Hello from an American

[pique]

Greetings from Montana, USA. Thank you for including me. I am both a wilderness trail rider and a student of classical equitation under the tutelage of a British riding master here in the states. My saddle is also British! (A WOW dressage saddle) I've outfitted it for wilderness saddlepacking, so I'm something of a strange hybrid.

We have a small farm at the end of a horrible dirt road at nearly 5,000 feet elevation, and live there with our two dogs--an Australian Stumpy-tailed cattle dog and a McNab shepherd--and our Rocky Mountain saddle horse mare and her miniature Shetland companion (our pack horse).

I was advised to join specifically to learn more about European horse trailers, so I'll soon be starting a discussion with my questions.

 

[ycbm]

Hi from a WOW lover, I have five! Though I only need two now. Welcome.

 

[nagblagger]

Hi and welcome.

 

[stangs]

Hello from someone whose dream you’re living! Do you do thru-rides with your horses?

I’d love to hear about your trails and pack set-up if you get the time to share some more details.

 

[Fjord]

Hello from the UK! We need pics of your horse(s). For science.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Welcome

 

[Kunoichi73]

Hi and welcome.

 

[TPO]

Hi

I follow a few trail/packing riders in Instagram. I am beyond jealous (we'll, not of the bear encounters!)

Lovely to have someone with your experience in our midst

 

[pique]

Hello from the UK! We need pics of your horse(s). For science.

LOL! So how do I post pictures here?

 

[pique]

Hello from someone whose dream you’re living! Do you do thru-rides with your horses?

I’d love to hear about your trails and pack set-up if you get the time to share some more details.

I'm not sure what you mean by thru-rides. I typically ride into a secluded wilderness spot and make camp for a several days to a week, and do day rides and hikes from there. Since I travel alone I find it really exhausting to keep packing and unpacking to do a progressive ride, but sometimes my husband comes along (leading the mini with his packs) and then I have help and we can make more than one camp. Packing is really hard physical labor. There is finding a site with good grass and water, and safe trees for highlining, and not near a trail or other travelers, there is putting up the highline, monitoring the horses while they are grazing, and the usual setting up of camp. Add to that the days it takes to get ready to leave, packing up so the packs are perfectly balanced, preparing for disasters, and then driving long distances on horrible roads. Many times I have arrived at the trailhead and thought I was too tired to tack up, pack up, and go. But my mare loves to be out there in the mountains more than anything and gets pretty upset if we don't proceed! LOL.

If someone will tell me how to post photos I will show what I do.

 

[Northern Hare]

I'm not sure what you mean by thru-rides. I typically ride into a secluded wilderness spot and make camp for a several days to a week, and do day rides and hikes from there. Since I travel alone I find it really exhausting to keep packing and unpacking to do a progressive ride, but sometimes my husband comes along (leading the mini with his packs) and then I have help and we can make more than one camp. Packing is really hard physical labor. There is finding a site with good grass and water, and safe trees for highlining, and not near a trail or other travelers, there is putting up the highline, monitoring the horses while they are grazing, and the usual setting up of camp. Add to that the days it takes to get ready to leave, packing up so the packs are perfectly balanced, preparing for disasters, and then driving long distances on horrible roads. Many times I have arrived at the trailhead and thought I was too tired to tack up, pack up, and go. But my mare loves to be out there in the mountains more than anything and gets pretty upset if we don't proceed! LOL.

If someone will tell me how to post photos I will show what I do.

Welcome Pique! This is the stuff of my dreams, it sounds so amazing, although I do understand how much work must be involved. Are all the trails recorded on your State maps? How wonderful that your horse loves the trails as much as you do.

 

[Barton Bounty]

LOL! So how do I post pictures here?

Your better to screenshot the picture then make it a bit smaller


Welcome

 

[MereChristmas]

Hi
You can post pictures like this ….below

 

[pique]

 

[Barton Bounty]

Omgosh.. stunning

 

[pique]

 

[Fjord]

Wow, what fantastic views!

 

[teacups]

View attachment 120788

What a beautiful photo.

 

[Northern Hare]

Wow that's an amazing photo - to be riding your horse in that setting and with those views must be incredible.

Btw, we've got a great forum member @Michen who relocated to Denver a couple of years ago with her lovely horse Boggle. I've really loved the photos that Michen posts of them exploring the stunning countryside around where Boggle is stabled. I've just had to check on the map how far apart you are - in fact you're near neighbours - "only" 750 miles away!

 

[pique]

I tried to post a couple more pictures to show how I pack up the ponies for backcountry camping, and I did screen shots of them as @Barton Bounty recommended, but they are still getting rejected as too large. Any other ideas?

 

[pique]

Yes, @Northern Hare, it is truly a dream. Memories I'll carry with me the rest of my life.

 

[airliner]

Hi from a fellow American (and new member here)! I'm from Ohio. Montana is incredible! I love visiting family friends who live there and in surrounding states, it is such a gorgeous part of the country. Please keep sharing your photos

 

[Squeak]

Welcome! Your riding looks and sounds amazing. Please share some of your photos and rides when you do them. It's great seeing horses and horse life in a different country, as Northern Hare mentioned, we've been enjoying following Michen's adventures and the scenery is just incredible.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I use lit photo app and resize them down to 20% then they work