Got a hankering to go camping with your horse? It’s not a bad idea – in fact it’s a lot of fun. After all, when summer hits, you and your horse love to go out riding, don’t you? What could be better than an equestrian and her horse hitting the open trail for a long weekend? Just you, your horse and nature.
If you want to go horse camping, there’s a few things you should keep in mind. First, the biggest issue that will face you is the ability to contain your horse. After all, they’re going to away from their barn and pasture. You have an obligation to keep your horse safe and close by.
Basically, your containment options include using a portable corral or portable electric corral, hobbles, a high line or picket lines.
If you know that you’re going to be in relatively close quarters with other campers, consider going with a portable corral – ideally, one that has panels.
Grazing hobbles aren’t a bad option either, especially if you have plenty of open space and you and your horse are comfortable with the idea. Hobbles can be uncomfortable for horses, so if you go this route, be sure that your horse has some experience before you turn him loose. Start out at home so your horse develops a comfort zone wearing them. After that, he’ll know what’s going on and won’t be disoriented when they show up. Grazing hobbles are different from traditional hobbles, in that they allow the horse to move around.
A picket line simply uses a picket stake attached to a rope or lunge line that allows you to keep your horse in a controlled area. You have to drive the stake in deep enough that the horse can’t pull it out. As is the case with grazing hobbles, be sure that the horse knows what you’re doing before you do it.
The key is to get started with these options before you go camping. In other words, don’t surprise your horse. Take the time to research the options and decide what will work best for your equine. You know your horse better than anybody else. What’s their choice? And after you find it, practice a little. As always, look at the situation from the horse’s point of view. You want them to happy!
Camping with horses can be the most fun you’ll have with them all summer – just be sure you’ve got a solid plan for safety and containment before you go.
