I think I am going to need a horse or mule to ride in the back country. What makes the best back country riding animal? I plan to exployer the South San Juan and I cant walk that much.
Trail Help
- Thread starter xtreme
- Start date
jenbickel
Veteran member
That elk picture is from here in sheridan! If I could, I would ride an elk. It's on my bucket list 
jen, do you see how close one of the points is to the riders eye. Riding an elk is not on my bucket list. Going to be tough enough to ride a mule
Eberle
Veteran member
Extreme, Go with a mule. I've got horses & mules. Mules are better when it comes to backcountry imo. I've had horses spook in steep terrain. When they started sliding, made me really nervous. I ride my horses when we gather cattle & that is pretty much it these days. I've got a couple of brood mares I breed to my jack. Started raising mules 8 years ago & love them. We trail ride, hunt hogs & coons off our mules. When was you planning on exploring? I'm looking at heading out that way this summer (July or August) to ride in Unit 81. You are welcome to ride with us if you want. I've got 4 mules & my buddy has a pasture full! So we always have an extra with us.
RUTTIN
Veteran member
Eberle
Veteran member
BKC
Very Active Member
xtreme, I have had horses for a while and although they are great backcountry animals, I always wanted a big Mule. I finally bred my mare with a large jack and I got a nice john mule out of her in June. He is on his way to 17 hands and I was enjoying working with him but on Oct. 5th, the wheels came off. I found him limping in the pasture and this is what happened.
This is a before and after picture of his front left elbow joint, just below the shoulder. He was scheduled to have his screws and plates out in late december but on christmas morning I found him only using three legs again. He cracked the bone just below his ankle, the long pastern bone. The vet said he just has too much weight on a leg that was weakened from the 1st cast and imobility. He was 370# at 6 1/2 months.
He will be in a cast for 3-6 more weeks now till it heals and then thet will take out the original plates and screws. Then we will be back to a long rehad. I will probably give him an extra year before I start using him. So I guess if I was to have just one animal totally dedicated for hunting and packing, it would be a mule. But my life was a lot easier when I had just horses!
Of corse it is Jen! Your nuts!! LolThat elk picture is from here in sheridan! If I could, I would ride an elk. It's on my bucket list
Kevin Root
Very Active Member
While it's not a horse, mule or even an elk, I've always thought a buffalo looked promising for traveling the backcountry. Below is part one of this inspiring instructional video that I found while searching the internet, "Guy On A Buffalo". While I'm fairly certian having looked very closely at this video the "Guy" shown is not Guy Eastman, the "Guy" in this video really seemed to be able to travel safley on the buffalo through the wild backcountry.
[video=youtube;iJ4T9CQA0UM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4T9CQA0UM[/video]
[video=youtube;iJ4T9CQA0UM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ4T9CQA0UM[/video]
packer58
Very Active Member
RUTTIN
Veteran member
Ha Ha makes me laugh every time I see that. In the movie my wife is the little papouse wrapped up. My father in law tells me stories of the buffalo tearing the trailors apart and bucking off the guy all the time. Great times!
Kevin Root
Very Active Member
I saw it last year posted on a hunting friend's Facebook wall and it made me laugh so hard I was crying for a good twenty minutes. The music makes it pop. I could not believe someone could saddle up and ride a buffalo. It does look like great times Ruttin.
Kevin Root
Very Active Member
I'm glad your wife made out ok in that river crossing. I have to say I did get a bit concerned when she fell off the buffalo and into the water. I'm glad Guy was able to pick her up and get her to safety.