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camping with wranglers

11K views 147 replies 23 participants last post by  Hondo 
#1 ·
So, here is my ideal long vacation:

Haul out to wilderness trailhead. Pack mules and wranglers are waiting for us, they load up the personal gear we brought and we head out. Other wranglers have already ridden out the camp spot and by the time we get there, tents are up and dinner is cooked. We sit around the campfire (that they built) and sing songs and drink beer under the stars. The next day, we groom and feed our own horses, saddle up, and proceed to another wilderness camp where by gosh the same thing happens -- we get there, saddle sore and hungry, and camp is already waiting for us. Continue in huge loop for a couple weeks until we get back to the original trailhead.

Points: we are riding our own horses, and the whole thing takes place away from roads, parking lots, generators, motor homes, live-in trailers, flush toilets, computers, phones, four-poster beds . . .

Does any outfit do this? I don't want to ride a dude-string horse ever again if I can help it. Nor ride in a nose to tail line with people in sneakers and shorts with their toes pointing down holding on to the saddle horn. But, I am not up for learning how to horse camp in the wilderness all by myself. Nor do I know anybody personally to teach me. I'd be happy to pay if such an outfit exists.

Ideas?
 
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#5 ·
Join a trail riding club that camps out on the weekends so you learn how to camp with a horse. It's an adventure, but is really fun. From that experience you could branch out to some of the Guest Ranch vacations where you can take your horse, assuming that your horse has some "cow".
 
#6 ·
I have done some with my local trail riding club. But their idea of camping is parking their living quarters trailers in a horse-designated lot inside a park, and doing a few leisurely day rides from there. It's okay, but frankly it's too much like car camping for me, something I have done way more of than I want to think about.

Doubt my horse is very cowy but you never know. She's bright, athletic, smallish, and raised around cattle, she would probably give it a go. I'll look into it!
 
#8 ·
Truth is, I don't like crowds and I don't have any romantic feelings toward cows. That's why I haven't really pursued the cattle drive thing. There's some big ones in CA too that are open to outside riders. The person I know who went on one (it's like across the Sierras) said it was really arduous (up at dawn, in the saddle all day, difficult terrain), own horses were not allowed, and the dust was outrageous. She had a good time though.
 
#9 ·
Wish you lived around here! We'd head out to my woodlot and learn together.

I don't like crowds either, but going out alone doesn't appeal to me unless I have a safe place to go.

Have you reached out to others in your trail riding group who might be open to a more rustic style camping? Maybe some have camps or land that you could set up on. Get some spouses out there ahead of the riders to set it all up?
 
#10 ·
Maybe. I'm not very social is one of the problems, obviously. An acquaintance just got back from her vacation house at Tahoe where she did some riding. Lots of trails up there! Maybe I should cultivate her friendship . . . but she's another who doesn't really camp at all, just day rides.

Truth is, people who willingly sleep on the ground in a tent, far away from any road, are a very limited group. And those who like to do this with horses is much smaller than that.

The two things I really don't like doing in the wilderness is cook, and get lost. I just need to travel with someone who has a sense of direction and likes cooking.
 
#12 ·
I think the closest you will get to your requirements will be a "bring your own horse Dude Ranch"

I Googled that phrase and got some hits, this being one of them.
Bring Your Own Horse to these Dramatic Dude Ranch Spaces ~

You could Google "bring your own horse to a dude ranch" and see what else comes up, if this site doesn't have anything to meet your criteria.

We've camped with our horses a lot but we either had our travel trailers and came back to camp at night, or we went up to our cabins and still came back to camp at night. We always had a campfire but cooking was done before we left home and food carried with us. if we were at my friends grandparents camp, where the horses were safe, we went to the nearby roadhouse for food and beverage:) :)
 
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#13 ·
learn to do,it yourself
There are limitations when going on organized rides, such as location etc, trail routes, plus i for one, don't like big group rides-where is the fun or adventure in that?
Unless feed is hauled in,or packed in, are your own horses going to be okay with being picketed to graze?
Yea, cooking not my favorite, over camp stoves, but one can make uncomplicated meals , versus fancy meals, out there, as after riding all day, simple things taste just fine
 
#14 ·
We often do day rides, so have the trailer to come back to, or even haul home, but if you really want to see wilderness, get away from people that just ride within a day's ride or less from the camp ground, then you have to pack in. No motorized vehicles allowed, even where there are old reclaimed roads
I have seen and been places , packing in, that I never would have gotten to otherwise. That way out trumps needing to cook, set up camp, ect








 
#16 ·
I have seen and been places , packing in, that I never would have gotten to otherwise. That way out trumps needing to cook, set up camp, ect
Exactly.

One can do ultralite horse camping. You carry everything on the horse you need. Its enjoyable and freeing

I would in the future like to get a Seek Outside Tipi.
To be warm, dry and ultralight would be wonderful!!
 
#15 ·
IMO Your best bet is so find someone to tag along with. I'm usually fair game to take people along with me as long as they are tough and non-whiny and their horses get along with ours. Just got back from an 8 day trip and I couldn't get anybody to go with us.

And honestly, camping with horses out in the wilderness is pretty darn easy, especially if there is grocery out there for the horses. Packing in food for them is a pain.

We prefer to sleep in hammocks, sleeping on the ground is too painful for me. Haven't found a good enough mat yet.
 
#17 · (Edited)
@Avna - my sister is planning on doing twice yearly stagecoach runs from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon with full wrangler support (i.e. you arrive to a full camp set up and steak or ribs slow cooking on the grill) each night. She's planning on making a test run this fall to determine how far the stage can safely go each day (13-18 miles). Once she has things arranged, she'll be determining what she'll charge for stage passengers and of course other coaches and outriders will also be allowed. Join fees will depend on number of people and how much the wrangler support costs will be. I'll keep you posted if you're interested.

I thing the total distance is around 70 miles, so she's thinking 5-6 days. It'll be a one way trip, but she'll also arrange to have transportation back to the starting point to pick up your vehicle/trailer. Or - you could have someone drop you off and then pick you up at the end point.
 
#19 ·
We generally try to run high lines between trees to tether the horses. It gives them room to move and graze and even lie down. We've only ever had one get tangled, but since he was familiar with high lining, he just stood patiently until my sister untangled him.
 
#20 ·
Between the logistics/legality of it, plus the relatively small demographic they'd be catering to, honestly, I think you're going to have a hard time finding exactly what you're looking for.
Let us know if/when you find something!

Smilie, your photos are absolutely stunning. It looks like you've been on some really incredible adventures!
 
#22 ·
ReiningCatsandDogs posted this ranch:
If it’s a little luxury you’re after with your horse, head to Triple Creek Ranch in Montana, which provides guest ranch vacations with diverse riding opportunities and ultimate flexibility. From intimate guided trail rides, to cattle work and bison herding, to extreme wilderness rides, Triple Creek will make sure you and your horse have an adventure to remember!

Sounds like "extreme wilderness rides" is what you are looking for?
 
#25 ·
My mother went to Bitterroot Ranch in Wyoming.

I don't think your own horse is allowed, and they do day rides (back to base) not super camping out, BUT they were amazing and may be a great contact if you're serious about it. Won't hurt to call them.

I have heard of places to bring your own horse, though I don't know about that type or riding (I wouldn't want the liability of overdoing someone's backyard pasture puff or whatever).
 
#26 ·
I know how to camp in wilderness carrying what I need on my back. I'd need some pointers to add the horse to the mix -- how to high line, how to feed, and so forth. But mostly I need people to go with.

There was just a Trail Rider Magazine poll on "your ideal horse camping" or something and like 80% checked the living quarters trailer box. I'm always the one with the weird tastes I guess.
 
#28 ·
I know how to camp in wilderness carrying what I need on my back. I'd need some pointers to add the horse to the mix -- how to high line, how to feed, and so forth. But mostly I need people to go with.

There was just a Trail Rider Magazine poll on "your ideal horse camping" or something and like 80% checked the living quarters trailer box. I'm always the one with the weird tastes I guess.
Wrong part of the country for me to help you. I camp very light so I can carry enough feed. I'll attach some photos so you can get an idea of what I mean. I don't trailer out to someplace. I just ride out my driveway and turn left or right. Ride until I need to find a place to camp. Repeat until I return home. It's not something you do if comfort is a high priority :).

I'd suggest not using a high line. Train to picket and hobble that way you're not dependent on trees or polls and the horse can move around some.

Photos:
1 is heading home from camping with my experienced older mare. A friend saw me and pulled over to take a picture. I was still about 20 miles from home in that photo, but would be home that afternoon.

2 is my younger mare loaded up for some camping training. i.e. short trips and controlled areas.

3 is my younger mare on a training trip we took 3 weeks ago when deer season opened. She's standing out at the end of her picket line that's attached to her hobbles. You can see the tent. The bags and gear on the blanket. Bugs were awful so we left for home the next morning.

4. Older mare waiting to get loaded so we can leave.

It's like backpacking only more work, because you have to take care of your horse. You also tend to have less for yourself. I can take more items for me when I backpack than I do when I camp from horseback, because so much of the weight is beet pulp and copra (their feed)
 

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#27 ·
Trailmeister used to be a regular poster here with tips and reviews, luckily their website is still active https://www.trailmeister.com/. Some good information on the site about knots, high lines and such.

What I would do if you can't find someone to learn with. Trailer to an area that you can horse camp in that's not crowded (I agree with you on crowds). Purchase yourself some light camping gear and haul it along with you on the day trips. That way you can figure out what you do and don't need while still having the support of your vehicle.

Here's some tips from my learning horse camping.

-If using a tent and have two people, share the tent instead of hauling along two.

-Water is to heavy to haul but you'll need a lot of it...Outfits sell hand pumps, charcoal filters and chlorine tabs. Test it out before going on your first trip, it sucks to have a pump that doesn't work (happened to someone in a group I was in).

-Freeze dried food is expensive but boy is it light, just add water you collected from that stream. Experiment with the size of pack you will end up needing, why? A single serving pack might leave you hungry after a hard day of riding. Best thing, preparing a meal takes minutes! Mix it up and eat out of the plastic bag it came in to keep down on dirty dishes.

-Want hot food? You can pack one of those small propane tanks and stove top combos along with a small pot to boil water in. Add a cup and you can have hot coffee, tea or cocoa. When the meal is done you can now wash your stuff. It's handy to have along.

-Practice tethering your horse out (at home) so it can graze, the more grazing your horse can do the less food you have to haul along. One of the tips is use a single hoof hobble attached to a rope that's staked out. Thread the rope through a hunk of old hose garden hose 6 foot or so long and now it's much harder to wrap around their legs. With practice, horses get to be very rope smart. With multiple horses you can use grazing hobbles as they'll likely stick together, but it's not a good idea to turn all the horses out at once. Keep one tied up just incase they decide to take off in a group so you have a riding horse to go collect them. Alternative is to spend a couple hours hand grazing your horse morning and evening.

-Practice using a high line at home.

-1 gallon zip lock bag holds about 3lbs of grain and is easy to pack.

-Keep food items locked up in something that can't be chewed through, rodents will get into your food stock. Another tip, even if the food is locked up in a hard plastic container they can still smell it and will chew through your bags/clothing to get to it. I was camping with a guy that had some expensive clothing chewed through to get at his horses grain.

-Take a shammy towel with you for washing up with, they dry quickly so you don't have to worry about them molding over several days of travel.
 
#125 ·
Trailmeister used to be a regular poster here with tips and reviews, luckily their website is still active https://www.trailmeister.com/. Some good information on the site about knots, high lines and such.
Robert Eversole (the Trailmeister) was here in St. Paul MN for the Horse Expo last April. He is an interesting speaker and is quite dedicated to light and ultralight horse camping. His web site has links to many articles he has written, lots of gear reviews, all kinds of camping tips, and an amazing collection of GPS data for trails.

One of the most immediately useful things I learned from his site is how to tie an Alpine butterfly knot, which is a big help any time I'm trying to tie something down in a pickup bed or trailer. It's a way to put a loop in a rope that can be easily untied no matter how tight you pull it. https://www.trailmeister.com/tie-an-alpine-butterfly-knot/

Don West wrote a book called Have Saddle, Will Travel about ultralight camping by horse. It's out of print but you can buy a used copy from an Amazon vendor or you might run across it at your tack or feed store.
 
#31 ·
@its lbs not miles forty years ago I could do what you do. Now the population has doubled and although it feels remote here I am 25 minutes from the fourth largest conurbation in the USA. Carefree camping is not available. I wish!

I am encouraged by your ultra-lite approach. I have the palm-size stove, the crawl-in backpacking tent and so forth. I also have all the car-camping stuff from twenty years of doing that with my family as well. A whole different set of gear. I have a lot to work out, for sure.

A few days ago I was reading about the Pacific Crest Trail (my older sister & her husband are hiking it; they did the southern half a couple years ago but got knee trouble and now they are just doing sections every summer. They are mid-sixties in age). Hundreds of people through hike it every year and thousands do sections of it. Horses? About five people a year. That gives you an idea of the proportions of horse campers and backpackers.

I am going to learn/teach my horse to both highline and hobble so I have choices.
 
#32 ·
@its lbs not miles forty years ago I could do what you do. Now the population has doubled and although it feels remote here I am 25 minutes from the fourth largest conurbation in the USA. Carefree camping is not available. I wish!
Seems like you'd have a pretty long trailer ride (maybe 5 hours minimum?) to get to anywhere you could really camp. Unless maybe there are places in the Coast Range south of you? (And of course, if it's not on fire when you want to go :-()
 
#38 ·
Somebody near us took their large horses and did a section of the trail. I was wondering why they took large horses as that is a lot more food to pack/worry about. I'll have to ask around and see how they did.

While volunteering down in Hells Canyon I met the Wedding Dress Hiker and a few other people getting in shape for hiking Pacific Crest or El Camino.
 
#37 ·
Too bad we live on opposite ends of the country. That is exactly what I've been looking for.
There is one trail ride that I know of that is similar to what you are talking about. Unfortunately, you have to have an appaloosa to do it as it is run by an appaloosa club. They ride the Nez Perce historic trail every year. A gentleman out my way does this with his horses. His wife will fly out to meet him in a different spot every year to ride with him for a week or two. He does the whole thing I think. He told me I can go but I would have to borrow a horse because I don't have an appaloosa. The whole cost for me riding the trail for a week and borrowing a horse would be about a grand. Apparently, you ride all day (not sure how many miles) and you get to set camps with food already there. About once a week you pull out your good clothes (meaning a clean pair of jeans) and there is music and dancing. Sounds like a lot of fun to me and I might just join those two next year. It's something to look into though. Even though you would have to borrow a horse, I don't think it's like a dude string ranch horse like you are thinking.
 
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#40 ·
We used to picket our horses out all night to graze, until after the time we were once packed in, about 7 hours from base camp, and a blizzard hit during the night
The place were we camped, only had buck brush to picket to. One mare had been on the track, and was still being er trained from halter pulling, so we left her loose always
For some reason, we had the pack horse, that doubled as our kid's ridding horse, tied close to camp. In the morning, he was all that was left
I quickl;y saddled up, did not even bother to grab my slicker, and tired to catch them, not knowing how far they had gone. Wet snow was falling, and I got soaked, but did not really notice, pushing that little horse to trot most of the way. Those horses were almost back to the Ya Ha, before I caught up to them.
Tailed them up, and headed back.,By now I was very cold and wet.
After that, our horses only get picked out until dark, and then are tied solid for the night
 
#59 ·
We used to picket our horses out all night to graze, until after the time we were once packed in, about 7 hours from base camp, and a blizzard hit during the night
The place were we camped, only had buck brush to picket to.
I don't know that I've ever seen anyone use "brush" for picketing. That puts you in the same situation as a highline where you need something available to attach to and you run the risk of them getting tangled up. A picket pin is the best way to picket.


One mare had been on the track, and was still being er trained from halter pulling, so we left her loose always
This is why we use hobbles and attach the picket line to the hobble.

I've seen lovely highline stories :)). e.g. the horse is gone, but the broken halter was still on the line, or the halter is still on the loose horse, but the ring from the halter was still on the line (that time was my horse, but while camp training on my property), or one of my favorites.....the line was pulled off (thankfully not with my horse). Fortunately most of the bad highline stories I know took place with people training the horses so only a few created actual problems, but it does show a potential what can happen.
 
#52 ·
Here's one. I Googled "bring your own horse wilderness outfitters". There are others.

"Horse Owners Vacation
This is a great way to enjoy the back country with your own horse. The professionals at Sawtooth Wilderness Outfitters will provide a comfortable camp, great outdoor cooking, pack stock, horse feed and will be there to help you improve your back country skills and learn new ones. This trip is for the novice horse owner, the experienced horseman with limited stock and equipment, or those that would like to enjoy the back country and not be burdened with the chores of packing camp and meal preparations.

These trips can be customized to your desired length of stay and destination within the Sawtooth Wilderness.

Cost of trip: $200.00 per person per day plus tax."

Horseback riding vacation, trail rides, equestrian horse vacation, wilderness adventure travel.
 
#55 ·
Do you ever do any riding at La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve which is just South of Alice's Restaurant on Skyline Boulevard West of Redwood City? Some of it is open to horses, I don't know how much. Used to be about 150 miles of trails there.
 
#56 ·
I haven't. Good to know! There are a lot of midpeninsula open space preserve trails I have yet to explore. My parents live in one on the other side of Skyline, Fremont Older, and I could park a trailer at their house. Otherwise it's often hard to find a pull out big enough for a rig.
 
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