Chapter 12Horsepacking
An excerpt from Soft Paths
Chapter 12
Humans have been sharing their work loads with pack stock for hundreds of years. During this time, the variety of animals used for packing has been rivaled only by the ingenuity of packing methods.
Today, it is most common for the backcountry traveler to use horses or mules, but packers also rely on other animal species to get the job done. Although most of the low-impact methods cited in this chapter deal with horses, mules and burros, variations of these concepts can be applied to other pack stock.
More than seven hundred years ago, the warrior Genghis Khan used thousands of tough mountain ponies on a hit-and-run campaign across much of the then known world. Genghis Khan and his warriors packed and rode these horses on numerous raids, moving at a rapid pace through rugged country. The ability to load a horse with gear or loot, then move on quickly to the next conquest, was perfected by his warrior packers.
The horse found its way to the Western Hemisphere in 1519 when Hernando Cortés landed on what is now Mexico with six hundred men and a small herd of sixteen horses. The Spanish ventured far into the New World, traveling in rough country with pack stock.
During the next four hundred years, others followed, using saddle horses and pack animals, including mules and donkeys. Different methods of packing animals evolved as humanity's relationship with pack stock grew. Native Americans, the Spanish, and others all had direct influence on methods of packing stock. Some of these early methods are still used. In addition, other pack animals, most notably llamas and goats, have entered the scene (these animals, too, have a long history of use in other countries). In the backcountry of today, it is possible to meet backpackers, horse packers, goat packers, and even dog packers, all on the same trail.
Reducing Impact
Any activity that we undertake in the backcountry can cause lasting damage, but the challenges facing the horse packer intent on keeping impact to a minimum are particularly severe and daunting. There are several reasons why it is more difficult for a stock party to minimize impact than for a backpacking party to do so. First, horses are simply heavier than people. A standing horse typically exerts ten to twenty times the static pressure of a standing person. Consequently, potential impact on soil and vegetation is greater. Second, stock typically graze, defoliating vegetation. Third, stock don't dispose of their wastes in place that are out of sight and away from water sources. Fourth, horses need to be confined away from established campsites. This can create additional disturbance in places that would not be disturbed otherwise. Stock trample places that hikers don't, such as sides of trails and stream crossings. They are more likely to bring in weeds through their manure. And, finally, encounters with stock groups are generally more of an intrusion to others' sense of solitude than encounters with other hikers.
All of these reasons why stock groups can be particularly destructive can be mitigated by using extra caution. But stock parties need to be even more careful than backpackers when using minimum-impact techniques. Stock parties should also take advantage of several unique opportunities for being light on the land. They have more ability to carry heavy loads. They can carry out other people's trash, and they are better able to carry low-impact equipment such as firepans, fire blankets, and bear-resistant food boxes.
Although minimum impact horse packing is highly challenging, it can also be highly rewarding. Rewards include participating in a traditional activity, companionship with a unique and versatile animal, and using the horse's size and abilities to help decrease impact to the land.
For any modern backcountry traveler, reduction is essential. This is also true in horse packing and for many years, horse packers have been practicing what are called the three Rs:
Following these three simple guidelines helps horse packers keep impacts to a minimum.
Reducing the Number of Animals
Large herds of equines, like large numbers of elk, cattle and humans have an impact on the land simply because concentrated use means concentrated damage. If you use fewer pack animals, however, impact can be kept low.
Also keep it light. There's a real temptation among people who haven't been around horses (and some who have) to overload them with heavy gear. Actually, a human can pack more weight in proportion to body size than a horse. Most veteran packers recommend about 150 pounds per horse. Use nylon tents instead of heavy wall tents. Reduce weight by taking light, dehydrated food, instead of the canned food that was favored by outfitters in the past, and efficient, portable stoves, like those used by backpackers. A pack horse, more than a riding horse, has an awkward workload. A rider can shift his weight around as a horse climbs the trail, but a pack horse is carrying immobile weight. Therefore, it is important to balance the load and try to keep it as comfortable as possible.
The weight reductions you make before you reach the trailhead help reduce the number of animals. For a two-week trip, one pack horse is sufficient for two people who use lightweight gear.
Reducing the Duration of Stay
Progressive travel, the practice of moving camp frequently, is becoming more and more favored by horse packers. Many move their camps each day. In this way, horses do not graze or trample the same spot. Camping impact, too, may be decreased by moving often.
Moreover, as horses are packed and ridden each day, they come into camp tired and ready to eat and they are less likely to wander at night if they are busy eating.
Reduce the Level of Confinement at Camp
Many horse packers agree that the more a horse is confined, the more it doesn't want to be. Horses are flight animals, whose instincts are to flee rather than to fight. The less horses are confined, the lighter they are on the land, while close confinement at campsites can cause great impact.
There are many methods of restraining pack stock, and all have advantages and disadvantages. Used improperly, even the best method can cause damage. The less horses are confined, the lighter they are on the land. For large groups, one approach capitalizes on the animals' herding instinct. Restrain only the herd leader using a picket or a batter- or solar-powered electric fence, and then hobble or turn loose the less dominant animals, thereby spreading the impact of most of the animals over a greater area (see "Keeping Your Horses at Camp").
Planning and Preparation
Low-impact horse packing is much like any backcountry activity. Horses are a method to get into the wilds, just like a backpacker's feet. In today's ever-changing and diverse recreational society, the equestrian might also be a backpacker, kayaker, or climber and some of the techniques used for these activities can also be applied to horse packing.
As with any other recreational pursuit, horse packing calls for thoughtful preparation. NOLS founder Paul Petzoldt often said: "Prior planning prevents poor performance." This is true of horse packing. Here are some tips:
Know your animal. Horses that spook easily, resist confinement, wander off, bully other horses, and are generally difficult are not good choices to take into the backcountry. It's a good bet that if your horse is a handful in the pasture at home, he'll be a hellion in the hills. At the same time, however, there is no substitute for saddle and trail experience for a young horse. Many good horsemen like to take younger horses out on short trips in the mountains to get them used to the surroundings.
Work with your horse. Traveling into the backcountry with an inexperienced horse is a little like wearing a new pair of hiking boots on a trip without breaking them in. It's important to work with your horse at home in the pasture before taking it into the backcountry. If it has never been packed, pack it. If the horse has never been in a portable electric fence, try one out at home. If its never been hobbled, practice in the pasture. Training in the corral or arena can also help accustom horses to obstacles they might see on the trail. Many horse clubs sponsor trail class events that feature deadfall, mazes and small bridges, all in the safety of an arena. Try them out. Also ride your horse through streams before trying this feat in the backcountry.
Take the right gear. Think of your horse's needs as well as your own. If you are traveling in the summer, take along equipment that is going to make your horse comfortable. A small daily portion of grain provides additional energy for working horses and reminds the horse that camp is home. Take along insect repellent if pests are particularly bothersome. Bring whatever restraint device you need to keep your horse close to camp.
Know the country. Inquire about unfamiliar country at U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service or other agency offices. Ask about restrictions regarding horse use, and find out if there is adequate pasture at campsites. If an area is overused, think about going elsewhere. In some places, grazing is prohibited and packing in stock food is a necessity. Pellets or cubes are better than hay; grain should be rolled or crushed so seeds don't have any chance of germinating. If you have to use hay--a practice that is illegal in some areas of the country--make sure it is certified weed free, a requirement on many federal lands. Feed your horses weed free hay for several days before the trip to avoid dispersing noxious weed seeds in their manure.
On-Trail and Off-Trail Travel
Keep your animals in single file on a trail. Horses in a long pack string can be difficult to control, but try to keep the animals in line moving along the trail. Faster horses should lead the string so they don't crowd or try to pass the slower ones. If you need to adjust a load, look for narrow spots where horses are confined and their movement restricted.
If you decide to go off trail, try not to use paths that are starting to show signs of impact. Disperse your impact in areas where there are no signs of previous use. Let your stock travel abreast to avoid trampling vegetation and creating a path that others might be tempted to follow. Durable surfaces such as dry meadows or hard-packed ridges are good places for traveling single file. For trips with lots of off-trail travel, keep group size small and your stay short.
When you rest, choose a durable spot well off the trail. Hobble your horse and let it graze. Lightweight hobbles are available from many manufacturers and are ideal for temporary hobbling. Many horse packers like to tie their horses to a tree for short periods of time, although others feel that this is not a good practice. Damaging bark or roots is unacceptable, but if you feel you can tie a horse to a tree without these impacts, then it can be an effective method of restraint for a short period of time. Large trees, eight inches or more in diameter, can withstand tying better than small trees. Wrap the rope around the trunk twice and keep your rest stops short. By putting hobbles on your horse, you can prevent it from pawing dirt around tree roots.
If you come across hikers or other horse users, look for a safe spot to pass. This may mean holding up your pack string. Hikers should move off the trail on the downhill side because a spooked horse is easier to control uphill than down. Talk to any people you pass so that your horses recognize human voices. Sometimes backpacks scare horses. When passing, it is preferable to pass where you will create the least impact, such as on a dry meadow or gently sloping hillside. Llamas and horses are often intolerant of one another on the trail, so you will need to be especially watchful for these pack stock. Llama use is on the rise in public lands, and some horse packers have even gone so far as to have llama enthusiasts bring their long-necked furry companions to horse pastures to habituate them. Horses and llamas eventually come to tolerate each other, for in South America they have worked side by side for hundreds of years.
Camping
Picking the Best Campsite. As with backpacking, campsite selection is one of the keys to low impact use. With stock, given their need for adequate feed and high potential for impact when constrained, campsite selection is even more critical.
Stock impact can generally be minimized by visiting popular places and camping on well-worn sites in these popular areas. This has the advantage of confining use to places that are already so highly impacted that further use by conscientious stock parties should cause little additional impact. The disadvantage in choosing these sites is that horse feed may be hard to come by. This can be overcome by packing feed. Visiting popular places and camping on well-worn sites is particularly important if your group is large, if you plan a long stay, or if you aren't particularly skilled in minimum impact camping.
If you are prepared to use extra caution, it is possible to visit remote places and camp on pristine sites without causing excessive impact. This will require more diligent campsite selection and more attention to stock confinement. Stays should be short -- generally no more than one night per site. And restrained horses should be rotated frequently so that no impact occurs.
A campsite should be far enough off trail to avoid conflicts with other recreationists, yet close enough to prevent pioneering new routes to the area. It should also have adequate feed and a good view of the pasture area in case your horses get into trouble during the night. When picking a camp, try to select one that has plenty of exposure to sunshine to help break down horse manure. Find a place where your horses don't need to be right in camp. Upon arriving, unload your pack and saddle stock quickly, then attend to their needs.
The availability of feed probably determines the feasibility of a good campsite as much as anything. Look for areas that fit the type of restraint that you might be using. For example, if trees and brush dominate the landscape, a picket might not be the best choice. Look for places with abundant forage and grass that has good seed heads and is not coarse or in a marsh. Be sure not to use an overgrazed area or overgraze an area that you use. If you use a picket or electric fence, you will need to move horses often. In Yellowstone National Park, one of the few national parks that allows horse grazing, rangers recommend no more than a third of the annual forage be grazed by pack stock, leaving the remainder for wildlife.
Extended Camping. If you wish to stay in an area for an extended time, first ask yourself what the impacts of staying there for several nights would be. Is the area large enough to accommodate my horses? Will there be minimal impacts?
Instead of camping several nights in one spot, consider progressive travel--moving both horses and camp several times during a lengthy stay. Even if you only move across a large meadow, you are spreading out use over a larger area, thus reducing concentrated impact.
In Camp. At camp, give your horses supplemental feed in nose bags or on a poncho or tarp to prevent the horses from digging into the soil to get every last morsel. Supplemental feed also reduces straying.
If you carry salt for your horses (probably not necessary on short trips up to two weeks), provide it in a container that will not allow salt to seep onto the ground, killing nearby vegetation.
When watering horses, choose a spot that is durable or is an obvious stream crossing. Look for spots where the banks are shallow, rocky, and able to withstand horse trampling. Recent research indicates that horses use streams and riparian zones for watering and some grazing, but prefer grazing drier forage away from water. In a 1993 study of wild horses in Wyoming, researcher Crosby Allen found that horses spent only 11 percent of their time in riparian zones and 85 percent was spent on the uplands, far from water.
When breaking camp, scatter the horse manure, pack out all litter and excess feed or salt and fill in or repair any of holes created by the stock.
Keeping Your Horses at Camp. Once you find a camp that has pasturage, you must decide how to keep your horses where you want them. There are four options for handling your stock while they are grazing: hobbling, picketing, electric fencing, or loose-herding. These can be used individually or in combination. They vary in their impact potential, their level of security, and their convenience.
Hobbling is one of the best ways to minimize impacts. It works well in many cases, especially where horses are used to them and where there are few obstructions such as in an open meadow. Hobbling horses is safer than leaving horses loose, because you have a method of control. The disadvantage is that you don't have maximum control. Some hobbled horses can move almost as fast as unfettered ones. If this is the case, keep a herd boss picketed nearby so that your hobbled horses will not wander off.
Before hobbling, walk your horse to the area you wish grazed. Avoid obstacles such as big rocks or boulders, trees and stumps. The ground should be covered with adequate feed, but not in a marshy area where a horse can bog down. Remember that the horse's mobility is limited.
Placing bells on your horses is an excellent way to keep track of your hobbled or loose-herded horses. Horse packers often learn to recognize the tones of different bells and thus can distinguish among horses just by sound.
Picketing horses is another popular method of restraint. The advantage of picketing is that it is an easy way to control your stock and allow them to graze. The disadvantage is that there is a high potential for overgrazing and concentrated trampling damage, particularly if pickets are not rotated frequently and picketing is illegal in some areas. If you decide to use pickets, picket a minimum number of animals. It often works well to picket herd boss horses and let the others loose.
When choosing a picket site, avoid obstacles that will harm or impede the horse such as brush, large rocks, and trees. Sufficient feed is especially important to picketed horses. From the center of the picket circle, walk its circumference, looking for anything that might hang up the rope and for the type of forage that will be within the horse's reach. Picketing with a soft rope will be a little easier on the land than a chain or coarse rope. It will also be easier on the horse if it gets tangled and starts to struggle. Picket the horse by a front foot, not by the halter. Many good horses picketed by the halter have been injured or even killed when they became tangled with the rope.
Move pickets repeatedly to avoid overgrazing, searching always for the best spot for your horse. This can mean moving pickets every few hours to avoid damage. The sensitivity of the meadow and abundance of forage will determine the frequency of rotation. Done correctly, picketing can cause relatively little impact. Done incorrectly, it can be one of the most abusive methods of restraint.
For many packers, especially those with larger groups containing more animals, picketing and hobbling in combination is the preferred method. A boss horse or an older mare, for example, is picketed on good grass (dense grass with good seed heads in a drier area) while other horses are turned out with hobbles. The horses that are hobbled probably will not stray too far from the picketed horse, yet will move far enough to spread out impact. In large herds, sometimes two or even three horses are picketed with the remainder hobbled. The picketed horses are moved often, but the hobbled horses move themselves. Remember to bell the hobbled horses.
Portable, battery- or solar-operated electric fences have revolutionized horse use in recent years because the fences are easy to erect, move, and take down. They probably provide the best combination of easy stock control and minimum impact, if used properly. They work well with stock that are accustomed to them. The fences, which can be purchased from tack and feed stores as well as a number of outfitting catalogs, use a thin wire or tape that conducts a small jolt of electricity. A horse that touches the wire soon learns to give it a wide berth. If you plan to use an electric fence, it is essential that you first familiarize your horses with this method before taking it into the backcountry. Electric fences keep horses out of an area, and they can also be used to corral horses. If natural barriers exist on three sides of a potential pasture area, the fourth side can be fenced with the portable fence.
Although electric fences are easy to use and can be excellent for low-impact stock use, there are several disadvantages. First, like other methods, the stock, and thus the fence, must be moved. Fences usually need not be moved as frequently as pickets; in some areas, however, fences should be moved several times a day, depending upon how large the area is and how many horses are inside the pasture. Another disadvantage is the potential for a wild animal to accidentally run through it and break it. (It doesn't matter if Old Dollar and pals are used to the fence, a bull moose isn't.) To prepare for this possibility, you might want to hobble your horses inside the fence.
When using an electric fence, again, choose an area with good forage. Scattered brush is acceptable, but make sure that grass is the dominant vegetation type. Hobble your horses after you have led them inside the fence, then step outside and turn it on. If you have worked with them, the horses should stay in the fence without any problems. Remember to move the fence often.
Electric fences can be used in conjunction with hobbling as well by placing the herd boss inside the fence and the other hobbled horses outside.
It's common to let a herd of horses loose at camp without restraint while keeping the herd boss restrained. Loose herding is a great way to minimize impact because grazing and trampling are spread over a large area. With this technique, it is possible to camp in an area and move on with little indication that the area has ever been used. The disadvantage to loose herding, however, is that horses are not easily controlled. Thus there is more chance that your horse might run off in the night.
A compromise option is to leave most horses loose while keeping a saddle horse restrained by a more secure method, thereby leaving you an animal to ride if all of the other horses decide to head back to the trailhead. You can use this horse to wrangle the others with in the morning.
Where grazing is not allowed, some other means of confinement is needed. The two acceptable options are to use existing corrals and hitchracks, or to use highlines or picket lines. These techniques can also be used once grazing is completed, in places where picketing is not allowed, or in situations where loose herding and hobbling seem undesirable at night. (Tying horses to trees overnight is not acceptable.) Both of these methods result in substantial impact; the key is to confine that impact to as small an area as possible.
Existing corrals and hitchracks that have little or no vegetation have already been trampled so much that it is unlikely that further use will harm these areas. When using a hitchrack, space your horses far enough apart so they won't get tangled. Before turning horses loose together in a corral, make sure they are acquainted with one another. Unless you plan to feed horses on the site, remember that corrals and hitchracks are only temporary holding areas. They are good places to tie up your horses when you are working with them, such as saddling and loading. Use only existing structures; don't build them..
Tying horses to a highline or picket line is an effective method of keeping animals near camp, but it can be highly destructive. Rangers in Yellowstone National Park, for instance, discourage the use of highlines, recommending instead picketing, loose-herding, hobbling or using electric fences. On the other hand, some places encourage the use of highlines. As with picketing, this technique is a compromise between security concerns and impact concerns. Impact potential is high but impact can be minimized with care.
When seeking a place to put a highline, look for places that have already been used for highlines. In previously unused areas, look for a durable, non-vegetated area between trees. Concentrate your use in one site. The highline area should be far enough away from trees that trampling of roots or damage to trunks will not occur. When tying the ends of the highline to trees, it is best to use cinches or double wrapped rope to avoid cutting into bark and girdling the trees. Some manufacturers supply "tree-saver" straps that serve the same purpose. Nervous horses that paw the ground should always be hobbled.
Whatever method you choose, take steps to minimize impact as much as possible. Upon leaving a camp, try to repair some of the evidence of your stay. A little work at the end of a trip can ensure those who follow will never know you were there.
Keep in mind
Riding a horse in the backcountry can be one of the most enjoyable recreational experiences today. From the back of a horse, you can enjoy the scenery, watch for wildlife, and enjoy the companionship of a hard-working animal.
But horse packing can and does carry a necessary burden of responsibility. When using a horse, you have assumed a commitment for the safety of yourself, your horse, and the environment. Without special care, pack stock can quickly damage fragile wildlands.
As with any recreational activity, what you do affects those who follow; however, using minimum impact techniques will help reduce impact to the backcountry and preserve it for the enjoyment of those who follow.
Summary
Reduction is essential to the horse packer who wants to ensure light-on-the-land techniques. This should be done in a number of ways:
Planning and Preparation
On-Trail and Off-Trail Travel
Choosing the Best Campsite
Extended Camping
In Camp
Grazing and Restraint
Order a copy of Soft Paths by calling (888) 332-3636.
Copyright © 1988 National Outdoor Leadership School, 288 Main Street, Lander, WY 82520-3140.
Published by: STACKPOLE BOOKS, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.