Author Topic: Best horse? (Read 2384 times)

Hud · « **on:** April 25, 2003, 05:59:43 PM »

Ok horsemen, time to check in here. What is/was the best horse/mule youv'e ever owned or used? Why?

Hud

Mike C · « **Reply #1 on:** April 27, 2003, 12:18:41 PM »

Hi Hud: I think this a great topic!!!
My partner and I have a wilderness elk outfitting business in Colorado, we have 12-20 head on the high line during any given season.
Which is the best? That's a tough one, I love animals and I can get along with just about any horse but I will admit to thinking of shooting a few right there if I didn't need them to pack a load out of the woods. The worst thing is to borrow horses or use some that you just got for the first time. You don't know them and they don't know you so expect the unexpected.
Being the guide you need a good horse but at the same time sometimes we have to ride a lesser horse and give the client the better horse because the client has no experience at all. And of course there are horses that will take advantage of a person who has little experience.
The best part of outfitting is working with the horses especially the weeks before season when we are packing in and setting up the camps.
I hope some others come by and post here, there is a lot to talk about and learn from each other. Mike C

Hud · « **Reply #2 on:** April 27, 2003, 05:32:46 PM »

Hi Mike,
I was hope'n that there was another horseman/ hunter/shooter here.
With a string of that size I'm sure you've had your share of wrecks on the trail and can appreciate a good horse when you have one. It is a bummer when someone else rides your horse and doesn't use the same cues you do. It can really goof them up for a while. I'm the only one that has ever rode my mule, Sota.

Do you actually hunt by horseback, or just use them to and from camp and packing out game?

I've been practicing shooting around my mules and they're doing ok, but I think mine would run off if I turned her loose while I shot. I know my wifes mule, Abby, would. Shes not afraid of gunfire but it really hurts her ears, even at 20 yards or so of distance.

I'm planning on using one of them out in Wyoming this fall to ride and pack on a elk hunt. Any tips or advice?

Hud

Mike C · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2003, 01:18:40 AM »

We ride from camp to various points or areas that we plan to walk hunt in, usually we tie the horses some distance from a point where we sit for several reasons. Gunfire is one but also some horses will make noise that may spook the game and of course scent is another reason. We have a couple of horses that will whinnie if they are tied with certain other horses but not with certain others, you have to learn who works with who.

In the early season hunts when the bulls are still bugling often what happens is that we are riding through timber and a bull will bugle pretty close seems like. If it is just myself and a client we quick dismount, I tie up while the hunter gets his rifle out of the scabbard and ease toward where we heard him bugle hoping for a shot. If I have two clients we have already picked who will get the first chance for a shot and the other client will stay with the horses.

But at least once or twice a year we are riding along even talking softly a little and not 50 yards from us there are some cows with a nice 4x4 or sometimes better satelite bull getting to get in some late rut action after the big bulls have broke off. Sometimes if you don't make a fuss you can just stop and one man dismounts real slow and gets a shot. The elk are moving off and usually the shooter is easing toward them so he is at least a little distance from the horses.

You can get your horses accustomed to gunfire by shooting a cap gun while feeding grain. At first they will stop eating and get nervous, you wait until they start eating again and then shoot again. Eventually you can get where you can shoot a .22 auto rapid fire ten feet away and they keep right on eating.

There is a book called "Horses, hitches and rocky trails" that has a wealth of information about packing and improvising and also has a lot of humor in it, it is well worth the price.

Well that's enough for now, take it easy, Mike C

Winter Hawk · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2003, 02:13:28 PM »

Greetings! I just saw this forum and figured I'd check in. I haven't had a horse since the mid '70s, that was up in Fairbanks, but I am always interested. The wife is scared to death of them, so I am resigned to not getting another one. But hobnobbing with those that have them is still fun.

I did a bit of trimming and shoeing back then. I needed my little gelding's feet trimmed and watched the farrier do it, asking questions. He charged me $8.50 which was pretty spendy for me at the time, so I got some nippers, rasp etc. and started to do it myself. Picked up some books and learned what I was doing right & wrong. When folks heard I was doing it they started asking me to work on their horses also.

The critters were for pleasure, companionship and hunting. I think I saw more moose off the back of a horse than any other way. They didn't seem to associate man with a four footed animal. I sure had a lot of fun with them.

I'm looking forward to seeing more on this forum. Hope no one minds my making comments from what I remember from the past!

-Kees-

Spencer · « **Reply #5 on:** July 25, 2003, 04:42:31 AM »

I do not hunt on horseback, but I do a lot of scouting for deer and coyotes on horseback. It is a lot more enjoyable to cover a lot of ground on horseback than it is less ground on foot. There is nothing like spending the day scouting for future hunts on the back of a good horse.

Tbaus · « **Reply #6 on:** August 04, 2003, 04:05:59 AM »

I have raised Appaloosas for the last 9 years. I have also gone through a number of Quater horses and paints and some grade horses that who knows the breeding... I like the hardness of the hoofs of an appy. I like their endurance as well. IMHO the biggest trick is to find a mare with good soundness, confirmation and a good mind and take her to a stud with good soundness, confirmation and a good mind. You then produce a good horse 90 percent of the time. ( sometimes things at the shallow end of the gene pool swim up to the surface!!! LOL) Too many people breed on confirmation alone, or on paints and appys , pretty color. That is how you get people saying that all ( substitute breed name here) are crazy, no-good horses... Now, IMO the difficulty with Apps in breaking them is the stamina! It takes forever to tire them out. Here I have the hot Texas sun to help out. I shoot around my horses, beginning at an early age. I expose them to geese, chickens, turkeys, deer and whatever else I can get to wander around my property. I also imprint my babies at birth. IMO this brings a level of trust you can't find in non-imprinted horses. It too is a double edged sword in that they want to crawl into your lap when something spooks them when they are yearlings or less. You have to ready for that. Later in life, IMO imprinted horses tend to spookl "in place", much easier to handle than a running horse. My last baby for a while left here Saturday. That one is going to be something special. I kinda had a bad moment seeing her go. I have never shot off horseback. I have been thinking of getting a horse ready to try the SASS off horseback shooting. ( busting balloons with blanks while riding through at speed.) I may try that yet. Good shootin'...

bcboy · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2003, 07:28:59 PM »

Geez. Talk about talkin around the bush. Mtn. horses are just that, no particular breed just solid built and sure footed. As for a breed I gotta go for the Morgan first ,Appaloosa second ,and Q- horses " too many types " third.

Anyway just my opinion However, a better question is what horse or mule is best suited to your home territory.

Still love them morgans...always had geldings but if I rode alone might consider a mare. Hey! theres another

WD45 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 24, 2003, 01:39:51 AM »

Actually I believe that mountain horses are considered a breed now.
My grandpa used them to work with and we rode them when I was a kid.
I dont ever remember hearing him call them mountain horses but if someone asked him where he got them he would say down around natural bridge ( Eastern KY ). The only registered breed he would own was a morgan. I have owned quarter horses and rode most of the other breeds but nothing seems to compare to those old horses of my grandpa :grin:

JOE MACK · « **Reply #9 on:** September 24, 2003, 03:25:53 PM »

I was born and raised on a working cattle ranch. We raised horses to work stock and rodeo. The best horse I ever had was probably a little Morgan and quarterhorse cross. This mare was shor-coupled, muscled hind quarters, thick neck and torso, and had a small head and dainty little feet. She was also so smart it was spooky. Fortunately, she loved to work cattle and it was like she could read their minds. Used her for penning and cutting for a while. Sister took her over for barrels and poles when I left for the service. The other was a quarterhorse buckskin gelding that was as laid-back as I was not. Nothing ever flustered him. Roping off him was a joy as he seemed to know what I and the animal on the end of the rope was going to do next. Those two were my "best of the best." I've also had mediocre but steady working horses, some just excellent horses, and some real knotheads that didn't know how close they came to the dog food and glue plant. :wink: RKBA!

wildman · « **Reply #10 on:** October 22, 2003, 12:39:05 PM »

What about Llamas? Has anyone here ever used llamas to pack out meat, or camp with? I hear some say they are very trainable and mean as a snake.

actionadv · « **Reply #11 on:** January 07, 2004, 01:43:20 AM »

A horse or mule is only as good as what is on its back. There are no bad horses or mules. Generally speaking a bad horse is just short some wet saddle blankets form a good one. We keep over a 100 head of quarters, paints and mules, and have at least 20 in training all the time. The diference between a horse and mule is that " a mule must be started the way a horse should be" slow and easy.

m14dan · « **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2004, 03:25:45 AM »

I hunt and tail ride on my mule. He's a huge 17 h belgian mammoth jack cross about 15 yo. He's a great ride and extremely smart on the trail. He's a little rambunctious now and then and likes to lead a group. We actualy had an accident this weekend because of that but not bad. Another horse got in front of us about to go down a ravine and junior took a quick look and barreled over the edge completely bypassing the small deer trail that was angled better. He knew what was safe but it sure scared me to death and the horse next to us almost got knocked over. I corrected him for doing that and he was perfect the rest of the time. I really do prefer mules for the trail. I am not experienced as much as some but from what I have seen mules are more alert, sure footed, and can spot game much farther than we can. They can also carry much more than a horse if the need came up.

jackfish · « **Reply #13 on:** February 19, 2004, 04:21:44 PM »

Give me Morgans and Mules!

dangerranger · « **Reply #14 on:** March 05, 2004, 07:04:19 PM »

For a good horse on the trail my wifes Paso Fino is about the best Ive seen.Shure footed and calm.I just wish they came a little bigger.Shes ok to shoot off.[I have used her for cowboy mounted action shooting]She walks about 6 miles an hour.shes gaited .very smooth ride.

Mulehound · « **Reply #15 on:** July 11, 2004, 05:53:22 AM »

I have six mules that I hunt, everything from bear and lion to elk and deer. They have great endurance and are sure footed, plus I have never put a shoe on one yet. Timberpig is my main riding mule and he has it figured out, he will go to the hounds when I'm chasing dogs. When I am hunting big game he does as good a job as I do locating deer or Elk.

Mulehound

Sourdough · « **Reply #16 on:** July 27, 2004, 10:15:48 PM »

I have to agree with dangerranger. Paso-Fino great horses for hunting. My little Paso-Fino Charro would spot game long before I would. Once he learned we were hunting Moose or Caribou, Charro was almost like a dog pointing out the game. Once Charro alerted on something and I pulled my rifle from the saddle scabbord, Charro would turn 45 degrees to the right. Then lower his head next to the ground, and lay his ears back along his neck, and freeze. After I shot he would raise his head look and listen, if he lowered his head again I knew I would need to take a second shot. If Charro stepped out going to the game I knew I could put the rifle away. Sometimes I would shoot from the saddle, other times I would dismount and use the saddle as a rest. Charro never paid any attention to shots around him. On a two week hunting trip I would ride Charro everyday, my partners would alternate horses. All the horses (mostly Appys and Quarters) would loose 50 to 100 lbs on a two week hunting trip, not Charro. But one thing I did learn, NO MARES. One mare would booger up a whole pack string of geldings. They would all be fighting over which one was going to be closest to her. I never understood why the old cowboys in New Mexico would never let me bring a mare to a round-up or on a hunting trip. After I moved to Alaska and started running a 10 horse pack string, I made the mistake of letting a lady bring her mare on one hunting trip. By the second day half the string was either kicked in the leg and lamed, or had been bitten on the back where he could not wear a pack saddle. One negative thing about Charro though, He did not like big Bears. If we ran across a Brown Bear, the little horse went crazy. Once while saddling up on the Keni Panessula a bear walked upwind. Charro smelled the bear and tore loose. He ran straight to the horse trailer, the back doors were closed and he could not get in. Charro then ran around the side and knocked the wife over, then jumped through the small door into the dressing room on the front of the horse trailer. He left hoof marks in the kitchen sink. I had to go inside where it took 10 minutes to calm him down, and unsaddle him to get him back out the small door.

stymie · « **Reply #17 on:** July 31, 2004, 01:08:56 PM »

have trained and owned horses for years- apps quarters and thoroughbreds. but the best mt horse I ever had was a mustang from wyoming. she was double tough and wuold pack or ride. I rode her son for five yrs when hunting Idaho and trailed two of his sisters.

mmwb · « **Reply #18 on:** September 13, 2004, 09:56:42 AM »

I'm not an accomplished horseman as some of the above surely are, but have hunted with friends' horses. One of the considerations has got to be your confidence in the animal. If your confident in it, the horse will know it and respond in kind.

Got our first horse this year, a 9 yr old mustang mare. She's patient, quite, surefooted, and independent enough to do what she needs to but doesn't mess with the rider. Have had her in the hills several times this summer and find her great in steep country and in timber (she is very meticulous and careful in the deadfall). Look forward to hunting with her this fall (deer opens the day after tomorrow). She's never been packed on and while obviously a bit nervous about a fresh elk hide I placed on her the other day, she remained calm and well behaved. I've absolute confidence in this little horse and expect that it will make all the difference.

While I suppose time is always a factor, I wonder if the outfitters had their clients spend 30 or 40 minutes talking to, brushing, and riding (around the meadow, etc) with the horse they are going to be on for the trip, whether the hunters and horses both wouldn't be happier.