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  • From: Jerry Smith <cowboy@frontier.net>
  • To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [MSAR] Regarding Gear on Horseback
  • Date: Wed Feb 12 18:22:00 2003

The following is a brief essay on packing SAR gear on horseback. It
includes some equine physical limitations and suggestions, especially
for those riders weighing from 175 lbs. and up. We search in very steep,
mountainous terrain in four seasons.

An outfit called Have Saddle Will Travel makes a nice saddle bag and
cantle bag setup for ultra light horse back trekking. The bags have
integral shoulder straps so they can be carried as back packs if
neccessary <havesaddlewilltravel.com>. These are a little pricey and not
for everyone but something to be aware of.

Jerry Smith
Upper San Juan SAR
Pagosa Springs, CO

Search Conditioning for Horse and Rider

The two most likely resources H Troop will provide during a search are
area containment and hasty searches. These activities require thoughtful
preparation and conditioning of both horse and rider.

Containment:
A lost tourist/hiker/hunter may travel 2 to 3 miles per hour in the
wilderness depending on terrain, weather and the lost person’s age,
condition and skills. If we come on the search after they've been
missing 4 to six hours, then a containment radius could be 12 miles or
more from point last seen. If we can't trailer to a containment point,
or past it and come back, then we have to add the time it takes us to
ride 12 miles to the containment location. If we long trot we can cover
6 miles per hour. Adding the 2 1/2 hours of our travel to the lost
persons radius it will have expanded to up to 16 miles from POS (point
last seen). That's a long ride! Of course then we have to come back.

Riders that will be useful for containment in this scenario need to be
ready to cover 24 miles over a 24-hour period. They need to be prepared
to stay overnight at the containment location. Their horses have to be
in very good condition, especially in that containment positions chosen
for mounted teams will be the ones where wheeled vehicles or Heli drops
are not possible - in other words, the steep, knarly and wild. Good
horses, good back country skills and good equipment is paramount.

Hasty teams:
Quickly covering locales with the highest probability for finding the
lost person is the role of the Hasty Teams. Again, a horse and rider
that can move quickly while maintaining clue consciousness is important.
16 to 20 miles of riding is probably a good estimate for a serious
search of trails and likely lost person terrain (8 to 10 out and 8 to 10
back).

Those of us who volunteer for containment and hasty search assignments
need to prepare ourselves, and our horses carefully. A horse can do 20
miles a day for two or three days in a row if they are in reasonable
condition. (The 50-mile Tevis Cup race is over very steep and rugged
terrain and is a one-day race. It is won most years by 16 to 20 year old
horses and amateur riders. Most SAR horses and riders are not in that
kind of condition.) Preparing yourself and your horse for 30 miles in
two days is a little more doable. Remember that in addition to the
miles and terrain he will cover, the horse will be at higher altitude
than normal and this will add to his stress, hydration needs and
matabolistic levels. He’ll need extra water and nourishment. The
altitude makes conditioning more important for both horse and rider.

1. The minimum exercise you should give your horse under saddle (and
yourself because you will be the one in the saddle) is 12 to 16 miles a
week broken up over at least three sessions - four is better. Remember
that walking your horse covers 3 to 4 miles an hour. Trotting 5 to 6,
and loping (cantering) 10 to 12. It's important to exercise your horse
at all of these gaits so that he is flexible and sound. Three, one-hour
sessions during the week, in which you exercise at all three gaits, will
give you at least 12 miles of work. This will also insure that your
horse is not over weight and that his back is in shape for carrying a
rider’s weight over long periods of hot, sweaty work.

2. Trotting is especially important. It is the most efficient gait for
the horse both in conditioning and working on the trail. Endurance
riders, cavalry troops and the Cowboys and Indians have proven this. It
is by far the best gait for the horse; however, it is the most
uncomfortable for most riders. You need to practice your trotting
skills. Rising (posting), standing or sitting the trot incorrectly can
sore your horse. But, if you use all of these methods correctly you can
cover lots of ground quickly and comfortably. If you don't practice it a
lot it will sore you.

3. ADDITIONALLY (after the three or four 1 hour workouts), each week
give your horse a 2-hour to 4-hour trail ride in broken terrain. The
trail riding should not be "walk and mosey only". Staying at a walk can
be harder on your joints, and your horse’s, than varying the gaits. A
good rule is to lope on the flats, trot on the twisting and upslope
portions, and walk the steeps. Arena work won't give the horse the kind
of joint and agility work he needs for the mountains. Reasonably
athletic trail riding or ranch work will teach him to place his feet
correctly, to balance over tricky terrain, and will increase his
confidence and boldness. Flat land and arena horses are not safe in the
mountains, especially when you must follow deer and elk trails or bust
brush cross country rather than ride groomed "trail rider" trails. Bad
weather and slippery footing puts more emphasis on the horse’s strength
and flexibility.

This kind of program won't prepare you for the Tevis Cup but it will
prepare you and your horse to be comfortable and efficient during a
grueling search. You may be sore, but you won't be crippled. Most
importantly it will increase your safety.

Interval training is the best method of preparing a horse or human for
long distance work. This is a method whereby respiratory and heart rate
is used as a measure of conditioning progress. How quickly both return
to normal after a spurt of exercise is the general means of measuring
conditioning. Varying the pace of each gait and the combination of gaits
and then combining these energetic periods with periods of rest will
allow you to roughly monitor the progress of your horse's conditioning.
There are many easily available sources for learning horse conditioning.

Conditioning will also make your horse less likely to suffer from colic,
dehydration, lameness and tying up. Your horse should be allowed to
drink as often as possible in the high country. Hydration for humans and
horses is the best way to guard against altitude symptoms and cramping
or tying up. Remember to allow him to get used to pellets, grain and
other feeds that will be part of his backcountry work. Make sure his
feet are in excellent condition and that you have an easy boot or
farrier tools with you. Make sure your horse hobbles or pickets well. Be
careful to never over cinch your saddle.
Horses need time to recover from intense activity. They metabolize their
food slowly. Over a three day period of constant riding they will lose
weight steadily, even if they are allowed to graze for two hours a day
and given supplements. Three days on and two days off is a good rule if
they are being used strenuously.
Carrying your gear:
On either containment tasks or hasty searches you may wind up staying
overnight in the woods. With that in mind, be thoughtful about how you
organize and pack your gear and what you’ve got with you. Sleeping bag,
ground cloth, food, survival kit, navigation gear and the rest of your
kit needs to be balanced on the saddle. The overall weight won't be a
problem for most riders if it is selected and packed carefully. Horses
carry weight better over their withers than over their loins so water
bottles, coats and some gear can be balanced in front of the saddle with
slicker, bedroll and bags on the back. Don't forget rope or hobbles and
maybe some grain for the horse.

Suggestions for gear needed on an overnight bivouac:

OVER THE CANTLE:
Small three season sleeping bag for summer search- synthetic but very
stuffable - 3 lbs. Or a –20 degree bag for winter - 4 to 6 lbs.
8x10 nylon tarp wrapped around sleeping bag. This is my summer shelter -
1 lb.
I roll the bag in the tarp and use nylon straps for compression. Rolled
up about 30 " by 4" and secured w/saddle strings across the back of my
saddle. I wrap it with my slicker so I have a nice tight bedroll behind
the cantle. Even better might be a goretex bivy sack with hoops for
reading, or even a 4 lb., 2 man tent, especially in the winter - but the
blue tarp will work. You can use the space blanket from your First Aid
kit as a ground cloth and the nylon tarp as a wind and rain shelter. In
winter you can combine your tarp with brush or snow for a warmer, safer
shelter. Your horse blanket works as a cowboy sleeping pad and
insulator, although a 3/4 size backpacker sleeping pad is better.
Mountain nights can get down to the low twenties and colder, even in the
summer - in the winter … ? - With your clothes on and by staying out of
the wind, you will be safely warm, or at least survive, in this setup.
About 9 lbs over the cantle in summer, up to 12 in the winter.

IN THE SADDLE BAGS:
Small collapsible backpacker stove and one cartridge - 2 lbs.
One aluminum cooking pot and a spoon for coffee and food. Also to boil
water if filters in water purifier choke. 1 pound.
Food - just enough to maintain energy over 24 hours - 4 to 6 lbs.
This is enough for one side of my saddlebags. Total per side is about 6
to 8 lbs. (4 lbs of grain is a good ration for your horse.)
Other side of bags has water purifier pump, survival bag w/space
blanket, easy boot, bute and misc. 6 to 8 lbs. I use spare socks, knit
cap and polypro long johns as stuffers in the bags to keep them quiet.
BALANCE YOUR BAGS!
TOTAL WEIGHT BEHIND SADDLE IS less than 35 LBS.

POMMEL BAGS:
Two water bottles, navigation gear and maps, note pad/pencils, radio,
snacks, first aid, small flashlight, batteries for gps & flashlight,
fire starting tools (at least two kinds). One or two space blankets,
rope & binocs. Your jacket, if not worn, can also be on the front of
the saddle. Carry a Multitool or a good knife on your belt.

A Cautionary Note About Weight
If you weigh more than 175 pounds then carrying all the gear required
for overnight camping becomes a marginal proposition. Consider: 40
pounds for saddle, 40 pounds for gear, 180 pounds for rider – 260 pounds
total for your horse. Two days of mountain travel may sore a horse
carrying this much weight. Monitor your horse’s ability during training.
Those riders that weigh more should consider using a packhorse. This may
increase your range and speed of travel and insure that you still have a
sound horse when you return.

*Remember that a human needs about 4 liters of water every day in the
mountains. Water is very heavy. Always be sure that you have the means
for purifying water you encounter and that you plan your route with
water for the horses in mind.

Most searches are done in teams. Members should always combine resources
so that weight distribution among the team’s horses is optimized.

Jerry Smith
Colorado Mounted Rangers
Upper San Juan SAR
Pagosa Springs, CO
4/23/02




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