Camping with horses is a brilliant idea experientially and in terms of your relationship with the horse. Everybody wants the horse camping to go smooth and pleasant for the horses and people, and return with enjoyable memory to remember and talk proudly about how well you managed the camping and how well your lovely horse adapted to the new environment.
For this, you need good planning, preparation, and some training for your horses to make sure your horse will be safe and comfortable through the trip and at night.
We are sharing below horse-conscious advice to help you organize the horse camping trip well.
-Very first thing is how much camping experience do you have? Then you could prepare yourself for camping mentally and physically, packing essential personal items, besides considering essentials for the horse camping and horse camping sites.
-Is it your first horse camping? Take an organized camping trip, trail ride, or join with other more experienced horse campers for your first time out.
– Before taking your horse to remote areas, make sure that they are well-behaved and the horse’s temperament is suitable for the new environment, preparing your horse for the unfamiliar surroundings of a new environment. It is easy for them to be stressed, upset, or excited about unfamiliar surroundings.
– Accustom the horse for trails riding away from the home environments. The more you trail ride, the better he will be prepared for the trail’s adventure and the new conditions.
– Based on the actual site you are planning to camp, test the horse night environment change near your home. For example, switch to stalls, high-line tie, picket-line tie, small corral, portable corral among nature, from outdoor to indoor or from indoor to outdoor that resembles the future camping condition if possible until he gets used to it. One or two days camping out of his familiar zone will ensure his adaptations and help you check how well you and the horse will deal with the new experience before going camping too far from your home.
– Make sure that you prepare the horse for the physical challenges he will face. Otherwise, he could fall into shock or colic, and it could take hours to reach the veterinary care you need. A long walk to the truck is never an enjoyable one.
– Schedule routine vaccination boosters around the time of camping.
– Mentally prepare yourself for unexpected tempers of your horse in the new surroundings such as fidget, fuss, stamping, through night whinny, tie break or attempt to be released from the new stall or corral.
– Check and book the horse camp in advance to keep the spot and consider if you camp on busy weekends or discounted weekdays.
– Consider if the horse camp surrounding or wilderness trails are appropriate for your riding level, pleasure, and not physically demanding for the horse. Do not exhaust him physically and emotionally riding too long.
– Create packing lists for personal items, the horse tacks, feeding supplements, and load necessary horse-keeping stocks on your trailer.
– Hold documents that prove your ownership of the horse, horse health certificate, and Coggins results.
– Pay special attention and communicate with the horse even more than you do at home as you will be the only familiar one to the horse in the new horse camping environment.
– For personal wilderness camping, study best horse camping spots with related bodies/agencies/experienced horse campers about the site regulations, requirements, and safety both for you and the horse.
– Or are you camping in the wilderness packing all necessary items for survival on the back of your horse? Consider the weight limit of your riding horse or the luggage horse can bear besides making sure the load or saddlebags are smooth, not rubbing your horseback.
– Check the campsite and trails riding drinking water in advance and make sure it is safe. Find a good way to bear your horse water supply when required based on the calculation of how much water your horse needs depending on the trail ride distance.
– Some horse camping sites have manure bunkers. Protect the wilderness leaving no trace, feeding horses with weed-free feed, dumping manure in designated areas, or spreading it if you are not available to take the droppings with you.
– Consider weather, choose a pleasant and bug-free season
– Check if the horse camp allows you to feed the horse with the feed you use at home. Otherwise, purchase the allowed meal and gradually change the horse diet for a minimum of 5 days before the camping trip.
– Do not feed the horse excessively, assuming that you should give him extra energy. It may cause him digestive trouble
– Feeding horse with the site grass is not usually a good idea.
Do you want to experience horse camping while discovering a new country and new culture while your horse stays at his safe home? If so, we suggest you travel Mongolia on horseback adventure – join one of our organized group tours or take a private tour for your interest, preference, and length of time.
In Mongolia, all horse riding tours are horse camping tours. What you should do is book your tickets, take a package tour, pack your bag, enjoy the vast open 360⁰ scenic views daily and camping nights under bright starry skies. Mongolian horses pasture in the wilderness and stay outdoors year-round. Therefore, no need to worry about the horses as they are in their home environment wherever they go. Local equestrians and your staff will care for the horses, camp, and cook.
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