Horse camping - hints and tips

[pennyturner]

Spring is in the air... Thinking about taking the kids 'n' ponies on a long ride in a couple of months, camping out cowboy style. Now Hampshire is not the wild west, so this may be ambitious.

Considering minimum equipment - 'poncho-tents', collapsible buckets, hobble-training the (very biddable) ponies in advance, regular grazing-breaks and using para-cord as a high-line overnight. Anyone out there tried it, and have experience to share?

Possible, do you think?

 

[TwoStroke]

I have no idea, but it sounds like fun!

 

[Elsiecat]

No experience, but, errr - can I come?

 

[AengusOg]

I was on the road with a pony for six months, some years ago now, in highland Perthshire. I walked and used the pony as a pack carrier, though, so was able to carry more gear than I would have done had I ridden. Having children with you, you may be wise to take a pack pony, although saddle and wither bags and a cantle bag can carry a lot of stuff.

It's amazing what you don't need on such a trip. I discarded 50% of what I started out with within the first six miles, leaving it at a friend's house to be collected later.

I'll look out the list of stuff I did take and PM you.

 

[LCobby]

I think you would need som overnight camp sites and grazing fields lined up for your overnight stops.
Also good troutes checked out, as not all bridleways on maps are accessible in reality

 

[Holzdweaver]

i wanna come too!

Sounds like great fun x

 

[Gloi]

I did something similar many years ago (about 35!)up in Cumbria. It put me off trying to do it again riding although I did have a couple more journeys driving the pony instead which was a lot less trouble.
To be honest, doing it with kids I'd not be too ambitious the first time and have a person as a backup team who goes ahead to the place you are staying each night with your tent/food/dry clothes/electric fence etc.
The worst thing is carrying the kit and keeping it in balance so you don't have to keep getting off and putting everything back in place when it's jiggled to one side as you cantered.
I do hope you do it though and have a great time!
Don't mock the turnout, we were teenagers and this was all we had.

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

Sounds amazing! Count me in please!

 

[mandwhy]

Sounds brilliant I have often daydreamed about such things! It would probably work best in quite a wild area, the new forest could work, it has camp sites!

Driving is a good idea, but then if you have say three ponies you could probably carry all you need quite easily. I think I would take a couple of two man dome tents as they are not heavy and could prob go across the back of the cantle with more bags either side.

You could try and schedule some horse friendly country pubs along the way where you could fill up water carriers etc rather than carrying them the whole way and use the facilities!

 

[La Fiaba]

Definitely possible and loads of fun! We will be doing something similar all the summer (while driving herds of cattle or horses), can't wait! I would say that having someone come to meet you in the car with your gear is a great idea and helps keep stress levels down, especially if you've got kids.

Where are you getting your gear from? I have seen so much stuff in the states but not much in europe.

 

[sandi_84]

My OH used to go camping with his boy I think he did mostly overnight camps he would ride out one day, find a nice spot for an overnight stay (his boy was tether trained if that's the right term?), he wouldn't even take a tent and would just sleep under the stars with a nice campfire and then ride home the next day. It sounds fabulous! I'd love to do it so when we've moved in together and he's got another horse we're going to try giving it a go

 

[PeterNatt]

Take a look at this web site:
http://www.thelongridersguild.com/Founders.htm

 

[Ahrena]

I once rode the south downs way.

I carried a lightweight sleeping bag and 'mat' but not a tent.

I did it in preparation of riding from John O'Groats to Lands End which I had to cancel as a month before we were due to set up I sent pony to the vets to have a fullcheckover to ensure she was fit and she had navicular bruising which was absolutely devastating.

But anyway. I stayed in a variety of places over the week, 2 b&bs that had grazing for the pony, the house of someone who i contacted via a forum, and a friendly farmer let me ca in a field. I had my tent dropped off in advance for the field one.
PM me if you like as I planned my entire route and organised places to stay for my big trip. I was intending on taking a lightweight tent on the big trip.

 

[lazybee]

Sounds like a great thing to do. I've bought a Gypsy wagon to go camping in with my big Normandy cob. I haven't used it yet, but I will this summer (can't wait).

I haven't camped with the horses, but I've been touring on my motorbike many times and as AengusOg said it's surprising what you don't need. Light weight hicking/backpacking gear is the way to go. I have an ultralight 3 man backpacking tent. It weighs under 2 kilos and packs up really small it's a QUECHUA T3 ULTRALIGHT PRO 3 MAN from Decathlon and 2 of their ultralight sleeping bags, they squish really small.

Make sure you leave room for Water bottles Oh yes and a pack of smoked bacon and mini stove (the best part) and don't forget baby wipes have 101 uses

Do it....you have to