CHECK IT TWICE
? CHECK IT TWICE ?
Here are the lists I use when I go horse camping. You may customize them to suit your own camping needs.
Horsekeeping
?Baling wire
?Brushes/curries
?Burlap bags
?Coffee can
?Feed/forage
?Folding rack
?Funnel
?Grain (measured)
?Grain bags
?Grain pans/tubs
?Hay hooks
?Hay nets
?Hoof conditioner
?Hoof pick/cleaning tools
?Horse blankets (summer/winter)
?Horseshoes/nails
?Insect repellent (equine)
?Block or loose salt/minerals
?Manure rack
?Supplements/bran
?Water
?Water buckets/pails
?Water cans
Horse-Health
?Aspirin (equine)
?Cold packs
?First-aid kit
?Bandages/wraps
?Prescription drugs/medications
Horse-Camping
?Broom
?Corral tape
?Duct tape
?Flashlight
?Garbage bags
?Halters
?Hammer/nails
?High-line rope
?High-line lead ropes
?Knot eliminators
?Lead ropes/extra rope
?Portable corral
?Shovel
?Tree-savers
Riding-Related
?Bit/extra bit
?Breastcollar/crupper
?Bridle/extra bridle
?Leather cleaner
?Leather sewing kit
?Rags
?Saddles
?Saddle pads
?Spurs
?Temporary hoof boot
Apparel
?Extra socks
?Coats (heavy/light)
?Chaps/chinks
?Riding boots
?Riding apparel
?Riding gloves
?Riding hat/helmet
?Camp clothes/shoes
?Raingear/rain boots
?Swimsuit
Safety
?Insect repellent
?Prescription medications
?Non-prescription medications
?Sunglasses
?Sunscreen
?Snakebite remedy
Camping
?Batteries (for
flashlight/radio)
?Book/s
?Camera/film
?Camp chairs
?Camp gloves
?Camp hat
?Charcoal
?Clothespins
? Cooking wares
?Emergency blanket
?Firewood
?Fishing gear/bait
?Flashlights
?Food
?Ice chest
?Matches/lighter
?Radio
?Sleeping bag
?Tent/accessories
?Towels/soap
?Watch
?Water (one-gallon jugs)
?Waterproof matches
Travel-Related
?Cell phone
?Directions/maps
?Emergency phone numbers
?Travel papers
?Emergency road equipment (flares, spare tires, jack, etc.)
Mealtime!
Packing up feed, grain, and water for a horse-camping adventure can be a bit complicated. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Feed/forage. Don't take a whole bale†of hay if you're going camping for just a couple days.Take what you need for daily feedings, plus three or four extra flakes for the return trip. Wrap daily feedings in newspaper and tie them shut with string for easy handling. The hay won't fall or blow around, and you can use the newspaper to start a campfire.
If you plan to take baled hay (or a sacked feed, such as pellets), ask about any federal regulations. On some public lands, you might be required to use certified weed-free feeds to prevent exotic plant growth.These feeds usually come with a colored twine, marker, or receipt attached to the bales. Always keep this proof with the bales.
Grain/supplements/medications. Prepackage grain into small, individual bags for each feeding. Avoid using plastic bags, as they hold moisture, leading to spoilage after three or four days. Add any vitamins, minerals, supplements, and/or medications you give your horse to each bag.
If you give your horse any liquid medications or supplements, add them to the grain at feeding time, but take only enough for the camping trip rather than the whole bottle or jug.
Water. Always consider water availability when horse camping. The majority of horse camps are "dry camps"-meaning there's no water. Even when water is listed as available, you might arrive to find broken water pipes, a dried-up stream, or another problem, so always take containers to haul water in.
Pack several three-gallon plastic water containers, plus a couple five-gallon water containers. Fill them up at home in case you need water on the road. Once you set up camp, remove them from your trailer for refills.
Make Lists
Once you select a horse camp, you'll need to decide what to take. My personal motto is, if I can't use something two ways
I don't take it camping. Packing space is at a premium, especially on long camping trips and when heading to a primitive camp.
Begin your what-to-take-planning with a Camp List for Horses. For feed, grain, and water details, see "Mealtime!" at left.) Be sure to check off each item as you load it into your trailer. And, believe it or not, some people have been known to forget their horses in the mad rush to get ready. Add "Horse" to the bottom of your list.
Once you've completed your lists, print copies, and put them in a Horse Camp Binder. Put the date on the cover. Add directions on how to get tothe camp, maps, and emergency phone numbers, so everything is in one place and easy to find. If you're crossing state lines, add copies of your horse's certificate of veterinary inspection, proof of negative Coggins test (for equine infectious anemia), proof of ownership, and anything else you might need.
When you return home, file that particular Horse Camp Binder under the camp name for future use. (Tip: If you refer to a binder that's more than five years old, call ahead to make sure routes are the same, the camp is still open, and the trails are still passable!)
