they behave and stand still while I work with them. I untie the most insecure first, and the most confident last. That way no one is left panicking back on the high line alone. Since I usually work alone in the early morning, I do what it takes to make it safe and easy for myself.

Example two: 5 horses at a familiar camp. The horses are becoming familiar with camp. They recognize the location, and seem relieved to have arrived there. They will not be working hard during the day, but we know they (like us) are happier when their bellies are full, so better to let them out grazing as much as possible.

There is no need to tie them up at night now. They know their way around, and we feel confident the portable electric corral set up across the meadow will be enough to contain them. Now when their bellies are full and they are looking for a comfortable place to rest, they return to the trees where their high line is. Although we don’t tie them up, it is now their comfort zone. We bring them a pail of horse cookies to share every time they return to the trees.

Example three: 5 horses at a familiar camp. The horses know the camp and by now call it their home away from home. There are enough of them together that they will not be looking for the horses we left behind, nor anxious to run away from camp back to the trailhead or ranch.

During the day, we picket two horses, hobble two, and let one roam free. We are certain to leave enough room between the two picketed horses that they will not tangle, and do check on them frequently in case they tie up on a bush, rock, or themselves. I have seen it happen enough that I’d rather take a few minutes every 2 hours to make certain they are all OK.

At night, they are either tied back to the high line, or brought into a small corral set up with the electric fencing to remain safe and comfortable (and close) for the night. I personally can’t sleep well with my horses picketed, but I know folks who do and have had fine luck with that.

Example four: 4 horses at a new camp. We’ve been riding all day. Both we and our horses are tired. We have a big day tomorrow, and will be moving on mid morning. Yet the camp is not familiar to our horses, and we do not feel comfortable leaving them out at night, and nor have we packed in a portable electric fence.

One horse is picketed, two are hobbled, and one is left loose. The horses must be allowed to drink (led to water if no creek in the “pasture”) and graze at least two hours that night before we tie them to the high line for the night. There is usually a good 3 hours of light after we arrive at camp in which we can leave them out to graze. Likewise in the morning, the horses are given at least two hours to graze while we have breakfast and pack up camp, before we bring the horses in to saddle and move on.

The first of summer

So much I wish I had time to share. Yet like with so many of you, suddenly we find ourselves so busy this time of year. Where did this rush come from? Catching us unprepared once again, caught up in the whirlwind of the season, but enjoying most every moment.

We’re up at our “ditch camp” with our horses four days a week, then taking day rides and giving lessons and visiting with guests two days a week, and cabin cleaning on the seventh day…

And yes, I love summer.

However, there is also so much I’ve been anxious to share – especially specifics on horse camping now that we’re out there with our horses again. (Wendy – I took many pictures of the high line and horses at camp I look forward to sharing.)

The next couple weeks are jam-packed, but I’ll look forward to catching back up and sharing much more as time allows.

In the meanwhile, here’s one thing to think about…

As I sit at camp in the early morning hours, bundled in front of the crackling fire sipping my steaming coffee, with my boys still sleeping in the tent and the horses peacefully grazing about me on the high mountain grass, I can imagine no place I would rather be, no life I would rather have.

There is a closeness to oneself one finds out there, perhaps because one has fewer distractions, only seeing if we choose to look and hearing if we choose to listen. There is a universal understanding which comes to us, however we prefer to spend time out in nature. We begin to see the Big Picture, and realize our small but blessed place within that circle of life. And there is a closeness that comes with our horses when we are out there living and working with them, day in and day out, side by side, that can not be achieved back home on the ranch or in the stables.

And so, off to the high country we head with our horses today….we’ll return Thursday evening. May you all have a wonderful week!

Part V in the series on Horse Packing How-To: The Pack Saddle

The next stage in the game of horse packing is finding and fitting the pack saddle.

There are two main types of pack saddles: the Sawbuck and the Decker, as well as several newer varieties, including some "no rope" types, and even packing systems that are designed to work off a riding saddle. Once again here, it’s personal choice. There’s no one right answer. You got your right answer if it works for you and your horse.

Our personal preference is the Sawbuck, pictured above. It works for us and our horses, so we stick with it. The Sawbuck looks like the device of the same name that is used to secure a log when cutting it into firewood, with hard plates or “bars” that fit behind the horse’s withers and distribute the weight along the horses’ back. We start with a thin wool pad, then a heavy, longer pack saddle pad under the saddle. Rigging is attached to the Sawbuck and secured and adjusted to the animal. Then panniers, or pack bags, are hung from the cross bars. On top of the whole load, we use a folded tarp or mantie, to cover the load, and hitch it securely with a cinch and long pack rope.

Variations on the Sawbuck have been around for as long as folks have been packing in the west, and we still have some Sawbucks here that I think are about that old, and remain in good working condition. It works for us; we are comfortable with the design, so we continue to use this method. We have several saddles to choose from that can fit a wide variety of horse shapes and sizes, from standard mule to Arabian to the Percheron-Quarter Horse cross pictured above.

Fit is everything. That’s where we’ll start. If the pack saddle does not fit your horse well, you’ll have a sore horse and no one to blame but yourself when your horse refuses to accept a load. There’s no excuse for an uncomfortable horse. Take care of your stock. Bottom line. I believe if you don’t care to care well for your stock, don’t pack.

Assuming you do care for your stock, that’s why we’re choosing to be out there with them, start by making sure the saddle fits well and your rigging is properly adjusted. Every horse is going to be slightly different, so get comfortable changing positions and adjusting the rigging with each horse.

Start with your pads – place them smoothly and well centered on your horse where they will protect withers, sides and back from friction and any direct contact from the saddle and the load. The Sawbuck should be fit first without the pads to ensure the correct size. Once you are sure of proper size, center your saddle over the padding and adjust the rigging so that there is no binding with the breeching, and nor does it hang low to rub your horse raw. You’re looking for a good fit here. The rigging is designed to hold things together, not just decoration, so we should fit it well, not just allow it to hang there.

There are a lot of adjustments to the pack saddle rigging. Spend the time to properly fix and place each strap for the most comfortable fit for your horse. The only tight fit should be with both cinches. Like mentioned in an earlier Floyd Story, you can over tighten the load and have a very uncomfortable horse. Like with a good rider that can safely ride with a loose cinch by adjusting his or her body weight, more important that a super-tight cinch is the equally balanced loads. We’ll discuss that further in our next installment.

Once your rigging has been properly adjusted and tightened, be sure to carefully fold over the cinch straps so that they do not drag and do not bulk up under the load. Likewise, when unsaddling the pack horse, take the time before removing the saddle to fold back the cinch straps, and hook back all parts of the rigging back onto the Sawbuck, like folding a tent back together. This will not only make it safer to remove the saddle from the horse, and easier to put the saddle back on it’s saddle rack, but it will make it easier to pull out the rigging when put back in place on your horse your next time packing.

Part IV in the series on Horse Packing How-To: Getting the string together

Getting the string together starts with teaching the horse to both lead a pack string, and be part of the pack string. I never gave this much consideration until last week. Usually it’s just been a quick session of showing the horse what I’d like, what works, and allowing him/her the time and opportunity to get it. Really, it’s that simple.

Using a well seasoned, experienced horse, I’d ride one, and pony the other, then switch off. All of this work has already been introduced on the ground, and at this point, is well comprehended by the horse. The horse is comfortable and knowledgeable with what you are asking. The added ingredient here is only that you are asking the same things from the back of a horse, not from the ground, but that’s a remarkably simple transition for the horse. It only becomes more difficult for the person because of the complications of juggling the two horses at once; and any subtleties of fear and confusion on the part of the rider emerging into the equation.

Ideally, every one of our horses should be able to do it all: lead/pony, be led, and pack, step out as a guide horse, and follow in line as a dude horse. We can train each to do all, but some horses will excell in some things, others in other things. You can train any horse to learn and do anything, but you can’t change who he is. You can’t change his personality, and why would you want to? The best we can do it work with who they are; help them be the best at what they are by developing their strengths and helping the horse overcome his weaknesses; and do our best to help them feel safe and confident and understanding of the work at hand. All with positive leadership, without fighting or working against the horse. Our goal together should be to get whatever job needs to be done, done well and smoothly and comfortably for us, our horses, and any accompanying riders.

I know for many folks, having a “job” to do is not necessarily where you’re at. Most folks are not out here with an actual job. But I think it is all a matter of how you look at the task at hand, how you choose to focus and present the goal to your horse. Your “job” can still be a goal of getting safely and timely to a destination, working on a new skill, or a focused discipline in an arena. If you look at the task at hand with focus, it is still your, and your horses’, job. Somehow, I think it helps both horse and rider to have that focus.

OK, now all this said, last week I ran into the first major complication of this equation: the stallion in the pack string. There may be many a more confident and experienced horseman out there for whom working with a stud is simple business, but it throws me for a bit of a loop from time to time. Each simple task can become an escalated issue. But like everything else in learning to work with my little stud horse, every challenge he presents has become an opportunity for me to fine tune my learning, understanding, patience, leadership, and ultimately, my knowledge and skills as a horseman.

Like with so many specific “problems” we may have with our horse, if we overlook the small details and focus on the big picture, often the small details work themselves out. So, with the stud being quite upset and aggressive with the mare in front of him, being led by the mare (walking around with his nose under his tail, I suppose is a big confusing to the poor boy), we worked this problem out by focusing on leadership. My stud can not breed when his is being ridden by or working with me. Get him out there working with me more, and he’ll remember that there’s a time and a place for everything, and if I’m the leader, and hopefully a fair and good one, he’ll remember his respectful place in our working relationship. If I ask him fairly but firmly to be in line, he can accept it.

For a few days, I rode the little stud on the trail, alternating places in front of (he liked that) and behind (he didn’t like that) the red mare. Eventually he became more comfortable with that place.

Now, although his ears remained pinned back when he’s in the following position, he no longer snakes behind her as if he’s driving or pushing her along, and no longer aggressive, lunging towards her trying to bite her. In due time, I am certain he’ll feel more comfortable in this place. It’s my job to provide him with plenty of good, positive experiences there so that he can become more comfortable more quickly. If I’m afraid of the matter and avoid addressing it, it will not resolve itself. He will never be allowed the chance to get over this if I don’t give him the opportunity.

Or ask my husband to help out. Bob is a far more confident rider than I may ever be. The issues I have with fear do not exist for him. So he is, at times, my secret weapon for helping me overcome a horse obstacle that has me blocked. I see nothing wrong with that trick!

Well, at the end of the week of working on this, we find that this lesson of teaching a horse to follow the lead turned into a good example of rising above the little details, and addressing the bigger picture. This little horse needed a little more time on the trail, a little more time behind the mare, before he could feel comfortable back there. Pretty simple way to work out a “problem.” But please remember this: it has never been so difficult (although it’s hard to call this one really difficult) for Bob or I to teach a horse to follow a lead. Working with this little stud from the mare turned into a good lesson for us, going far beyond this simple matter at hand here of teaching the horse to follow in line. However, these are the great chance opportunities, when the bigger picture emerges and presents us with an occasion to be worked on and improved. And ultimately at the end of the lesson, both horse and horseman have a better understanding and knowledgebase because of the time spent working on one specific skill.

Fooling myself

All the affirmations in the world won’t save you from feeling like a fool sometimes. I’m there more often than not.

First, I’m convinced that both I worry too much, and I take myself too seriously. But what can I do about that? I try affirmations, but I just don’t believe them. I have not come close to figuring this out yet. I will keep trying.

I entered a blogging contest. Bad idea for the insecure. I should have known better, but I love writing, and am enjoying the blogging community, so I looked upon this as a fun opportunity to participate with fellow bloggers and fellow horsemen. I spent a week working on the post, then a week after that in anticipation of being a part of the community. When the deadline came and went for the big announcement, I figured I’d again been the fool. Nothing new there…

So of course, I’ve spent the last few days adding this to my reasons for wallowing in self pity and self doubt. Come on, girl. Get over it!

Just when I’m ready to lift myself up again from my self made misery, I receive an e-mail telling me the post actually won first place. If you have a moment, please take a look at it on the Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch blog and tell me what you think. Only nice things, please.

More on feeling like the fool…

So, this afternoon, I’m out there trying to get you some first hand data together for showing you the next entry in the series on Horse Packing How-To. The next in the series was going to be about teaching your horse to both lead the pack string, and be led as a part of the pack string. I thought it would be a swell idea to explain the teaching process while I’m out there teaching… So, I get my little stallion decked out in a regular riding saddle, rope halter and lead, and saddle up my best mare to work off of. Well, we were looking good for about five minutes. If even. Then the stallion started the sweep: ears pinned back, aggressively following the mare. Ran in front of us a few times, in what looked like an attempt to cut us off. Even ran towards us trying to bite the mare a couple times. The mare of course kicks back and dodges his aggressions, but generally puts up with me as I’m on her back trying to communicate obviously not very effectively with the crazed stallion.

Hmmm… time to re-group. This pussy cat of a stallion, who is light like butter on the halter and lead when I’m on the ground. What’s going on inside that odd little stud head of his when I’m up there on his favorite mare?

We worked it out… only somewhat. I’ll try again tomorrow and perhaps find some insight into his behavior that will help us all figure this one out a little better, and work through it.

And maybe even, in the process, I’ll be able to learn what I’m trying to teach.

More on training your horse to stay at camp when you are still back home

I’ll explain briefly here our preferred methods for introducing all four of the “skills” I mentioned yesterday that come in handy for keeping horses in camp. These four skills are:
1. Using the Picket Line
2. Using the High Line
3. Hobbling your horse
4. Using the portable Electric Fence

For containing your horses in or near to camp, we use a combination of these. Often times, for grazing we will picket a lead mare, and the notorious run a-way, and hobble the other geldings; then at night we will keep our horses tied to the high line. For longer stays, we’ll set up the portable electric fence in a big, wide area, and still picket the lead mare within that perimeter. I’ve seen camps with well seasoned horses only picket the lead mares and allow the gelding to roam free. If riding all day, the horses are left out to graze all night. And for the most seasoned horses, they can learn to stick close to camp, especially if you camp in familiar places time and time again.

Using the Picket Line
What is it: A picket line is a long rope attached to the horses’ halter or single hobble around a front foot, with the other end of the rope firmly attached to a stake. The horse is able to graze around the stake to the length of the rope.
Precautions: We run our picket line from the halter. We have tried both methods, and find this to be easier for the horse to maneuver and to keep him/herself untangled and out of trouble with the rope. Still, we have had horses tangle, and I personally do not like to leave horses picketed for long periods of time unattended.
Teaching this to your horse: As with most of these skills, the first step is teaching lightness, respect and feel for the lead rope and halter. The second step is teaching the horse to keep off his rope. The best way I found to teach this is to allow the horse to walk around in a safe, small pen (a corral or round pen) with their lead rope dragging. They will step on it. And pretty shortly, they will learn from which foot the pressure comes, which one to lift, and how to get off their own rope. I start with a 10 foot lead, and eventually increase to a 20 foot lead. At this point, your horse will have learned well to stay off his lead, or to lift his foot to get off the lead before putting too much pressure on his head. So, the third step is then to have the end of the long rope secured, tied off, or staked, in a safe situation so that your horse can learn to give to the pressure and feel when he comes to the end of the line. This is also a rather useful skill for the horse to learn so that he/she does not step on dropped reins, or pull back if and when the horse does find himself on the reins.


Using the High Line
What is it: The high line is a long rope secured between to trees on which the horses lead rope can be tied overhead. The line is run with tree savers (we use old cinches) wrapped around large sturdy trees at about 8 - 9 feet high on the ends, and often sagging down to about 7 feet in the center. Yes, we usually have to climb the tree to wrap and tie off the rope, and we try to get the rope as tight as possible. We use a long rope, approximately 50 feet long with evenly placed rings to tie on the lead ropes. This prevents the lead ropes from slipping up and down the rope. I once woke to the whole lot of horses squooshed up in the middle where the lead ropes slipped along the high line. Now I secure the lead ropes with a slip proof device/string or use those rings.
Precautions: Horses should be evenly spaced, distance between horses should be considered out of kicking range, and placement or order of horses is essential. I put the ones who kick far off on the sides, and the ones who get along well can be closer to the center.
Teaching this to your horse: Again, first your horse should have lightness and respect for the halter and lead. Get your horse comfortable being tied up for an extended period of time. From there, this is a relatively safe thing to teach the horse. Seems like most new horses adjust naturally and easily to this, even being tied up all night long, if he’s there with his buddies near by, and they let him know it's OK.

Hobbling your horse
What is it: Hobbles are restraints put around the horses lower legs. Most hobbles go around the front two feet. I’ve seen some which include one of the back legs for a third leg. It’s a rather safe and comfortable way for your horse to remain out grazing for extended periods of time. I know some folks want to teach hobbling as something that keeps your horse in one spot and one spot only, but that’s not the point in the high country. A hobbled horse can move around and graze, but his motion is slower and he won’t be as likely to think he can run off, or be able to get as far as fast even if he thinks running off is the thing to do.
Precautions: Horses can learn to run pretty quickly when hobbled. Make sure you have a good saddle horse tied to the high line or picket line if the other horses are out hobbled. Rotating hobbled horses isn't a bad idea. We often put half the horses out hobbled to graze, the other half back at camp on the high line. And split the buddies up. One buddy out hobbled; one on the high line.
Teaching this to your horse: The lightness and feel we teach to the horse with lead rope and halter, here is taught to the horses feet. Start by getting your horse used to the feel of the rope around his feet, and comfortable with his feet being handled. Then teach your horse to give to the rope around his foot, one foot at a time. I do this by first having him lift the foot, first forward, then back, with the rope around his foot, teaching him to give (lift) with gentle pressure. If he fights at first, I ignore it. I don’t up the pressure. I just continue teaching. Soon your horse will feel comfortable with the rope on the foot, and comfortable giving to light pressure. At that point, lead the horse by the foot. I literally run a 20 foot lead around the horses foot, one foot at a time, and gently pull until I get him to step towards the pressure. Just one step at a time. Continue this for a few steps, and it only takes a few minutes before you can lead the horse anywhere in the corral by the gentle lead of the rope on the foot. Teach this to all four feet. When your horse is reasonably comfortable with this, I’ll put the hobbles on the front feet. There are all kinds of fancy hobbles on the market. My favorite for teaching are old thick cotton ones that won’t burn or cut into the horse in any way should he struggle. I do not try to get the horse to move when he has the hobbles on, but encourage him to stand still. He will eventually try to move, and usually this is an odd sight to see a horse learn to move with hobble for the first time. If you can imagine a very big, ungraceful bunny hop. Let him learn, stay out of his way, and comfort him when he’s relaxed again. Remove the hobbles from the relaxed horses, not one that is fighting or resisting.

Using the portable Electric Fence
What is it: This is a great invention, though it’s big and bulky to pack in, and takes a while to set up, so we don’t use the portable electric fence unless we are remaining at a camp for an extended period of time. But when we do use it, it is by far the safest and most comfortable means of containing horses in the back country. You can purchase the separate componants (stakes, tape or wire, charger, ground rod), or ready made packages that even come in handy carry cases which can be packed in and set up at camp.
Precautions: Make certain your horse can see the wire or tape, and that both have a breaking point should your horse panic, tangle or run through the fencing. I prefer to use 1 inch tape which is very visible to the horse.
Teaching this to your horse: Horses are quick to learn about electric fences. Start by running a line of electric fence to block off a section of pasture. Always make sure in the training stage that the juice is on! Horses are very smart. I’ve had horses learn to hear the clicking of the power, and could tell when it was on. And when it was off, learn to walk right under. Keep the power on, especially for training. Teach your horse to respect that tape or wire. They quickly learn to look for it and stay away.

Part III in the series on Horse Packing How-To: Training your horse to stay at camp when you are still back home

You’ll hear me say this a lot: There’s no one right way. It depends on the situation, on the horse, and on the rider. Every horse is different. Every rider different. And every day is different. We all have to figure out what works best for us and our horses. So although I’ll share with you my way of doing things, you may have or come up with a way that works better for you. I so strongly believe that, that it’s often difficult for me to share my way with you. I’m always assuming you’ll have your own way. But on the chance that sharing what I know might help in some way… here it goes.

Some things are better off taught back home. I personally believe most things. I don’t want to “work it out” on the trail. I have horses and riders and gear I'm responsible for out there. By the time my horses and I are in the back country, I want to feel confident that each horse knows pretty well what to do. There are plenty of surprises out there. Whichever ones I can cover back home will help my horse be safer and more prepared to handle the new stuff. I can’t teach my horse everything from the safety of our ranch, but I can teach a good enough foundation that he learns how to adapt and adjust and handle new stuff.

Now, keeping your horse in camp is an interesting topic, and a funny one to discuss here. First of all, because most everyone (no, I take that back: definately everyone) I know who has packed in the back country has at least one story of stock getting away, leaving camp, and/or leaving you. The battle scars of the back country horseman. Be proud of them. Share them and show them off. It’s these things that help us realize that our worst fears are often not so bad… It’s these things that help us learn what to differently next time.

There are four skills every horse could and should know for camping in the high country. Or rather, for remaining at camp in the high country.
1. using a picket line
2. using the high line
3. being hobbled
4. respect of the portable electric fence

All four of these skills can be easily introduced to the horse back home before heading out and having to rely on one or more of these skills in the back country. But truth be known, and most of you know this: horses are smart. Most horses learn these skills pretty fast. So fast, in fact, that often times we just introduce these skills to a new horse in a safe environment: out there in the tall high mountain grass under our supervision and the companionship of a few well seasoned horses. It's worked every time we've done it that way.

However... to play it safe, we try to introduce the horse to all four back home first. And that is what I’d recommend. But do remember, the horse picks these skills up so quickly. We can draw out the learning process, and go so slowly (out of our own fear, not because of the horses’ learning ability). Or we can have trust and confidence in our horse, and encourage him to grow in his own confidence by learning one more skill, and overcoming one more obstacle.

Tomorrow I’ll share our preferred method for introducing all four of these to our horses.

On camping: Keeping it clean

I grew up with a dad that would pick up trash, even along the streets of New York City, in attempt to keep his world beautiful. How can you not respect that? So… how does it make you feel when you see trash? And what do you do about it?

To this day it remains a great upset of mine. And never more disturbing than trash in the wilds. You’d think the back country, the wilderness and Wilderness are no place to leave trash behind… but still you’ll find it. Perhaps it’s an accident at times; I’d like to hope it is. Perhaps something fell or blew away unnoticed, or the drag rider (for me, usually my son Forrest who is well trained in the art of trash spotting) did not see.

Does anyone else remember that commercial from the 70’s with the wise old Native American man riding his pony, a single tear falling down his cheek as he looks upon the litter spread out before him on this beautiful land? That was powerful stuff.

What can we do as we ride by except stop our horses, get off, and pick it up? I will every time. Fortunately, where I live, we are lucky enough to have trash be an exception, not a rule. But still, my horses no longer fear plastic bags (those things always seem to fly away from folks, I guess), and my saddle bags often come home full.

Trash is anything we humans left behind that does not belong. Including fire rings. How campers came to believe that stones had to be gathered and stacked in order to build a temporary fire is a mystery to me, and how one can leave a fire pit and think that the next folks by won’t notice… Stones don’t “grow” in a ring with a burned out center. We notice. Perhaps those campers are trying to be “thoughtful” by leaving it there for the next camper to use. No. The next camper hopefully knows how to follow Leave No Trace ethics.

This week I came across two such rings filled with trash. Hmmm. I’m thinking that either the campers didn’t know beer cans don’t burn and must have left the fire before it was dead out. Or else the campers thought their trash was… OK? Either way, I just don’t get it. You took such great efforts to pack your gear and get this far out. Did you find trash here when you arrived which spoiled your impression?

I’m far from perfect. I am certain I have lost and left things behind out there. Hopefully the next rider after me is caring enough to stop and pick up my mess. On the other hand, I do my best to clean up after others if need be. I just don’t think I’ll ever understand why it needs to be, if you know what I mean. There are few places remaining unspoiled by mans heavy hands. I’ll do what I can to keep the wild and the wilderness pristine

Part II in the series on Horse Packing How-To: Learning the ropes

Learning the ropes. Yes, ropes. Not knots. We can go over some of the important knots you might need to know at a later time. But first, I just want to talk about ropes, because first, you’ll need to use ropes: to lead, to keep your stock string in line, to lash on a pack, to picket, and to tie to the hitching rail and high line. Your horse or mule will need to learn all these skills, and in addition will (hopefully) learn to respect light pressure from the rope, and tolerate a rope under his tail, among other skills.

Ropes are obviously an essential part of horse packing. Both you as the rider/packer/horseman and your horse as the pack/riding/leading stock need to know your ropes and respect them. Start by learning the ropes at home. Start with your groundwork.

Back in the day, my husband has shared stories of wrecks and crashes and chaos, all a regular part of packing and outfitters in this part of the woods. Seems like packers, be they outfitters or folks heading out on a trip just once a year or so, expected problems and anticipated a fight. Horses were put out to pasture all winter, then their first time handled in the summer was to get out and go. What about ground training, I asked? No such thing then. It usually worked; they got where they needed to go… but as I said, wrecks were not uncommon.

Who needs that? Not me. Not my guests. Not my horses. And tell you what, once Bob started seeing the difference in how our horses got along with us and how much easier a day on the trail could be, he was and easy convert.

Now we take the time for groundwork, and then additional packing/trail training before hitting the trail and hoping for the best. Now we learn to expect the best. The problems we encounter are our own fault, where as we used to blame the horses. Either we did not balance our load properly, tie on our load correctly, chose the wrong path, or didn’t take the time ahead of time to teach our horse well.

When you learn to take the blame, you learn to accept responsibility. When you learn to accept responsibility, you learn to take the time to do things well!

What does all this have to do with ropes? A lot. The rope halter and lead rope are the “uniform” of our horses. There are no other “tools” we need to train, prepare and then ultimately, head out into the back country.

Our training is based on a gentle touch. Yes, we will be as firm as necessary, but as soft as possible. I don’t want to work with horses trained to fight, to flinch, to expect the worse; though with time, you can re-train even those horses. I want to be out there with a group of horses that trust me, and that I feel confident they “know the ropes.”

Our horses are trained in a rope halter. All ground work, and even the first few rides are done in a rope halter. If the horse is light and understanding of the communication on the rope and halter on the ground and in the saddle, we can expect the same form of cooperation and communication in a pack string. If the horse doesn’t get it yet, we know we’ll have problems. But who’s to blame if the horse “doesn’t get it?” The horse or the handler?

I want our horses to learn to give to pressure, not to pull back. It is a trained response. If they feel pressure, they give. They know the pressure will not necessarily increase, but it will not go away until they soften. In that, they find the relief. And that is the foundation of their training.

On the other hand, if we train with a strong bit and a heavy hand, how can we expect lightness with the halter and lead?

Take the time to teach softness, and you’ll have a much more pleasant and safe horse adventure. Take the time to work things out and build the horse’s confidence and understanding back home, not out there on the trail with a guest’s gear on their back, strung out in the middle of a group of other nervous horses.

A well trained horse (and well trained rider/handler) makes all the difference between a magnificent day in the mountains, and a pretty cruddy day. Your horse’s understanding and respect of the lead rope is probably the single most important skill to teach our horses before packing.

This skill translates to: Learning to tie, lead and follow. Learn to follow the feel of the rope.

It’s easy. Our teaching and training is based on the now common natural horsemanship principles. I will guess most readers are familiar in one way or another of the theory and practice of natural horsemanship. Specifics of how these methods work for us and our pack string can be discussed another time.

The three main principles to work with your horse and the rope are:
1. Teach the horse to respect the rope, respect the halter.
2. Teach the horse to give to pressure; don’t fight it.
3. Teach the horse with well timed release/relief. The pressure’s off instantly when you get the answer right. Use relief as the reward.

Start with the ground work. Teaching understanding and respect of the rope and halter.
1. Teaching gentle leading, driving. Where the lead rope points, the horse should gently follow. It can be a great game, a dance, if you will. Work for lightness, smoothness, consistency, ease.
2. Learning to tie. Allow your horse the time to get comfortable being tied. Prevent wrecks when tied by always tying high and tight. Prevent a horse from learning relief from the horrid pull-back. Start by allowing the rope some give so your horse does not fear claustrophobia, then teaching the power of the lead by not allowing a release (a.k.a.: a break) during a pull-back.
3. Learning to follow the feel. From your work in #1, your goal is to have your horse comfortable following the feel of the rope. The light pull, not the heavy hand. The difference is up to you.
4. Sensitize as necessary. A flick of the lead rope can mean “step back.” A swing to the right can mean “step over to the right.” And any pressure on the line means to step into it, not pull away.
5. Desensitize as necessary. Some feelings the horse can learn to get over. (Usually) Allow your horse time to get used to feeling the rope under the tail, swinging on the rump, dangling at his feet, taught against his belly, etc.

Then follow up your ground work with work on the trail.
1. When your pack stock is leading and driving well and softly on the ground, try leading from another horse.
2. Only after that horse is comfortable and confident following your saddle horse can you put him behind another pack horse. Put the horse in training behind a good, gentle, well mannered, seasoned horse for a time a two.
3. With each trip, up the ante on the pack load. Start by allowing your horse to feel comfortable with the tack. Then try empty panniers. Then a light load. Then a heavier load. Allow the horse time to accept “things” being put on him. This can be as frightening as a person climbing on board. Maybe more so. Some of the stuff we pack in would scare me too if you strapped it on my back. Let him see what you’re doing. It’s a lot less scary to the horse if he’s given time to accept his load. Otherwise, part way through the trip, if that load shifts and starts to rattle, that horse is going to make his fear of the unknown very unpleasant for you and your entire pack string.

We still have some of the “old timers” in our string. If I sprain my thumb again this year, or if we have a horse pull back and snap the lead, I can pretty much guess it will be one of them to blame. Better yet, I suppose I can only blame myself for not taking the time to re-train the old guys.

So, sticking to the ropes: practice at home first. Learn the ropes. Show your horse the ropes. Don’t set yourself up for a wreck. And enjoy the ride.