[pct-l] Fw: Tips for solo riding the PCT. Part 2. Knapsack, horse tack, the horse.

[Edward Anderson]

Hello Diane, 

Like humans, horses vary greatly in their capabilities. Some are natural athletes, others are klutzy and would not be good choices to face the challenges found on parts of the PCT. It has been estimated that it is four times more difficult to do the PCT on a horse than it is to hike it. As a former long distance backpacker, and a PCT rider, I agree. Primo could go up and down very steep obstacle bypass slopes but could not deal with many of the downed trees and talus obstacles. I had to cut about 50 trees during my journey and took many long and short detours - sometimes having had to create them myself to get past. I worry about scree slopes laying at the angle of repose mainly because I don't know what's hidden under - and the horse is so heavy compared to a hiker. Of course, snow and ice on steep slopes are also a concern - a horse carries no ice axe and wears no crampons. I am a careful rider - always looking out for the safety of my horse. I'm not a
 risk taker. I avoided accidents and had no injuries to my horse-companion on the PCT. Also, it takes a lot of time on the trail to take good care of a horse and you are more limited as to where you can camp. I need graze, water, trees to highline, and hopefully, a flat place for me to sleep. A hiker can dry camp anywhere flat enough to lay a sleeping bag.

Read the part "THE HORSE" below.

Kind Regards,

MendoRider




                                                                                                        PART  TWO



                                  SUBJECT:  TIPS FOR SOLO RIDING ON THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL:   KNAPSACK, HORSE TACK, THE HORSE    


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>KNAPSACK; For several reasons I carry a knapsack while riding the PCT. First, because I sometimes carry lots of processed (weed-free) feed for Primo, there simply is not enough room in the cantle bags, saddle bags, or pommel bags for everything that I need to carry. Also, an advantage of having some of the weight in the knapsack reduces the "dead weight" if those same things were packed in the cantle bags and saddle bags. The knapsack weight (about 19 pounds) becomes part of rider weight. Easier on the horse. Also, relating to safety, I pack what I would need for survival if I was separated from Primo. The following is in my knapsack: The down sleeping bag and extra clothes are stuffed in a trash compactor bag to keep them dry if there is rain. Two medium-weight garbage bags, first aid kit, water (I carry 4 20oz containers - they aren't always all full but I try to keep two full while on trail, and also carry a 44 ounce canteen in the saddle bags), a
 few energy bars. LED headlamp. sewing kit.extra
>batteries.windproof/waterproof matches, maps of the section I'm riding, sunglasses, a signal mirror, a whistle, reading glasses, sunblock, insect repellent, Leatherman tool, toilet paper, raincoat and rain pants if possibility of rain that day -otherwise they might be stored in the cantle bag, note pad and 2 pens, thin wash rag, camp towel, a small piece of Dove soap, wallet with credit card, cash, identification, very basic fishing tackle - no rod or reel, a 6' piece of rawhide, toothbrush, toothpaste, small floss, safety pins, plastic clothes pins (they, combined with surveyors tape, are useful to temporarily mark a detour around a down tree once I have found one. I retrieve them as I lead Primo through) of course I can also use them to hang cloths that I've washed. I don't use soap to wash clothes - I use a plastic scrubbing pad for stubborn dirt - that way I can wash clothes in a lake or stream without polluting it. I also carry a small digital
 camera on my belt and a SPOT, a
>GPS, a cell phone, and a small compass in a nylon pouch.
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>HORSE TACK: My saddle is a lightweight Skyhorse endurance saddle. It weighs 17 pounds including stirrups and padded girth. I DON'T bring a headstall or lead rope. I use a well-padded halter with a bear bell hanging on it,  and 10' poly-propylene trail reins instead of a lead rope. This saves weight and bulk. I use a beetle-type hackamore that does not interfere with Primos grazing and drinking. I use a running martingale and a breastplate. The saddle pad is pretty substantial and weighs five pounds. It is a Toklat brand. It measures 33"x33" and is 2" thick. It has a 6" slot to go around the withers.to prevent the pommel bags from rubbing the horse. Primo never developed saddle sores.
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 HORSE: Of course it is very important to select a horse well suited for the mountains and deserts and the many kinds of obstacles that will be encountered while riding on the PCT. The horse should not be large or heavy - must be very sure-footed and agile and brave. You will encounter rocks, boulders, sand slides, scree slides, snow crossings, streams that must be forded and hundreds of down trees that sometimes require tricky detours to get past. The ideal horse-companion must have excellent feet and be strong and have good endurance. You don't want a horse that has spent his life in a stall and paddock and has only been in smooth pastures and only ridden in arenas and on smooth trails. Better to ride a horse on the PCT that has spent his time on rough land with other horses. Ideally this land includes holes, ruts, sometimes mud and is slippery, is not always level, has rocks and down logs. This kind of experience teaches the horse where to put his
 feet - and where not to place them. It fine-tunes his natural sense of  balance. All of
 this will prepare him or her for the trails and trials that will be encountered on the PCT.
>   As for breed, an Arabian or a true Mustang that has been out on the desert would be favored. For the kind of horse travel that I did on the PCT (one horse , no pack horse), Arabians have a clear advantage compared to other breeds in that they typically have excellent feet, and stronger backs - one less vertebrae and two less ribs. They have very strong hindquarters. They can safely carry more weight than other breeds.Primo weighs 900 pounds and could safely carry 250 pounds. He once ran wild on hundreds of acres with several other horses on the desert north of Bend, Oregon. One other thing I'd like to mention. Teach your horse to "tail". In endurance racing we sometimes let the horse pull us up a long hill by hanging on to its tail. This is easier on the horse than carrying you up and easier on the rider who is now walking. On the PCT I did a lot of walking and often tailed on long, steep, uphills.
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