Another leg of my Mexico-to-Canada horse pack trip is coming up in May. A couple friends and I will be horse packing from Flagstaff, near where Dad and I stopped in 2016, to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Actually, we’ll be stopping this leg at Tusayan, but may take a day and ride a few of the equine trails in the Grand Canyon National Park along the South Rim. This leg, as close as I can calculate, will be about 108 miles. We’ll start making tracks from Flagstaff on May 13…if all goes according to plan.

The next leg will take me through the Grand Canyon and up to the AZ/UT border, east of Kanab, Utah. Not sure just when I’ll be making that trip. Hopefully this fall or next spring. Once across the “big ditch,” I should be able to make two or three legs per year and maybe get this whole thing done before I’m too old to ride!

So, I thought I’d write a post about horse packing gear and what I’ve learned so far, in the 555 miles I’ve packed from the US/Mexico Border in Arizona to Flagstaff.

A pack trip such as this, in which I travel from one place to another, and then another, never spending more than one or two nights in the same camp, is a little different than one in which an outfitter packs into a base camp, from which riders ride out and return each day.  For instance, packing to a base camp might include a pack kitchen, complete with stove and maybe even limited cabinet space, while my camp kitchen consists of a single-burner on a propane can. Whereas the outfitter’s meal plan might include such luxuries as chile con carne and beef steak, mine is normally re-hydrated foods, including soups, stews, or scrambled eggs, and jerky. I don’t pack a tent, but sleep under a canvas tarp, whereas an outfitter would pack wall tents for his guests. Non-horse folks might equate the two different methodologies to family camping with a camp trailer and long-distance backpacking.

On this and related following posts, I will be talking only from my experience with regard to long-distance horse packing. Your mileage may vary, so to speak.

In this post, I’ll talk about the primary gear for the saddle stock, the stuff that carries the stuff on the riding horse. Here’s a list of my primary gear:

• Riding saddle
• Bridle
• Halter and lead rope
• Saddle pad
• Breast strap
• Crupper or britchin’ (optional)
• Saddle bags
• Pommel bags
• Hobbles
• Brush and/or curry comb

The riding saddle for a long-distance pack trip should be a well-made, sturdy saddle. I do not recommend saddles with flexible trees, such as are sometimes marketed for gaited horses, with claims that they flex to move with the horse. I have seen some serious saddle sores caused by saddles of this type. They tend to flex width-wise, such that the weight of the rider sits directly on the horse’s spine, right under the cantle. I recommend a saddle with rawhide covered wood tree, with a gullet width and bar angle suitable for your horse. The style of saddle (Wade, Association, etc) doesn’t really matter, except that it should have saddle strings for tying on saddle bags, pommel bags, slicker, jacket, etc.  Show saddles normally lack good saddle strings. The saddle should fit the rider comfortably. A saddle with a seat length too short will become very uncomfortable to the rider within a few miles. Aussie stock saddles are quite comfortable, when properly sized for the rider, however, the inexpensive ones have very lightweight trees that are not very strong. They can fail under stress and cannot be loaded heavily with the rider’s personal gear.  A riding saddle need not be expensive, but should be of good make and condition.

I bought my saddle used, in good condition, for under $400. It is probably over 60 years old, but it would be the equivalent of a modern new saddle in the $3500 range.

The saddle cinch is something I have carefully considered and experimented with. I use only 17 or 19 strand mohair cinches. I have not yet tried cinches made of alpaca, but they appear to be very similar to mohair. Cotton saddle cinches tend to stretch when wet and can become too loose during a long day of riding. I stay away from the wide roping-style cinches (right below). They are too wide and tend to cause rub sores behind the horse’s elbows. I absolutely stay away from neoprene and felt cinches, which also tend to rub sores on the horses, behind the elbows. These cinches also tend to hold moisture and heat against the horse, making them uncomfortable for the horse during a long day under saddle.

The standard 17-strand mohair cinch (left) is the gold standard for me. I have never had a horse develop a serious cinch sore from a mohair cinch. They stretch very little, pass water and heat quickly, and dry quickly. They are easy to clean and return to near-new condition after being washed in a bucket of water with a little soap.

The saddle pad should be of good quality. I prefer a 3/4″ wool felt saddle pad. Mine happens to be made by Five Star, but there are less expensive saddle pads available through various sellers that would work nearly as well.

My second choice would be a mohair saddle pad. These pads are quite firm and hold their shape well. They also wick sweat away from the horse’s flesh and they dry quickly. Avoid thick, pillowy saddle pads. These pads are not suitable for long-distance travel. I also recommend against neoprene and other synthetic materials for a saddle pad. Just like the cinches, they tend to hold moisture and heat against the horse and can cause saddle sores during long miles under saddle. Some people have brought it to my attention that the US Calvary in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, used only a folded wool blanket for a saddle pad. It should be remembered that calvary soldiers traveled very lightly loaded and it was their practice to ride for about an hour, then dismount and walk for about an hour. You won’t be doing that on a horse pack trip. I also caution against over-padding, such as using a too-thick saddle pad, even one of wool felt or mohair. A too-thick saddle pad will cause a well-fit saddle to fit too tightly on the horse’s withers and can cause pressure points and possibly saddle sores.

While some people adamantly recommend break-away halters and lead ropes, in my opinion those items have no place on a horse pack trip. You simply cannot have your horse break away in the night and head back to the trailhead that might be 50 miles away. I always use heavy-duty nylon flat-braid halters with welded steel or brass rings and buckles. I have also found that the weak link in an otherwise heavy-duty setup is the lead rope buckle. I have eliminated the buckles from my lead ropes. I make my own lead ropes from 5/8″ poly rope, into which I braid a loop in one end and a return on the tail. The rope I prefer can be purchased by the foot from Rigging Warehouse. A horse cannot break it, yet it becomes soft to the feel with wear and is quite comfortable in the hand. The halters I prefer come from Outfitter’s Supply. These allow the lead to be attached on a side ring for pack animals and under the chin for a horse under bridle.

The bridle for a trail horse should be simple and sturdy. I prefer a bridle made from 5/8″ or 3/4″ harness leather with a browband and throatlatch. I prefer split reins of 5/8″ harness or latigo leather, at least 6′ long, although I knot them together, so I can lay them on the horse’s neck when I need to use both hands on something else. These reins tend to have a comfortable feel and balance in my hand. I use a curb bit marketed by Robart, which has proven to be comfortable and effective on my gaited horses. I occasionally use a braided rawhide bosal for training, but I do not use any form of bitless bridle for horse packing or trail riding. This is a personal preference for me, as I consider it to be a safety issue.

I consider a breast strap to be standard gear for horse packing. It keeps a heavily loaded saddle from slipping too far to the rear on a sweaty back when moving uphill. I prefer a mohair breast strap, because it passes moisture away from the horse and dries quickly. I have found that a heavy leather breast strap, such as is used for cattle work, will wear sores on the horse’s breast as it gets wet from sweat and gathers grit from the ride.  I currently use a breast strap made by Hilason, but have still gotten mild sores on my horse’s breast during a long pack trip. The rub sores come from the leather medallion in the center of the breast strap. I intend to fabricate my own breast straps with no leather medallion and see how they perform. Keep an eye on my website, because if they work, I may offer them for sale to my followers.

A crupper or britchin’ is an optional accessory. A crupper is made to hold a saddle in position on the horse’s back when moving downhill.

They are effective for trail riding, but I do not use them on long pack trips, as they can wear sores under the horse’s tail. I also use a crupper for training my trail horses, because it teaches a horse not to be too concerned when a lead rope gets pulled up under its tail. For those horses or mules that are “mutton-withered” (rounded withers) or slight shouldered, that allow the saddle to move too far forward when moving downhill, requiring the cinch to be uncomfortably tight, a britching or “butt strap” is useful. My horses have sufficient shoulders and withers to keep the saddle in place under normal circumstances, so I do not use them on my saddle stock on pack trips.

Accessories such as saddle bags and pommel bags are useful on trail rides and pack trips, but care must be taken not to overload the horse. I usually put in them things I may need to access during a day of riding. I carry lunch and snack items for the day, as well as several survival/emergency items, such as a compass, waterproof matches, cigarette lighter, and flashlight. On pack trips I also may carry a change of clothing  in my saddle bags, unless there is sufficient room in a pack pannier.  For trail rides I may also carry water bottles in saddle or pommel bags, but on a pack trip I use a military canteen hanging on the saddle horn. For pack trips I also carry a power pack for my electronic accessories, such as my iphone and Garmin GPS unit.

I prefer leather pommel bags, but I have used canvas saddle bags for many years and have found them satisfactory. I like the canvas saddle bags with heavy flat-braid nylon or leather straps and metal buckles. I do not like plastic buckles, due to their propensity to break when you need them most.

I do not like the saddle bag/cantle bag combinations units, as they are not convenient for what I carry on my saddle during pack trips. I prefer saddle bags over which I can tie a slicker and coat without having a cantle bag in the way.  A few year ago, I purchased a very large set of saddle bags, made of a heavy synthetic “bear cloth” material. They are very handy, due to their large capacity, but it is easy to overload the horse with them and I am careful to watch what I put in them. The same is true of many of the high-capacity pommel bags commonly offered by various makers.

The final item for this post is a short discussion about hobbles. It is important for a horse intended for trail and/or pack trips to be trained to hobbles. Hobbles restrain the front legs and are handy for allowing a horse to graze during breaks and in the mornings and evenings on pack trips. However, hobbles should not be used to allow a horse to graze overnight. Most horses will learn to move along pretty well, despite their front legs being hobbled. As they do so, they tend to wear sores on their pasterns from the hobbles. Many people fix the hobbles to the cannon area of the legs to avoid the sores on the pasterns, but my experience is that the hobbles will eventually end up on the pasterns anyway.

Years ago, I spent a bunch of money for several sets of very nicely made leather hobbles. I still have them in storage, most of them unused. They quickly wear sores on my horses, to the degree that I consider them unusable. Besides that, they are bulky and heavy. I have used flat-braid nylon hobbles with some success, as they are easy to clean and maintain and are durable, but, again, if left on too long, or if the horse tends to move around a lot while grazing, they will wear sores on the pasterns. The best hobbles I have come across were made by my dad from a soft nylon rope we found along the trail. I keep a pair of those in my saddle bags at all times. They let my horses know they are hobbled, but allow some freedom of movement. They are light enough that they do not wear sores on the pasterns. They are light, easy to clean,  and easy to store in my saddle bags.

That’s about what I consider to be my primary gear for my saddle horse for horse packing, based on my experience. In future posts we’ll talk about camp gear and personal gear to fill out our equipment lists.

Next post we’ll discuss primary gear for the pack stock.

TH