Now, a little about the truck I use for hauling my horses…

February 17, 2014 Tony Henrie

A recent post on Horse Trails and Camping Across America about fuel mileage for trucks towing trailers, showed that a lot of folks are concerned about this and are looking for ways to save on fuel by adding after-market add-ons and accessories. I have a lot of these on my truck, so I thought I’d make a post about them, so that folks who are considering them might have a little real-life information to help them evaluate. I am open to PMs for anyone with questions through my facebook page.

My truck is a 2005 Dodge 3500 dually, 5.9L Cummins Diesel, NV5600 6-speed standard transmission, 4-wheel drive, 373 diffs. I bought it used in 2009 with 208,000 miles on it. It was in very good condition and was apparently used by a medical corporation for hauling a trailer around to various disaster locations (that’s my best guess, from various hints I found in the documentation).

Normally I would never consider buying a vehicle with over 100,000 miles on it, but diesels are a little different in this regard. Diesel trucks used for long-hauling, that have had regular maintenance, regularly survive in good condition well up into several hundreds of thousands of miles. This bodes well for those considering buying a used truck, because, as in the case of my truck, people have a tough time selling a truck with over 200,000 miles on it, regardless of its condition, and if you shop around and know what you are looking for, you can do very well.

Before I began to look for a truck, I went to my Nephew, Aaron LeSueur, owner of LeSueur Advance Automotive, 255 North Main Street, Eagar, Arizona, who is one of the best auto mechanics in the state of Arizona. I asked him what I should look for in a diesel truck. After going over the various makes and models, he said this: “If I were going to buy a diesel truck and could pick whatever I wanted, I’d look for a 2005 Dodge with the 5.9 liter Cummins.” His justification was his personal experience with servicing diesel trucks over the past 10 years or so. In his opinion, the Cummins diesel engine has been around longer than the current offerings of all the major truck makers, and the 2005 was, in his opinion, the best year for that engine, before the federal government began increasing the air-polution equipment requirements on diesels. His second choice, as for an engine, was the Ford 7.3 diesel, which has been out of production since about 2001. He said the later Ford engines have been going through a lot of development problems, and to stay away from them until Ford gets things squared away (I’m told the offerings later than 2007 are much better).

So, with that in mind, I began looking for a 2005 Dodge 2500 (3/4 ton) or 3500 SRW (1-ton, single rear wheel) pickup. My other requirements were four-wheel drive, and standard transmission. The need, or desire, for four-wheel drive is pretty obvious, but many ask, “Why a standard transmission?” First, I have been raised on standard transmissions. I like shifting gears. I guess it just feels “like a man’s truck” to me. I have to admit that driving an automatic in traffic is much more comfortable, but there is no question that a standard transmission will last longer with fewer problems than any automatic transmission ever invented. As I started looking for a truck I found that any advertisement for a truck with an automatic transmission invariably had some statement attached to it to the effect of, “Trans shifts well”, or “fresh trans,” or “low mileage on new trans”, all of which indicate there is a problem with durability in automatic transmissions. When a truck has a standard transmission, it is rare to see any comment other than the fact that it has one.

My truck, like I said, had 208,000 miles on it when I came across it on eBay. It was at a dealership in North Carolina. Other than the dual rear wheels, it was exactly what I was looking for. It was advertised for $18,500, which was several thousand less than other trucks I had been pricing with single rear wheels, plus, this one was within driving distance, saving me about $1,000 in shipping cost. Interestingly, I found that out here in the east (I currently live in Virginia), where traffic tends to be high, people like automatic transmissions. Out west, where hauling might mean miles of open road, people seem to like standard transmissions. This particular dealer was having trouble unloading this truck with a standard NV5600 6-speed transmission and over 200,000 miles on it, out here in the eastern US.

After doing a little research, I discovered that the fuel mileage penalty for dual rear wheels is only about 1-2 miles per gallon, but that if one is planning to haul a heavy trailer, the extra stability offered by the dual rear wheels is substantial. As it was, reports from various forums I participated in agreed that the fuel mileage to be expected from a 2005 Dodge 3500 with the standard transmission and 5.9L Cummins diesel, was in the area of 17-22mpg (no-load, highway). This was the same as the official mpg rating on my 2000 Toyota Tacoma with a 4-cylinder gas engine and standard 5-speed transmission! I decided to take a look at this one.

I contacted the dealer and made a tentative deal at $17,500. My inspection went well and I found the truck to be in exceptionally good condition, despite the mileage. The only obvious wear I could find was in the leather of the driver’s seat, on the left side where one gets in and out of the truck. I bought the truck for cash and ended up walking out with a total, including dealer fees, of $18,400, which was still well-below the asking prices of similar trucks I had been seeing in far poorer condition, both at dealers and from private individuals.

These are the accessories that either came with the truck or I have added since I bought it:

Bully Dog Outlook monitor/Triple Dog combo (v 2.4.3)
AEM Brute Force air intake
4″ exhaust (catalytic converter only, no muffler)
2″ leveling lift in front
Bilstein shocks (blue/yellow)
Buckstop Baja front bumper
PIAA driving and fog lamps
235/80-R17E Nitto Terra Grappler tires
Dynatrac ball joints
EMS Spyn-Tec Free-Spin hubs,
One-piece custom 5″ aluminum driveshaft

As I start talking about the accessories, let me set the proper tone with a short preamble here. Many of the listed accessories were on the truck when I got it. Others I added when I had to replace worn original parts, allowing me to leverage the upgrade cost against the replacement cost of the dealer part. Not only that, but I plan to have this truck the rest of my life. Barring an unforeseen catastrophe, I will never own another truck. Let it be clearly understood. There is no performance accessory made that will increase your fuel mileage enough to pay for itself over the time span the average owner will keep his/her truck. Also, you can not add up the various fuel mileage savings attributed to each individual component. The increased efficiency attributable to individual components simply becomes part of the whole system. In other words, if a manufacturer of one accessory component, such as a computer chip, says it will increase your fuel mileage by 5 mpg, and the manufacturer of an air intake system says you can save 5 mpg with their system, do not expect to get an extra 10 mpg by adding those two components to your truck. Trucks that have been modified for high performance, such as larger turbos, or dual turbos, will often benefit more from some of these add-ons than stock trucks. Having made myself clear on these points, I have to admit that I love adding accessories to my truck. I think it’s a natural thing. Just don’t deceive yourself by justifying the purchases based on fuel savings (unless that’s the only way you can get it approved by the spouse!)

Another point I think is relevant here, since we are trying to evaluate things that may increase fuel mileage, is that things such as tire size affect not only real fuel mileage, but also calculated fuel mileage. If you use wheels and tires that are not standard size, as stated by the truck manufacturer in the manual, your speedometer and odometer will be inaccurate, and will affect the accuracy of your fuel mileage hand calculations. Simply stated, if you put larger than stock tires on your truck, your speedometer will indicate that you are traveling slower than you are actually going (and cops and judges aren’t very sympathetic on that issue), and your odometer will understate your miles traveled. Therefore, your fuel mileage hand calculations will show fewer miles per gallon than you are actually getting. On the other hand, if you put smaller tires on your truck, you may be unjustifiably happy about your fuel mileage. On newer trucks, the truck’s computer can be programmed to adjust for non-standard size tires. Some after-market chip manufacturers also provide this capability. Using GPS to figure your distance mileage can overcome tire-size inaccuracy as well.

To add to the above, the factory installed digital fuel meters, which supposedly tell you your fuel mileage either cumulatively or up-to-the-minute, are notorious for overstating actual fuel mileage, particularly when you are babying the fuel pedal to increase your mileage. In my truck, I have babied the meter up as high as 23mpg in town/rural driving, while my actual hand-calculated mileage was in the area of 17mpg. Folks on truck forums jokingly call them the “lie-o-meter”. Vehicle manufacturers increase their vehicle sales by claiming increased fuel efficiency in their vehicles. That’s what everybody wants – better fuel economy – even in trucks, so it’s understandable that they would set their fuel meters to be, shall we say, optimistic. In normal driving, my meter normally shows about 19mpg, while my hand-calculated mileage hovers between 14 and 15 (town/rural driving).

Finally, before I begin the taste tests, I should mention that if you are contemplating buying a dual-wheeled (DRW) tow vehicle for your horse trailer, do not even consider one without four-wheel-drive. The dual wheels of the rear spread the vehicle’s weight over so much area, that there is actually very little weight on the rear tires individually, which results in reduced traction. A two-wheel-drive DRW vehicle will leave you stuck in the most aggravating circumstances. My pickup, even with the aggressively treaded mud/snow tires I use on it, will get stuck on level wet grass in two-wheel-drive if I have no load in it. It would be quite embarrassing to have someone in their family minivan pulling your truck out of a little old patch of mud somewhere! However, in four-wheel-drive, I can go just about anywhere. Again, if you plan on hauling a horse trailer around, do not consider a two-wheel-drive DRW truck. The fuel mileage penalty for four-wheel-drive is only about 1-2mpg, and in the Dodge trucks, that loss can be reduced to be comparable with a two-wheel-drive truck, as I will explain later.

The Chip

First, I’ll talk about the chip. Ever since computers entered the engine management scene a few years back, folks have been trying to circumvent the factory programming restrictions (to comply with government environmental regulations) to improve torque, horsepower, and fuel mileage. Since horsepower is the product of torque and RPM, and since diesel engines are low RPM engines, torque is the most important factor here. Chips reprogram the timing sequences of the diesel fuel injection system, to maximize power output of the engine. The increased torque (and therefore horsepower) increases fuel mileage simply because a more powerful engine pulls a load easier than a weaker engine, requiring less “foot” on the fuel pedal. Claims of huge fuel savings from chip manufactures have fallen far short of reality. To expect more than an increase of about 2-3 miles per gallon is unrealistic. Many people actually experience a drop in their fuel mileage after installing a chip, however this may properly be blamed on the “fun factor” of having increased horsepower. It’s so much fun to stomp the pedal once in a while and watch that black smoke billow as the rear wheels spin! It’s tough to resist feeling the power sometimes.

Bully Dog Triple Dog Power Pup programmer

Which brings us to another matter. Government regulation in the computer programming was occasioned by the fact that fuel injection can be timed to eliminate the black smoke problem that diesels have when too much fuel is dumped into the cylinder and cannot all be burned during ignition. However, if not enough fuel is dumped in, you lose power. The chip changes the programming to dump more fuel in a timing sequence that produces more power…and lots of black smoke. I found that with my Bully Dog chip set on a the most aggressive aftermarket program available for it, aptly named “Crazy Larry” after the programmer, I loved the power, which allowed me to easily spin the dual rear wheels on dry pavement even in fourth gear, but the amount of black smoke dumped on the gasping public was embarrassing. I have reset it to a more reasonable power level, which is a good compromise between black smoke and towing power. It increased my fuel mileage at most about 2mpg over the standard programming from the dealer for highway driving.

If you are considering a chip, here are some things you should know:

First, if you have an automatic transmission, the added torque will damage your transmission eventually. There is no question about it. You cannot avoid it by driving carefully. It will damage your transmission. If you decide you still want to chip your truck, you should consider having your transmission upgraded as well. There are modifications that can be done at a reasonable cost that will extend the life or your automatic transmission. There are also after-market transmissions that are built specifically for trucks with increased towing capacity and power. Neither of these options are a good investment, money-wise, unless you plan to have your truck for a very long time. If you have a standard transmission, you are safe as far as the transmission is concerned, however the more aggressive programs can overpower the clutch, causing it to slip and fail prematurely. There are aftermarket clutches that will remedy this problem, however in this regard, driving carefully is an alternative.

Secondly, if you chip your truck while it is under warranty, your warranty will be voided and will not be honored for any reason by the dealer. There is no way to conceal the installation of a chip from the dealer. Even if you remove it completely, they will see the tracks of the programming when they do their analysis. If you buy a truck that has had a chip installed, do not expect the dealer to honor the warranty.

Thirdly, if you chip your truck and take it in to a dealer for any kind of engine or drivetrain service, the dealer will, as a matter of course, reset your truck to its factory programming, unless you specifically tell them not to do so. If that happens, you will have to reprogram your truck after the service.

Fourthly, most chip programmers are “VIN-locked” (VIN = Vehicle Identification Number) to the vehicle on which the chip is installed. This protects the manufacturer’s interests, such that a person can’t use his programmer to program his friend’s truck. So if you buy a truck with a chip already installed, make sure you also get the programmer from the seller! In my case, I did not get the programmer (the dealer never received it from the original owner). When I started having trouble with the chip (which was reset to factory by the dealer), I could not re-program it. I found a programmer on eBay that was VIN-locked. I bought it and was lucky enough that the manufacturer, Bully Dog, looked sympathetically on my situation and unlocked it and provided the proper programming over the Internet. Do not rely on this to be the case. If you should decide to sell your truck, but wish to keep the chip components and programmer, you must “uninstall” the program, using the programmer, to unlock it from the VIN of your vehicle. It can then be installed on another vehicle, or the programmer can be used on another vehicle with the chip already installed.

My chip is a Bully Dog Triple Dog, which includes a small programmable monitor installed in the cab. It is an older model that is no longer manufactured. I have been pleased with the unit. The company is a small one and they were good to me when I needed their help. I was able to download from the Internet various unofficial programs for the unit, among which I found one I liked and have stuck with. In using these unofficial programs, I gave up some of the other functionalities of the programmer, such as the capability of adjusting my speedometer and odometer for tire size, and being able to read and clear vehicle error codes. If I were to go back to the Bully Dog factory settings, theses functionalities would be restored, but I would lose some performance. I prefer the performance.

Air Intakes

Much has written and said about the inefficiency of stock air cleaners on modern trucks. The fact is, they are pretty well engineered and effective. They represent a pretty good compromise between air flow, ease of maintenance, and cost of manufacture. Air flow, to a diesel, or any engine for that matter, is critical to the production of power, and therefore fuel efficiency. All late model diesel trucks are turbocharged. This means that all the air that goes into the air intake gets compressed in the turbo and shoved into the cylinders, where it is compressed even more, which causes it to heat up. It is combined with a tiny fog of fuel, which ignites under the heat and pressure, which, in turn, makes power to turn the crankshaft and eventually the rear wheels. The key is to get as much air into the turbo as possible. If you start that process with hot air, which is less dense than cold air, you get less air to compress, and therefore less air to burn with the fuel, resulting in less horsepower. If you have a restrictive air filter, or too small of an intake tube, you have the same problem.

To remedy this problem, after-market manufacturers have created what is know as a “cold-air intake” or CAI. A CAI attempts to get the air intake away from the hot air of the engine compartment and send a large volume of air to the turbo via a special air filter and a large tube. My truck came to me with one manufactured by AEM Induction Systems, which is highly regarded in the industry. Some manufacturers have claimed as high as a 10% gain in horsepower and substantial increases in fuel efficiency. Since my truck came with the AEM CAI, I have no data to compare a stock air intake system, however, from the various forums I have participated in, few truck owners have realized any substantial fuel mileage increases after installing a CAI system. No more than 1 mpg should be expected over a regularly serviced stock system on a stock truck. The stock systems are pretty good.

On the other hand, there are a couple shortcomings of CAI systems. One enemy of a turbo charged engine is moisture in the air intake. Moisture in the intake tube can cause premature turbo bearing failure, excess wear on the turbo blades, and can damage expensive sensors, such as the Air-Flow Sensor, which communicate with the vehicles’s engine management computer. Removing the air intake from the protection of the stock air box may improve air flow a little, but also places it where it may be subject to splashes of water. Additionally, a wet air filter severely restricts the airflow through it. I have not experienced any detrimental effects that may be attributed to the AEM CAI in my truck. I am quite happy with it.

Some manufactures, such as AEM, use an air filter that must be cleaned regularly and is re-usable after cleaning. I have found mine to be durable and easy to clean, but after cleaning I have to let it drip-dry before I can re-install it and drive. Not nearly as simple as slapping in a new paper filter and driving away. As always, the manufacturers recommend expensive cleaning solutions that are specifically formulated in their labs to be compatible with the special materials used in their air filters. I have found a solution of warm water and dishwashing soap to work very well.

Four-inch Straight Exhaust System

My truck came with a 4-inch straight exhaust system already installed. There is no muffler, but there is a catalytic converter installed. It is illegal to remove any factory-installed equipment that affects environmental regulations. While diesel trucks manufactured prior to 2006 enjoyed little in the way of government required smog-control devices, those that were installed, such as the catalytic converter, must remain, the fact that your state/locale may not conduct inspections for such notwithstanding.

Four-inch exhaust system with no muffler, only a catalytic converter

In my earlier life, I was quite into performance accessories for my cars and pickups that ran on gasoline. It seemed that the first thing anybody ever did to improve the performance of their vehicle was to install a set of “dual pipes” and exhaust headers. It was a well-documented fact that the installation of a set of headers was, dollar-for-dollar, the best way to improve engine horsepower. Improving the flow of exhaust gasses away from the exhaust ports of the engine, in fact, improves the performance of the engine. This is especially true of a turbocharged diesel engine. The turbocharger forces a high volume of air into the cylinders, but it can’t get air into the cylinders any faster than the exhaust system can get it out. As compressed air combusts, it expands at an explosive rate, which provides the power, so the exhaust system must be able to move air away from the engine faster than it comes in, because there is a higher volume. A high-flow, low-back-pressure exhaust system is essential for a diesel engine’s performance. Having said that, most late model trucks have pretty good exhaust systems on them. However, if you need to replace any portion of the exhaust system, I would recommend looking into having a large-diameter, say 4-5″ exhaust system installed. 4-inches should be more than sufficient for any truck that has not been modified for higher performance with something like a larger turbo. Again, do not expect fuel mileage gains over a couple miles per gallon, at most.

Five-inch chrome endpipe on my exhaust sytem - purely for looks — Five-inch chrome endpipe on my exhaust sytem – purely for looks

As always, there is a drawback to my straight exhaust system. While I love the deep rumbling, big-truck sound of my truck, when you are rolling down the highway at 70 miles-per-hour and the engine is at around 2100 RPM, the exhaust tone creates a very annoying and loud drone in the cab, particularly in the rear seat. Once I start hauling my horses over longer distances, hopefully in the near future, I will install a good quality, high-flow muffler, such as a Donaldson.

Exhaust Brake

I might mention something here that is not on my truck, but is on my wish-list. While it has nothing to do with fuel mileage, it is an accessory that improves safety while hauling a trailer. An exhaust brake is a very useful accessory for one who regularly tows trailers, particularly in mountainous regions. Diesel engines do not have the back-pressure a gasoline engine has, so it will not slow down the way a gas-engined truck will when the foot is lifted off the gas pedal. A diesel-engined truck will require more braking than a similar gas-engined truck on the same grade hill. To remedy this, large trucks use what is known as a “Jake Brake” (named after the original manufacturer, Jacobs), otherwise known as a compression brake, which uses the engine’s own compression to create braking power in the drive train. For our class of trucks, the exhaust system provides the braking power. While there are a several of types of exhaust brakes, they all work off the same principle: using back-pressure from the engine exhaust to act as a brake on the engine and drivetrain to assist the brakes at the wheels. This adds a true safety factor when hauling a heavy trailer down a long grade in the mountains, where regular vehicle brakes and trailer brakes can easily be over-heated. Two major manufacturers of exhaust brakes for our class of trucks are Pacbrake and BD-Power. Each uses a slightly different mechanism and both have good reputations for safety and reliability.

Free-Spin Manual Hubs

The next thing I’ll mention is the set of manual hubs I had installed. As I mentioned in the preamble, do not even consider buying a two-wheel-drive truck for hauling a horse trailer. The places you have to go to pick up and deliver horses, in addition to the places you will want to go to ride, will always have places that will get a two-wheel-drive truck stuck. The fuel mileage penalty for the four-wheel-drive front end, as I have stated, is only about 2mpg or so. In Dodge trucks, the four-wheel-drive system is a shift-on-the-fly system that has the front axle components turning anytime the vehicle is moving. That amounts to over 300 pounds of metal that is spinning for no reason when you are ambling down the highway, not to mention the unnecessary bearing and bushing wear in the components.

Several manufacturers have developed a manual hub that replaces the sealed unit bearings in the front wheels of Dodge trucks. The manual hubs allow the front axles to be disengaged from the wheels, allowing the axle and all the connected components up to the transfer case to remain at rest even while the vehicle is in motion. One such manufacturer is EMS Offroad, who markets their hub conversion under the name of Spyn-Tec.

Along about the time my truck passed 225,000 miles, one of my front bearings went bad. Dodge uses a sealed unit bearing which comes pre-assembled from the factory. There is no other way you can make this repair, but by replacing the entire unit, at a unit price of close to $500. I found the unit was very difficult to remove from the truck, even for a confirmed and experienced do-it-yourself-er like me. I had to take the truck to a garage to have the old unit removed and replaced. The cost estimate for this service brought the total repair cost up into the range where I decided to replace the units with the EMS Spyn-Tec Free-Spin manual hubs. This did two things for me: It gave me the option to unlock my hubs when I don’t need four-wheel-drive, which decreases wear on components and increases fuel mileage, and it gave me regular wheel bearings which I can service myself by simply cleaning them and repacking them with grease about every 50-75,000 miles or so. It was a no-brainer for me, particularly since I fully expected the other front wheel bearing to go fairly soon after the first. The total repair, including the new hubs ran about $2,500. Not much more than just having the Dodge unit bearings replaced.

Again, other ramifications. When the front hubs are disengaged, you can no longer “shift-on-the-fly”. If you have the hubs unlocked, you cannot use the 4WD shifter unless you are fully stopped. It will simply grind the gears. If you forget you have the hubs unlocked and try to shift into 4WD while moving, you may get it into neutral, but you will have to stop to get it engaged in any mode again. While you’re stopped, however, you can get out and lock the hubs. If it’s raining outside, or you are already stuck in the muck…well you see what I mean.

My fuel mileage gain measured out to be about 2mpg with the hubs unlocked under highway driving conditions, so I got back what may have been lost by buying a four-wheel-drive truck over a two-wheel-drive. During the winter, or during rainy weather, I simply lock the hubs and leave them locked. There is no harm in this. Just don’t drive around on pavement with the hubs locked and the shifter in four-wheel-drive.

I have been very pleased with the EMS hubs. Just make sure you provide the installation instructions to your installer and that he/she follows them to the letter. Sometimes an experienced mechanic figures he don’t need no stinkin’ instructions, but both he and you will regret it if he does not read and follow the manufacturer’s printed instructions. Take my word for it.

All the Rest

The rest of the accessories have little to do with fuel mileage, but I’ll go over them quickly, just for good measure. I wouldn’t have put them on my truck if I didn’t think they did some good.

Front Bumper

When I bought the truck, the big black bumper came with it. I did some research and found the manufacturer is Buckstop Truckware . It came with four great big holes in the bumper for driving lights, which, apparently, were removed by the previous owner.

The bumper is a $2,500 accessory (with the four holes), and I liked the look and protection it offered, so I was quite pleased. One thing I have on my wish-list is a 14-16,000 pound winch, which would be substantial enough to pull a 7,000lb truck and a horse trailer out of a ditch if necessary. Such a winch would require a very substantial bumper. The Buckstop bumper is such a bumper, and it comes with a built-in compartment for a winch. It is very well built of heavy steel and attaches to the truck frame with very substantial brackets and bolts. I’m quite sure it doesn’t help my fuel mileage.

Driving and Fog Lamps

It didn’t take me long, after buying the truck, to become very tired of the empty holes in the front bumper. It didn’t take me much longer to figure out how to justify buying fog and driving lamps to fill those holes. I found that the normal bright lights of the stock headlights are plenty bright for driving on the narrow, tree-lined Virginia roads, but when I got out onto some of the more rural and open roads in the western states, I was wishing for more light out farther ahead. I needed driving lights. I also concluded that a pair of yellow fog lights would be helpful in dense fog, since the headlights and driving lights are mounted fairly high, and white light in the fog can actually decrease visibility.

PIAA fog and driving lamps in the Buckstop bumper

I contacted Buckstop Truckware to ask about their recommendations for driving and fog lamps, to make sure what I bought would fit the holes and mounting brackets correctly. I ended up ordering a set of PIAA lamps from Buckstop, both white and yellow, to fill the holes in my bumper. Happily, since I had a Buckstop Bumper, they offered me the same discount on the PIAA lamps that they give their customers with the purchase of a bumper. The cost of the lamps, with shipping, was about $450. Expensive, but they really put out some light!

Two-inch Front End Lift

I didn’t discover the two-inch lift pads in the front suspension until I bought new shock absorbers and installed them. Many owners of Dodge trucks will install lift kits in the front suspension to level the truck somewhat. The rear suspension of the 2500 and 3500 trucks is quite heavy and gives the truck something of a “stink-bug” look. The lift in a four-wheel-drive Dodge also has some utility, in that it provides a little more clearance between the front axle and the frame. There are several manufacturers of these kits, some of which are steel lifts, while others are polyurethane. I have no opinion on which is better. I have read that the increased height detracts from fuel mileage at highway speeds, but I suspect it makes no difference for in-town driving. I like the look of it, especially in conjunction with the large bumper.

Shock Absorbers

When the time came for me to replace shock absorbers…which was actually about 75,000 miles before I ever owned the truck…I went with Bilstein. I have used Bilstein shocks for heavy-duty and off-road applications for quite a few years and have never been disappointed. Not knowing I had a lift in the front suspension, I ordered the standard blue/yellow shocks recommended for my truck. However, if you have a lift on your truck, or intend to install one, you need to order the Bilstein 5100 (silver) shocks. They are specially designed for heavy and off-road use and are made to extend longer than a standard shock absorber, so they are perfect for the lifted suspension. The blue/yellow shocks will top-out (reach full extension) when you go over bumps, and will eventually fail if installed in suspensions with the 2-inch lift kit. I expect to have to replace my shocks again in the near future, due to this.

Ball Joints

All four-wheel-drive Dodge diesel trucks will need to have their ball joints replaced by the time they reach 175,000 miles. It’s just a simple fact of life…or engineering. When I bought my truck, I was assured by the dealer that the ball-joints had been inspected and were in good condition, so I assumed they had already been changed. When I went in to have the alignment checked after having new tires installed, the shop told me how lucky I was that neither ball joint had failed. They showed me that there was nearly 1/2-inch of play in both ball joints. I did some research on ball joints and read up on them on several forums and decided on Dynatrac ball joints. They carry an excellent warranty, are guaranteed to correctly fit the vehicle for which they are made, they are rebuildable without special tools, and they are require no maintenance (while they do not require maintenance lubrication, they do have grease zerks, so they can be greased if desired). Dynatrac’s reputation among experienced mechanics is unsurpassed. While they are more expensive than the regular replacement ball joints from parts stores, the failure rates of the less expensive ball joints overcame the price difference for me.

One Piece Drive Shaft

On the very same day that my front right wheel bearing went bad (see Spin-Free Manual Hubs), the carrier bearing in the middle of my driveshaft also gave up. I had gotten stuck in a ditch and had to use four-wheel-drive to get out. After getting out of the ditch, I noticed a noise in the front right bearing and found the bearing had gone bad. Later that day, as I was driving home from work, the carrier bearing gave way and nearly scared me to death with all the banging around. So, while the truck was down for the wheel bearing replacement, during which I ordered the manual hubs from EMS Offroad, I did some research on the carrier bearing issue.

5" diameter one-piece aluminum driveshaft — 5″ diameter one-piece aluminum driveshaft

I discovered that many people had complained about a vibration felt in the cab at low rpm and low speed in first, second, and sometimes third gears, just after letting out the clutch. I had felt this vibration as well, and had recognized it as a driveshaft vibration. This is quite common in a truck with a carrier bearing, so I had disregarded it. The driveshaft is actually engineered to compensate for this vibration via counterweight on a small flywheel on the front driveshaft yoke. Once it reaches a certain rotation speed, the vibration ceases. In reading some of the forum topics on Diesel Truck Resource forums I found that the carrier bearing was a weak point in the Dodge drivetrain and that it was a known problem area by both truck owners and the manufacturer. In fact, Dodge had begun to install one-piece driveshafts in many of the models that had previously had two-piece shafts. I found that many people had resolved this problem on their own by having a custom aluminum driveshaft fabricated, eliminating the carrier bearing. I contacted a local company that advertised that they made custom driveshafts for machinery, etc, and asked about the possibility. They said, “No problem, just give us the old shaft and we’ll make it to measure.” So, I had my shop pull the old drive shaft, while the truck was waiting for the front hubs to come in. The driveshaft place sent a driver by to pick it up. About a week later they dropped off a beautiful piece of work in the form of a 5-inch diameter aluminum tube, tig-welded to heavy-duty yokes on both ends, already mounted with U-joints and ready to be installed. My only disappointment was in the price. The quote they gave was $550, but when I got the driveshaft, the price was $750. The difference was that they had quoted the driveshaft thinking it used the standard U-joints for a Dodge 1-ton, but when they got the shaft, realized it had the heavy-duty U-joints used on the Dodge 3500 with the standard transmission. So, while I would have appreciated a call first, the price was still commensurate with what others were paying for similar driveshafts on the forums.

I have been very pleased with the driveshaft. I no longer have any vibration at any speed or engine RPM. Smooth as silk. And, I eliminated about the only weak spot in the Dodge 3500’s drive train.

Tires

When it came time for me to buy new tires, I got on the forums and asked around to see what tires folks were liking on their trucks. There were a number of people who were pretty happy with the Nitto Terra Grapplers, which had just come on the market recently (2010). I looked into them a bit and got some prices and compared them with other similar tires on the market. I shopped both on the Internet and at local tire shops. I located a set of them at Merchants Tire and Auto Center, in Stafford, Virginia, where I live, and took a look at them. I liked the tread design, because I wanted something that was fairly aggressive for mud and snow, while not being too loud on the highway. The folks on the forums seemed to agree that these tires fit that bill well. Surprisingly, I found the price at Merchants Tire to be better than the prices of Internet sources I found with the tire, including Tires Plus and Tire Rack, once you include shipping, mounting, balancing, and disposal fees in the total price. Merchants Tire also includes with the price of the tire, an alignment check and tire rotation, however, my truck will not fit on their alignment rack, so I don’t get that benefit.

My first set of tires reached about 40,000 miles before I had to start changing them out for inspection reasons. I’m sure I could have gotten another 10,000 miles out of them, but with dual rear wheels, you don’t want to change out individual tires if you can avoid it. I bought my second set just a few months ago. I’m still happy with the tire. I will try to remember to get these rotated about every 10,000 miles or so, and see if I can get a few more miles out of them.

Wrapping it Up

My truck is a very heavy-duty truck. Many of the accessories on it were installed in the interest of increased fuel efficiency. I have kept a very strict and consistent record of my fuel purchases and mileage since I bought the truck in March of 2009, at 208,000 miles. It recently passed 256,000 miles. I expect to own it when it passes 500,000 miles and beyond. With that in mind, when I buy an accessory or after-market replacement part for my truck, I look for the best part I can find. I don’t look for gold-plating or pretty polish. I look for durability, serviceability, and availability (read established and reputable manufacturer/supplier). While I never object to an inexpensive part, I have never bought a part for my truck based on price alone.

I have learned from experience and from real numbers and calculations that there is no magic part or combination thereof that will turn a 7,000 lb truck into a fuel efficient diesel sipper. No matter what combination of parts you put into your truck, or how much money you spend on them, you simply cannot increase the fuel mileage more than about 3-4 miles per gallon over the way it came from the factory. As the miles on your truck increase, it is likely that your fuel mileage will slip a little. That’s normal, and it’s simply fact. There’s no cure for it unless there is a particular part that is failing. If you can find that part and replace it, you might get back up to factory mileage.

My 2000 Toyota Tacoma next to my 2005 Dodge 3500

My 2005 Dodge 3500 DRW gets very close to the same fuel mileage as did the 2000 Toyota Tacoma, with the 4-cylinder gas engine and five-speed manual transmission, that I owned before it. I’m happy with that.

My truck regularly gets about 14 miles per gallon in city driving, about 15 miles per gallon in town/rural driving (fewer stop lights), and 16-17 on the highway. In 2011 I hauled a car on a flatbed bumper-pull trailer from Virginia to Utah, at speeds up to 80 miles per hour, and averaged 12 miles per gallon. On the way back, I hauled a different, but similar car and about another 2,000 pounds of heavy tools on the same trailer. This time I kept my speed under 70 miles per hour all the way. I also added 1/2 ounce per gallon of 2-stroke oil to every tank of fuel. I averaged 14 miles per gallon. I once had a 1996 3/4 ton Ford pickup with a 360 CI gas engine and auto transmission that got 15 miles per gallon on its best day, and dropped town to between 6 and 9 miles per gallon with a full-sized camper on the bed. I’ll go with 14 miles per gallon anytime over that.

When I first bought the truck, I had hopes of getting it up to the low 20s on the highway with some of the accessories I added, but I’ve since accepted the fact that I have a big, heavy, heavy-duty truck, and that’s about as good as it is going to get. I’m ok with that.

I have also learned that when most folks talk about how they are getting 25 or 26 mpg from their trucks, that in general they are either looking at their “lie-o-meter” or they are simply making conversation and have no data to back it up. I have quit letting that kind of information bother me. I have been keeping hard numbers now since 2009 and I’m pretty comfortable that my numbers are real and not anecdotal. My truck has over 256,000 miles, four-wheel drive, dual rear wheels, sits high, and has a big, heavy front bumper, all of which combined costs me some fuel mileage in exchange for the benefits they provide. I also have added some accessories that reclaim some of that for me. About 17 miles per gallon is the best I have come up with as a solid average for highway driving, by hand-calculated numbers over the past four years. That drops to between 12 and 14, depending on my speed, when I’m hauling.

Accessories I would still like to add:

8-ton electric winch in the front bumper
Exhaust brake
Under-the-hood arc welder
Heavy-duty rear bumper with water-proof tool storage compartments
Low-profile bed tool box
Large capacity (60-75 gallon) fuel tank, either in bed under tool box or underneath.

So, there you have it. I truly enjoy my truck. In fact, there are few possessions I have ever owned that I have enjoyed more than my truck. I hope I have provided information that will be helpful to you as you look for your perfect truck and that may help you make more informed purchases of accessories and not be disappointed when you hear some folks talk about unrealistically high fuel mileage figures.

Tony 😉

Tack and Gear

Why Does My Horse Bloat When I Saddle Her?

January 29, 2014 Tony Henrie

I just read a short blurb on an article published by Equus Magazine about horses bloating (or not) when the saddle is cinched up. It made the point to say that horses do not “bloat” by holding their breath, but distend their abdomen by tightening their abdominal muscles as a reaction to expected discomfort when being cinched up. Regardless of the way they do it, many horses have learned that if they will distend their abdomen when they are initially cinched up, they can then relax and the cinch will be loose and more comfortable. The article inspired several comments on facebook regarding the process of cinching up a saddle, some of which touched off thoughts in my little noggin about not only the process of cinching up a saddle, but also the effects of over-tightening a cinch and why that occurs so frequently.

Several of the facebook comments indicated disgust at the way some people will kick or knee the horse in the stomach to punish them for bloating. Many of these same people indicated that they cinch up extra tight, because when they get into the saddle their weight will compress the saddle pad and make the cinch loose. Both methods, in my mind, are equally abusive to the horse, and both just as unreasonable at treating the problem of bloating (no matter how the horse does it).

I thought I might share a little of my experience as a trail rider and pack tripper, who rides long days, sometimes for days on end.

As humans, we tend to ascribe human feelings and emotions to our animals, often falsely thinking we are helping them, when in fact we are doing the opposite. In this vein, I often see inexperienced horse people buying saddle pads they think would make a good, comfortable pillow if they were to lay on it. These same people often purchase expensive gear, such as neoprene cinches and pads, which they believe help the horse to be more comfortable under saddle.

Soft and fluffy saddle pads, regardless of their color, shape, or cost, are the poorest of saddle pads you can buy. They cause one to have to cinch a horse extra tight in order for the rider to mount without turning the saddle. Once the rider is in the saddle, these pads will “squish” down and, in fact, cause the cinch to be loose, which can become unsafe for the rider. The only way to compensate for this “squish” is to over-tighten the cinch while on the ground, because you can’t do anything about it after you are mounted. Many of these pads are made of materials that can bunch up and cause hard spots under the pad as they press down. They also tend to soak up and hold mosture against the horse, causing the horse to become hot as it sweats.

Most of us who ride for long hours will confirm that the best saddle pads are made of wool felt. Mohair is also an excellent material. Neither of these materials will “squish” down, so when you tighten the cinch before mounting, it doesn’t get loose after you’re in the saddle. Both wool felt and mohair will absorb moisture from the horse and pass it through, allowing the horse’s back to remain cooler on hot days. These materials don’t just soak up moisture, but they remain bulky when damp, allowing some air flow and heat transfer away from the horse. They do not pack down and deform, which protects your horse’s back from pressure points that can form from softer saddle pads. Back in the “old days” the U.S. Cavalry used a simple wool “saddle blanket”, which was folded in half for a double thickness, quite satisfactorily. I am aware of one pair of “Longriders” who are currently making their way across South America using simple wool blankets for saddle pads. Bulky, cushy, pillow-like saddle pads are simply, in my opinion, our effort to do for our horses what we think would make our backs feel better, if it were ourselves under saddle. You can read a short “test report” on the Five Star wool felt saddle pads Ben Masters and his crew from Unbranded used on their 3000 mile Mexico to Canada trip during 2013 here.

Mohair Cinches from Buckaroo Trading Company

Mohair string cinches are preferred by most people who do a lot of riding and hard work from a horse’s back. A distant second are cotton string cinches, however they are more commonly used than mohair because of costs. Good mohair cinches are not cheap, whereas a good cotton string cinch can be had for under $50. Both materials are practically indestructible, can be washed, and will last for a very long time. I have seen mohair cinches that appeared to be contemporary with the century-old saddles they were attached to. Many people are now opting for neoprene cinches or neoprene wraps for their cotton cinches. I have tried them and found that on the trail neoprene will rub a sore on a horse or mule faster than any other material. In fact, the only cinch material I have ever used that caused serious cinch sores on a pack trip is neoprene. Due to my personal experience with it, I will not use neoprene in contact with my horses for any purpose. Neoprene makes great wet suits for scuba diving, and comfortable waders for fishing, but lousy cinches and saddle pads.

Now, I know there are endurance riders, show riders, and others, who will argue with me about neoprene and cushy pads. That’s fine. I’m just stating what I have learned from my own experience. They may work just fine for what you do, but I wouldn’t recommend them for any of the trails I ride.

Most of the facebook commenters to the above-mentioned article said something about how they cinch up in stages. First, they cinch up tight, then they do something else for a few minutes to let the horse relax, then they cinch up tight again before mounting. Many even said they cinch up a third time before they step into the saddle.

While cinching in stages is pretty much the standard method, I often see people over-tightening the cinch. I see them getting the cinch as tight as they can on the first try, because they are expecting the horse to bloat and know it will get loose when the horse relaxes. This is precisely why the horse bloats: It knows the rider is going to cinch it up tight and so he tightens his abdominal muscles (or holds his breath, whichever the case may be) in anticipation of the discomfort. So the rider who over-tightens the cinch right off the bat is unwittingly causing, or at least reinforcing, the bloating problem in the first place.

Here’s what I do, and it doesn’t matter at all whether the horse bloats or not. After brushing the horse and properly placing the saddle pad and saddle in place, I will check the cinch to make sure there are no burrs, knots, or stiff places that might make the horse uncomfortable. I then pull the latigo down through the cinch ring, then back through the saddle rigging, then pull it down again through the cinch ring, such that I have one complete loop through both rings. While doing this, I let the cinch remain loose, not touching the underbelly until I am ready to cinch up. Once I’m at this point, I will cinch the saddle snugly, but not tight. I just let the latigo hang at this point. In this way, I ensure that if the horse were to react violently to the cinch, as some horses will do occasionally, the saddle will likely stay in place and once the horse settles down, I simply continue with the process, whereas if one pulls the cinch up snug before having the latigo a full loop through the rigging and the horse reacts, the saddle will come off, possibly be damaged, and the horse learns a bad habit to get rid of a saddle.

Next, with the cinch snug and the end of the latigo hanging loose, I will bridle the horse, check hooves, apply fly wipe, and anything else that needs to be done before I mount. The, the last thing before I mount, I will go back to the cinch, and pull the latigo up snug again, then tie it off (or buckle it, depending on the rigging). I pull the remaining latigo up and through a keeper, to keep it safely out of the way. Resist the urge to thread the latigo back through the rigging multiple times to use up the remaining latigo. Thread the remaining strap through a keeper, or even through the rear cinch rigging ring, to keep it out of the way. Running it three or four times through the cinch rigging will make a lump against the horse’s side, right under your knee, and will be uncomfortable for the both of you. Ok, now I am ready to mount.

Notice I said I pull the latigo “snug”. Because I have a saddle that fits the horse well, and a saddle pad that doesn’t “squish”, I don’t need a tight cinch. In fact, there have been times on long trails where the cinch was hardly even snug on my horse. It simply isn’t necessary. I use a 3/4″ wool felt saddle pad and a medium width cotton string cinch for most of my riding. There is no “squish” in the pad and when I snug the cinch up, it stays snug even after I mount. That is not to say that there isn’t some settling between the saddle, pad, and horse, just that I don’t have to over-tighten the cinch to compensate for a squishy, comfy, pillow-like saddle pad. Therefore, my horse is comfortable throughout the process.

One last comment I will make here, regarding cinch tightening, is about the “block and tackle” effect the rigging has on multiplying one’s strength. Many people over-tighten cinches for two reasons: Firstly, some people tend to be more of the worrying sort than others, just a natural thing, so they prefer a very tight cinch; Secondly, people sometimes over-compensate, because of their perception of their own physical weakness, when applying their strength to cinching a saddle. The configuration of the latigo being looped multiple times (usually twice) through the rigging and cinch rings, acts just like a block-and-tackle for multiplying strength.

Back before power lifts and winches, a block-and-tackle, was the normal rig for lifting loads weighing more than a man can lift. It consists of a line fed through a pulley block, hanging from a beam, and back through a tackle pulley attached to the load. The more times the rope is fed through, the more times the strength of the one pulling the end of the line is multiplied. Some block and tackle rigs are made up of pulleys with multiple sheaves, so that the rope can be fed through several times. With such a rig, one man can lift many times the weight he could lift with his strength alone. The same concept applies to the latigo fed twice through the saddle rigging. The multiplying effect, along with the holding power of the latigo working against itself, can allow even a small person to exert sufficient pressure on the horse to make the horse very uncomfortable, and far in excess of what is necessary to safely hold the saddle in place.

In short, if you use a good saddle pad and your saddle fits your horse correctly, you really don’t need to “screw that saddle down tight,” as the old cowboys used to say. It will stay where it should be and will keep you on top of the horse, where you should be. For trail and pleasure riding, prior to mounting you should be able to slide your hand under the cinch, just below the cinch ring, and easily pull it away from the horse’s side about an inch. Of course, for performance work, you may need it a bit more snug.

Here’s a link to a short video I made a while back about saddling a horse. Please forgive the less-than-professional script; it was an impromptu video, but I think it includes the essential information that a beginner should know to safely saddle a horse.

Uncategorized

And now the Non-fiction Version…

January 20, 2014 Tony Henrie

So many people enjoyed the fictional story my son wrote about a horse pack trip he, my father, and I took back in 2001, that I thought I’d write up the non-fictional story of what really happened on that ill-fated trip. Sadly, I don’t have any photos of that trip.

What got the whole thing started was a trip I took with the youth from my church way back when I was 16 years old. We were hosted by the Wit’s End Ranch at Vallecito Reservoir, near Durango, Colorado. Their wranglers packed us in to Emerald Lake, in the Weminuche Wilderness Area, on horses, left us for five days, then packed us out. It was a great memory and one I simply could not shake. Many years later I found myself living within an hour’s drive of the trail head. Naturally, I began making plans to head back to Emerald Lake on horseback, and I wanted my father to go with me. Dad, then age 67, and I, age 42, had spent some of our best memories on horses, and I wanted him to take this ride with me. Knowing my oldest son’s love for fly fishing, I invited him along as well. Despite his healthy dislike for horses, and their apparent reciprocation of those feelings, Nate couldn’t resist the chance at casting a line into the crystal clear waters of Emerald Lake.

At the time, I owned one horse, a mustang named Max. Max was about 14 hands tall, stocky and uncommonly strong. He could carry me and all the gear I could pack on him all day long for days on end. I borrowed another mustang from a friend for my son. This one, named Roany, was around 20 years old, from what I was told, but he was tough and solid as a rock. Nothing in the world could rattle this little gelding. He stood about 13.2 hands and was only about 600 pounds or so, but he was a tough little horse to whom I could trust the well-being of my son.

Now for Dad’s horse. Dad brought his horse up from Eagar, AZ in a stock trailer, about a four-hour drive. Dad’s horse was a registered Quarter Horse, out of a mare we used to have. That mare had carried me through some of the roughest country I’ve ever traveled, and her son, Royal, had proved to be a good trail horse as well. The problem was that Dad hadn’t used Royal for a trip in several years. He was now 17 years old and had spent the past several years at pasture. He was fat and sassy and out of condition. That proved to be the undoing of our trip.

The pack horse I had been trying to borrow fell through at the last minute, so rather than scrap the trip, we decided to cut down our supplies and pack everything behind the saddle and in saddle bags. We figured we could cut down on our food supply, counting on fishing to supplement our dehydrated meals. We bought a pump filter for water and carried simple aluminum mess kits for cooking utensils. With our sleeping bags and ground sheets tightly wrapped we were able to make room for our pack fishing rods, waders, and minimal tackle. We were optimistic and looking forward to fly fishing and dining on fresh trout.

I tried right up to the last minute to borrow a pack horse, but was unsuccessful. We ended up packing up and leaving Farmington late, and arriving at the trailhead near Vallecito Reservoir around 3:00 pm. We unloaded and packed up the horses. It was past 4:00 by the time we headed out.

Our first hint of a problem was when Dad’s gelding balked when Dad mounted. He really didn’t like all that stuff loaded on his backside. After a bit of correctional instruction, Royal headed out in the right direction. About 200 yards down the trial, however, Royal simply exploded! Round and round he went, finally falling over backwards, pinning my dad’s leg against the ground and getting his own back legs tangled in the lower strands of a loose barbed-wire fence. While Dad tried to get his leg out from under the floundering horse, I leaped off my horse and dove on Royal’s neck and head to keep him from getting up before Dad could get loose, and to keep him from getting more tangled in the barbed-wire.

Royal continued struggling for a few seconds, during which my forehead came into sharp contact with a conveniently located rock several times. So here we are, Dad stuck under a struggling horse, who is stuck in a barbed-wire fence, with me on top of his head, banging my head against a rock, and blood streaming down my face. I can only imagine what Nathan must have been thinking about his choice to come on this trip in the first place, as he sat there on good old Roany, just watching the show.

We eventually got both Dad and Royal back on their feet. Dad had a badly bruised leg, but nothing was broken. He must have been hurting more than he let on, but he insisted he was ok. Royal had a couple minor wire cuts on his hind legs, but nothing that required attention under the circumstances, so we mounted up again and headed on up the trail. A few short yards down the trail, Royal again began to act up, so Dad dismounted and walked for a while, which kept his leg loosened up. We finally decided to mount Dad on Max while I walked and lead Royal.

By now it was getting on to evening, so we started looking for a camp site. A little before dark we found a nice little camp area down about 30 feet or so lower than the trail, right next to Pine River. It was a beautiful spot. There was a steep trail down from the main trail to the camp, but it was no problem for the horses. Having carried little feed with us, planning to let the horses graze, we turned them out on what grass there was in the small area, which wasn’t much. Three tired horses and three sore and tired men settled down for a dry camp. We spread the ground sheets and sleeping bags, then sat down and had cold pork and beans right from the can for dinner. After dinner we gazed at the stars, talked a little, and finally slept.

I remember that one of my last thoughts before I fell asleep that night, was a feeling of foreboding, sort of a warning from the Lord that this trip was not going to be an easy one. I often wonder how things might have been different if I had just called the whole trip off at that point and headed home the next morning. Maybe it was just a warning that we needed to be careful. Regardless, it was a powerful feeling and one to which I have since learned to give more heed.

We arose the next morning to a glorious day. It was simply beautiful. There we were, in the mountains with our horses, waking up to the sound of Pine River chuckling along next to our beds. What could be better? We ate a quick breakfast of instant oat meal or something. Whatever it was, it wasn’t very memorable. Shortly thereafter we were packed and ready to head out.

We sent Nate up the trail on Roany first. Like I said, it was a steep trail 30 feet or so up to the main trail. After Nate, I went on up. No problems so far. Then Dad mounted Royal and started up the trail. Just before reaching the main trail, Royal stopped and froze in place. We knew what was coming next. Just like before, he simply exploded! Over backward he went, tumbling head over heels down the hillside strewn with granite boulders and fallen trees. The last I saw of my father were his eyes, wide open, looking at me, as he disappeared beneath the horse. I watched in horror as Royal tumbled, rolled, and tumbled some more, down and down, until he came to rest at the bottom where we had camped the night before.

I jumped out of the saddle and threw the lead rope to Nathan, who was off his horse and looking down in disbelief at where Dad had disappeared. I told Nate to hold my horse because I figured if Dad was alive, he would be hurt badly and would need help. I figured I would have Nate go for help. I stumbled and ran down the slope and found Dad unconscious on the downhill side of a huge log. It was apparent the log had saved him from being crushed by the horse. As Royal had gone over backwards, Dad had landed next to the log, which had taken most of the weight of the horse. The horse had passed on over Dad and tumbled on down the hill.

Dad started coming to his senses as I got to him. I told him to just lie still until I could determine whether he had any broken bones. To my indescribable relief, as incredible as it seemed, Dad appeared to be uninjured, other than being shaken up and bruised a bit. Royal, as well, had escaped serious injury, and was standing, shaking, at the bottom of the hill. I was able to get Dad up to the main trail with some help from Nate, after which I went down and led Royal up the trail to where Nate, Dad, and the other two horses were waiting.

I tied Royal to a tree next to the trail and began to get his packs re-secured to the saddle. As I did so, Royal again blew up, jumping forward against the lead rope, which pulled him back toward the tree, he spun around, knocking Dad to the ground with his rump, then leaped forward again, off the trail, down the hillside on top of a jumble of granite boulders, where he came to rest with his neck outstretched against the lead rope. After quickly checking Dad, I jerked loose the lead rope from the tree, releasing the pressure on Royal. Royal, afraid to move, laid there in an awkward position on a pile of boulders below the lip of the trail. I descended to him and began stripping the gear off him. As soon as I released the cinch, Royal bolted up the hillside, clambering through the granite rocks. He reached the lip of the trail, terrified out of his mind, just as Dad stood up at the edge of the trail to see if he could help. Royal hit Dad full tilt with his chest, as he scrambled up onto the trail, knocking Dad off his feet and into the bank on the opposite side of the trail, as Royal tromped all around him.

Again, unbelievably, neither Royal nor Dad was seriously injured, although I could see with one eye that both were hurting. I got to the trail, left Royal to stand where he was, and helped Dad to a sitting position on the side of the trail. We just sat there for a few minutes while we considered our bad fortune at the wrecks and equally good fortune that both man and horse were still in one piece. I remember looking at the place where Royal had fallen and wondering how it was that he escaped without a broken leg among all those huge boulders.

At this point, I decided the feeling I had experienced the night before was a warning to turn back before someone got killed. I told Dad I was ready to turn back if he wanted to. Nate was more than willing to head home. Dad, however, worried that he might ruin a great experience for Nathan and me, said he would rather continue on. He promised that if anything else happened, or if he began to feel he was more injured than he thought, that we would turn around and head for the trailer.

Rather than be absolutely stupid and try to ride Royal again, I put Dad on Max and moved my pack to Royal’s saddle along with Dad’s packs, and I walked, leading Royal. Good old Roany never batted an eye at all that happened, for which I was grateful. At least I didn’t have to worry about Nate.

I walked the next seven miles or so from about 6,000 feet elevation, to Emerald Lake at about 11,000 feet. It was quite a hike, but at least I wasn’t carrying a back pack. We took several breaks en route, where we let the horses graze and fill their bellies. Dad was getting sore, but the movement of the horse seemed to keep his bruised muscles from stiffening up and was a relief to him.

At one point we came to a narrow wooden bridge, that was quite elevated above a roaring tributary of the Pine River. Being early summer, the spring runoff was still in full swing and the water was running high and loud. Neither Max nor Royal wanted anything to do with crossing that bridge. Luckily, we had Roany along. Roany hardly even noticed the roaring torrent of water, as he calmly walked across the river. Upon seeing Roany cross the bridge, Max decided he could do it as well. Royal, however, having been left ground-tied while I got the other horses across, decided the trailer was where he wanted to be, so he turned around and headed back down the trail with me in hot pursuit.

One thing I have learned, that has saved my bacon several times on pack trips, is to ride with a halter under the bridle, with a loooong lead attached. I keep the lead coiled over the horn while riding. I had been leading Royal by the lead rope and had his bridle hanging over the horn. When he walked off, the long lead trailed behind, causing him to step on it several times, thus slowing his progress. After about 50 yards of chase, I was able to get close enough to grab the end of the lead. With the other two horses waiting on the other side of the bridge, I was able to coax Royal across,

We arrived at Emerald Lake late in the afternoon. We were tired. We picked out a camp site were we could dump our packs and relieve the horses a little, while we looked around for a place to graze the horses and maybe find a better campsite. After unloading the horses we mounted and rode down to the lake. There were signs indicating no camping within 1/4 mile of the lake and that grazing horses was prohibited, except at a place at the other end of the lake. We decided that under the circumstances, if we could find a patch of grass, we would graze the horses regardless, and set up camp were we had dumped the gear, outside the 1/4 mile radius from the lake. Dad decided he would try Royal one more time, since he had carried a light load and been walked all day long.

Dad mounted and Royal was the perfect gentleman as we made our way down to the shores of the lake. The trails had been changed since I had been there many years earlier, so we could not get to the place I remembered, where there was grass and a very nice campsite. We dismounted and tried to find a way through, but the Forest Service had very effectively blocked all the old trails and there was no way for us to pass through. We headed back to the horses and I mounted. I looked over as Dad mounted Royal and saw that Royal had tossed his head and had flipped his bit upside down in his mouth. As dad mounted and gathered the reins, Royal began to back and act up, due to the bit problem. Dad, however, was not waiting around for Royal to explode again, and he left the saddle in a long dive as Royal spun around. Dad landed flat on his back on a rock about the size of a football. I don’t know how he did it, but he sat up, hung his head for a minute, and simply said, “Tony, I don’t think I can take another fall like that.”

“Dad”, I said, “We’ll head back up the hill, make a dry camp, and head down the mountain tomorrow morning. I put Dad back on Max and I walked Royal back to camp.

Once back where we had dumped our gear, we simply laid out our sleeping bags and laid Dad down to rest. I gave him a handful of Ibuprofen from my first-aid kit for the pain and to keep swelling down. Nate got a fire going while I went to the lake for water. We cooked a dehydrated meal and settled in for the evening. I can remember how surprisingly good that dehydrated meal tasted. The horses were restless at not having feed for the night, but they were tired as well and eventually settled down. We spent the evening talking and enjoying each other’s company, as we talked about our disappointment at the problems of the trip and not being able to spend our three days fishing, as we had planned.

The next morning we packed up and headed down the mountain, Dad on Max, Nate on Roany, and me on foot, leading Royal. About half way down the mountain, we came upon a lush green pasture, where we unpacked the horses, loosened the cinchas, and let them graze until they were filled. We napped and rested while they grazed.

We made our way down the mountain by early afternoon and were back home by nightfall.

Back at home, Dad went to clean up. Shortly thereafter he called me into the room. What he showed me scared me to death. He was bruised literally from above his waist to just above his knees. His lower back, rump, and back of his legs were solid black where he had bled internally and the blood had gathered under the skin. No doubt he had suffered some sort of internal injury, as this was not normal bruising. There was no talking him into going to the hospital. He figured that he had survived this long, so what was done was done and wouldn’t get any worse. Had I known he was hurt that bad, or had I seen the bruising while we were on the mountain, I would have cut the trip short long before and gone for help.

Yes, my dad is one tough old cowboy.

P.S.

Just for information, I later did some research to figure out just what happened on that trip to Royal. I learned about a malady which is becoming more and more common among Quarter Horses and is also showing up in other breeds. It is called Equine Hyperkalaemic Periodic Paralysis. It is a genetic malady which causes a horse to “bind-up” and become momentarily paralyzed. According to some studies, the disease is currently manifesting in as many as one-in-twenty five Quarter Horses, particularly those descended from a stallion named Impressive. Once a rare disorder, it is becoming more common in recent years. I have concluded this is what happened to Royal. His dam experienced this same problem later on in her life, after having been the best trail horse I have ever ridden. In my experience, I believe it is similar to when an athlete suffers a charley horse. Muscles knot up, causing the horse to “bind-up” or freeze, and the pain increases until the horse simply explodes to try to escape it. After this experience, I tried to “fix” Royal through exercise and training, but was unsuccessful. Eventually it simply became too dangerous to ride him. After a bit of riding, he would suddenly, without any warning, freeze up, then explode, rearing over onto his back every time. He got worse as time went on and I had several narrow escapes. After a friend of mine was killed by a horse rearing over backwards on him, I decided to have Royal put down. There was no sense in continuing to cause him pain and putting peoples’ lives at risk. We had a lot of good trips with Royal. It was sad that our last ride with him turned out to be such a disaster.

Sadly enough, as well, we failed to take even one photograph on this trip. The photos you see with this post are from subsequent trips we have taken.

Good Stories

A Real Cowboy

January 17, 2014 Tony Henrie 2 Comments

I was browsing through some old files, just cleaning up my computer a bit, when I came across a story my oldest son, Nathan, wrote for a school assignment in high school. The story was based on a true experience, or better said, ordeal, Nate passed through on a horse pack trip with his grandpa and me in the Weminuche Wilderness Area in southern Colorado in 2001, I think it was.

No, no horses were shot, but I have to admit there were thoughts about it. I’ll have to tell the true story on another post. It was quite the trip.

By the way, Nate’s a doctor now.

Enjoy.

Student # 8
Eng. 111
21 October 2002
A Real Cowboy

Cowboys have been much publicized characters throughout American history. Generally, they are portrayed as rough, tough, down-and-dirty guys on the silver screen. Usually they’re ill-mannered yet still chivalrous, slow of wit albeit quick to the revolver, and always scrambling onto their horse once more than it has thrown them off. John Wayne is the perfect example. Cowboys are rugged, worn-down, ready for a fight, and anything that comes their way can be handled by either their fist or their pistol.

My grandpa is a cowboy. His father was killed when he was young, so he grew up as the man of the house. He’s farmed, he’s roped, he’s rode, he’s hunted… he’s done it all. If there ever was a real cowboy, it’d be him. He grew up teaching manners to rank, unbroken horses, and the smile never left his face. I’ve heard stories of him going out on the town looking for fist-fights just to pass the time. Grandpa is tough.

Dad is a cowboy. As a career, he’s FBI. Given a choice though, he’d be baling hay in an instant. Growing up, he did the work on my grandpa’s farm. He loved every minute of it. He has a special whistle he does that is like the call of mother nature herself… he can call horses, dogs, cats, and even children with this whistle. Familiar or not, they all come running. He’s been camping alone outdoors more times than I’ll ever sleep outside at all. He owns three horses and rides them every chance he gets. I’d bet that if he woke up in the wilderness one day with nothing but a Swiss army knife and five hundred miles to civilization, he would make it back without mishap. If someone gave him a horse as well, he’d probably choose to never return! And talk about being a tough-guy… just last year he fought two guys at once because of a traffic violation. Every day he’s got a new smashed thumb, twisted ankle, or half-severed finger, and he never once complains. Dad is tough.

Now me, I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum with this whole cowboy deal. I’d much rather discuss than “duke it out.” I enjoy firearms, but my idea of a shoot-out is watching “The Matrix” on DVD, and I’d take a fully-automatic H&K MP-5 submachine-gun over any revolver or bolt action rifle. Camping is a lot of fun and all, but the best part is always coming home and showering to get rid of that putrid smell. Hay makes me itch and alfalfa gives me asthma attacks. But the worst part of the whole ordeal is the horses. Horses are big, dumb animals that make good glue. Sure, they’re faster than walking and are more versatile than a covered wagon, but they can never compare to my Jeep that will do 60 miles per hour and carry a hundred times the equipment.

I suppose the true reason for my extremist opinion is that I’ve been bit, stepped on, kicked, clothes-lined off, and bucked off of horses. In fact, the last time I’d been around a horse, I had mounted up to ride while my dad led the horse around with a lead rope, so he could “keep control.” As fate would have it, the horse soon tried to run off with me, slipped in a puddle of mud, and fell on its left side. All four hoofs were still in the air, and my left foot was under the horse’s left side. (My dad of course bought the horse the next day). I, on the other hand, had six weeks to relive the encounter while five decimated bones healed. The darn things just don’t seem to like me a bit. This is why I was so surprised with my dad’s question.

“So, son… your grandpa and I were thinking it might be neat for the three of us to go on a horse trip up in Colorado. It’d be kinda a three generation thing…” I couldn’t believe that my dad would have the nerve, the gall, the audacity to ask such a ridiculous question! Do I want to go on a horse trip? Of course I don’t! What a terrible idea! Is he trying to get me killed? I’d rather go skydiving without a parachute!

“…and we’ll arrive at Emerald Lake. I’ve heard it has great fishing.”

There it was. There was the catch. My father, being the cunning man he is, had introduced a new element into the equation. One he knew I couldn’t resist. Fly-fishing was the greatest thing in the world to me. I loved it, and my dad knew it. That’s how I came to agree to go on the stupid horse trip at all. At the time, I knew it’d all be worth it once I reeled in my first rainbow trout of the day.

So there I was, sitting on a nice, small, 25 five year old horse (which I suppose is ancient in horse years) with no mischief to give me. My father had saddled my horse, named Ronie, up for me and was now saddling his up, the intimidating foot-breaker of my past. His name was Max. My grandfather was on Royal, a bad-tempered, ornery steed. After getting suited up and used to my new elevation atop the animal, we embarked on our journey and left behind the world of comfort I was used to.

Sure enough, not 100 yards from mounting the horses, Royal started to give Grandpa a bit of trouble. The horse froze up, twirled in a circle a few times, then fell toward a barbed wire fence, taking my grandpa down with him. Somehow, my grandpa rolled away before being pummeled by the thrashing feet of the crazed horse. My dad then decides to be a hero, so he “tackles” the horse to prevent it from becoming further entangled in barbed wire. The killer horse proceeded to pound my dad’s head into a rock in all of the commotion. Eventually, everything got settled down. As usual, Dad was optimistic about the rest of the trip. Grandpa, however, was mumbling something like, “That’s one.” I didn’t know what he meant, so I didn’t concern myself with it. Within a few minutes, though, the horse and both my father and grandfather were up on their feet and ready to go. I was raring to go, too… to go home, that is. Alas, we pushed onward. Then came the rain. The huge drops weren’t much of a problem as we rode, the rain slickers took care of it rather well. However, when it got too dark to ride, it did present a problem. Everything was wet, so a fire was out of the question. All in all, we ended up spending the night underneath a tree (to block the rain) in a sleeping bag surrounded by two tarps. For dinner I ate cold beans, straight from the can, (and they were absolutely the best beans I’ve ever eaten.)

Arising the next day, sore and hungry, we set out to make good time. The first obstacle we faced was a steep hill we had to climb to get out of the camping spot. It was about 15 yards long and seemed almost straight up. Strangely, to this day I still don’t recall going down that hill the previous night. Regardless, I went up first and made it just fine. I had the good old horse. Following close behind me was my dad, who did fine as well. Bringing up the rear was poor old Grandpa. The tough old guy didn’t even see it coming… three quarters of the way up the hill, the horse went straight over backwards on top of him. Seeing his father apparently crushed, my dad leapt from his saddle and flew to my grandpa’s aid. Miraculously, Grandpa had landed immediately on the downhill side of a log, and the horse rolled over the log and left him merely shaken and bruised from the fall. Then came the arduous task of getting Royal to come up the hill at all. Grandpa pulled and tugged at the lead rope (from terra firma this time) until stubborn Royal finally crested the hill… and practically jumped on top of him. I watched in horror as my grandpa, on hands and knees, dodged the pounding hoofs from above like a bad spoof from The Matrix. With a mighty shove, my dad moved the stupid animal and I’m sure saved my grandpa’s skull. Under his breath, I heard, “That’s two…” from Grandpa.

When the commotion had subsided, I again presented my idea to return from whence we came. Again, my proposition was shot down by a grandfather who persisted that “the show must go on.” I was then beginning to suspect a conspiracy between my father and grandfather… for some reason, I felt that they were pushing to stay just a little too hard to be for their own sakes; there could be no other reason, I could find, though… anyway, on with the story.

We once again headed up the trail, this time with Dad walking, leading royal by the halter, and Grandpa riding Max. We had only a little longer. We were almost to the lake… I could taste the trout already.

Then came the switchbacks. The two foot wide switchbacks made possible a nearly vertical ascent by crossing a steep hillside horizontally, several times, at a low grade angle. I was absolutely positive that my horse would *snap* anytime and slip, tumbling off the edge and breaking me in half. I just knew it… I even had my foot halfway out of the stirrups at times… but the fall never happened. The horse never even twitched. My horse was steady as a rock, and as long as the “rock” didn’t become a rolling stone, I was fine with it.

Then, we crested the ominous mountain, and there sat our destination, our goal… Emerald Lake.

That evening, after finding a place to camp, we decided to ride down to the waterfront and check out the view while we used our pump to purify some water. Grandpa decided to take his chances with Royal one more time. We were all fine until we arrived at the waterfront, when Royal decided to act up again. This time, Grandpa wasn’t going to wait around to see what happens. As soon as Royal started to fall, Grandpa leapt from Royal’s back in a stupendously acrobatic maneuver (for a 65 year old) and gracefully landed flat on his back, on a rock. Ouch!

Grandpa got back up as quickly as he could, but it took him a minute. He didn’t complain a bit. Instead, he took a .38 Special revolver from his saddle-pack, put it to the horse’s head, and told it “That was three.” Then, he pulled the trigger.

I couldn’t believe it! I sat aghast for a moment, then I awkwardly dismounted as quickly as I

could. I screamed, “Grandpa, I can’t believe you! How could you? The poor animal… I know I don’t like horses, but…”

Then my Grandpa gave me a look that I have never forgotten and said, “Nate, that’s one.”

Grandpa rode my horse for the trip back, and I walked. Nevertheless, I didn’t complain once.

Uncategorized

Sorry for the lack of posts lately…

December 4, 2013 Tony Henrie

Folks, I need to apologize for the lack of attention I have been giving the westerntrailrider.com website, forum, blog, and facebook page lately. Suffice it to say that I have been fully engaged in other pursuits recently, since I had to put Penny down.

My family will be relocating out west next summer and I have been working on several remodeling and repair projects on the house, as well as a multitude of other projects I need to get finished before the big move comes. I have repaired and sold two rental properties, finished remodeling our home, done vehicular repair/maintenance, worked on getting our lawn prepared to look good for next spring, when we will put the house on the market, and I have been engaged in several other service projects outside my family.

Not having a horse right now has actually made things easier for me, as I have been able to keep my focus on other things, but it has taken me away from the preparations for my big trip in 2015, the documentation of which is the purpose behind my Internet efforts in the first place.

I have decided not to continue to maintain the forums on the westerntrailrider.com site. It simply takes too much time. Once I get things going again, if the demand is there, I will resurrect it. My thanks to those who joined and contributed information and photos. The forum will remain on the site and members may continue to post information if they like, however I will not be doing regular maintenance on it.

I will, however, continue to make occasional posts to this page and to my blog, as items of interest come up and time allows. Please rest assured that my plans for the Mexico-to-Canada trip for 2015 have not changed. The goal for the departure date is April 1, 2015. I still intend to make most of my own gear, and, once I get relocated, will be looking at acquiring horses for the trip. You can be sure I will be posting plenty of information to the blog then.

Meanwhile, Horse Trails and Camping Across America (HTCAA) is currently setting up a website and will have a great forum. They currently have over 12,000 members in the facebook group and are growing amazingly fast. I recommend the group highly.

Thanks for your support and I hope you’ll return once I get rolling again.

Tony Henrie, westerntrailrider.com

Great Western Trail, Tack and Gear, Western Trails

Getting Ready for Winter Riding, or, How to Keep Your Tootsies Warm…

September 9, 2013 Tony Henrie

How many times have you been out riding in the winter and had your toes get so cold they hurt? Let me tell you a couple of tidbits that won’t make you feel like you’re in Hawaii, but will help you keep your “tootsies” a little warmer in the winter.

Most people simply add socks until their feet just barely fit into their favorite riding boots. While that may seem like the logical thing, in practice, it is counterproductive.

Let’s first start with the part that gets cold – your toes. Make sure your feet are dry. You might consider using foot powder around your toes before you put your socks on.

Believe it or not, your feet sweat, even when they are cold. Keeping them dry is key to keeping them warm.

Moving on to socks. Until a few years ago, I thought the best arrangement for the cold, was a pair of cotton athletic socks, or even two pairs, under a pair of thick wool socks. Nice, huh? Thick, comfortable. I always ran into the problem, though, like I mentioned above, of fitting into my boots. My feet were usually so cramped in my boots, that my feet likely got cold from lack of circulation!

What I didn’t know then, was that cotton socks, while comfortable, absorb and hold moisture next to your feet, right where you don’t want it. A few years ago, I invited my wife to go with me on a deer hunt. We were going to horse pack into the Blue Wilderness Area in eastern Arizona, set up a base camp, and stay several days. I wanted to make everything just right for her, so that in the future, I might get her out to do it again. Linda gets cold feet. So, I did some research on how to keep your feet warm. What I found out surprised me.

L-R Wool Boot Socks, Poly Liner Socks, Cotton Athletic Socks

The recommendation was, and I have found it to be true, to wear a thin pair of polypropylene socks next to your skin. The poly socks provide little warmth, but neither do they absorb moisture. They actually act as a moisture barrier of sorts. Moisture from your feet passes through the poly material and gets trapped in the outer layer of sock. In recent years I have found it hard to find polypropylene socks. You have to get them at a specialty shop. Often even well-stocked outdoor sports stores don’t have them. As an alternative, I have found that mens’ nylon dress socks do almost as well. You can still find them in the “old mens’” section at clothing stores.

The next layer of your sock combination depends a little on your shoes or boots and the weather. If the weather is such that you are going to wear your regular riding boots or shoes, then a thick pair of wool socks might not fit. In that case, you can go with your cotton athletic socks. In extreme cold, however, cotton socks always come off second-best to wool. A good, thick pair of wool, or wool-blend socks over your thin poly socks will hold warmth around your feet, while wicking away moisture, from your feet, as it passes through the poly socks. It works much the same way as plastic diapers do on a baby. Wool has special properties, as well, that allow it to stay bulky and full, and therefore hold warmth, even when damp or wet. While other materials, such as synthetics, or cottons, may feel soft and comfortable, neither has both the ability to absorb moisture and stay bulky as well as wool products. Cotton absorbs water and compacts, synthetics remain bulky, but do not absorb moisture well.

Which leads us to our next topic: Insulation. One of the problems with wearing a bunch of bulky socks, is that when you stuff your feet into your boots, all that bulkiness gets compacted, losing most of its insulation value. Wearing a thin pair of “liner” socks, such as the poly socks described above, under your bulky wool socks, helps with this, as opposed to wearing two pairs of bulky socks. Buy a pair of riding boots for winter wear that are at least a half-size larger than what you normally wear, so you can wear a pair of bulky woolen socks without making the boot fit tight. You might consider buying boots with an insulating liner in them, such as “Thinsulate” which is one brand name of footwear insulation used by Cabelas.

L-R My Packer Boots, My Tony Llama riding boots

Personally, I prefer boots with no insulation. I recently bought a pair of Hathorne Explorer packer boots, in preparation for my Great Western Trail trip (I figured I had better buy them early and have them well-broken in before the trip). These boots are made of very heavy leather (they are made by White, which is well-known for making high quality Logger and Fire-fighter boots), but they are not insulated. This allows me to decide how warm my feet need to be and to choose my sock combination accordingly.

Additionally, I purposely bought boots that were a half-size too large for me. At the same time, I bought a pair of high-quality insoles for them. The insoles make it so I can wear the boots all year round. I wear them with a pair of regular boot socks in warm weather, with the insoles in place, and I remove the insoles to wear them with my cold-weather combination of socks in the winter. The extra room, without the insole, makes it so my socks do not get compacted, while still allowing my boots to fit comfortably snug. The main point with boot fit for cold weather is this: Leave room for your “dogies to breathe!” If your feet are tight in your boots, they will be as cold as if you wore regular warm weather socks.

A little about moisture control. We’ve discussed moisture from inside the boot…from your foot. The rest of the moisture comes from outside the boot. There are a lot of theories about waterproofing footwear, and the best I have found is called “Gore-tex.” Of course that is a brand name and there are other names for very similar materials, but I like Gore-tex. Gore-tex is a revolutionary synthetic material that is breathable, yet waterproof. Almost as good as wool! You can now buy everything from footwear to hats that are lined or made of Gore-tex. It is good stuff. However, if you are like me, and your champagne taste is tempered by a root-beer budget, Leather is the way to go for most situations. Leather boots cannot be made absolutely waterproof without a Gore-tex lining. But, you can make them very water-resistant.

L-R Kiwi Shoe Grease, Kiwi Mink Oil, Kiw Wet-Pruf Wax Treatment

For those who want water-resistance and to keep their leather in top condition, there are oils, such as mink oil, manufactured under various brands, as well as other kinds of “shoe grease” that will soak into the leather and make it very near impervious to water. However, these types of leather treatments are essentially liquids themselves, and tend to get cold in cold weather. They are not the best choice for damp winter weather, in my opinion.

I recommend a good quality boot or shoe waterproofing wax treatment. I have used a waterproofing wax made by Kiwi with satisfactory results. I have found that the wax application must be repeated several times each winter, as the wax does not soak into the leather like the oils do, but rather fills the pores of the leather on the surface, and therefore gets scraped off with wear. As it is not a liquid itself, and therefore is not wet to begin with, it does not seem to get cold like the oils do, and my feet stay dry and warmer.

For winter riding in which one is expected to encounter extreme wet conditions for an extended period, I recommend boots with a rubber foot, such as the ones in the picture, from the Cabela’s catalog.

Waterproof boots from Cabelas, with Thinsulate

No leather boot will stay dry for an extended period in wet conditions, unless it is lined with Gore-tex, in my experience. I find leather boots to be more comfortable than rubber-footed boots, so I will elect to go with leather in most circumstances.

One last tidbit has to do with boot soles. I always prefer to ride with smooth, leather-soled western riding boots. Not only do they make me feel and look like John Wayne (as long as you’re looking at my feet only), but they are actually safer to ride in than rubber-soled boots or riding shoes. They easily slip into and out of the stirrup, which greatly eases getting on…and unloading in a hurry, when necessary. Leather soles, however, get wet and slick when used on wet surfaces. The moisture will eventually get through to your socks and your feet. Rubber soles are completely waterproof, so I recommend them for winter riding. Rubber-soled riding boots tend to grab the leather tread most stirrups are made with, and keep the boot from slipping in or out. A rubber lugged sole, such as you see on some western-style boots, can actually be unsafe for riding. The lugged sole can become locked in place in the stirrup if the foot is placed at any angle other than normal. When deciding on a winter riding boot, consider the type and size of your stirrups. Your riding boot should slip easily into and out of the stirrup. You may find you need to invest in a pair of winter riding stirrups, for comfort and safety, along with your winter riding boots.

So there you have it, the gospel according to Tony, for keeping your tootsies warm during winter riding.

Great Western Trail, Tack and Gear

A short plug for Easycare.com and Easyboots

August 22, 2013 Tony Henrie

While I was struggling with trying to get Penny over Laminitis over the past several weeks, I ordered a set of Easyboot originals from easycareinc.com for Penny’s front hooves, based on the recommendations of Pete Ramey on his website, hoofrehab.com, with regard to treatment for Laminitic horses. I also bought a set of medium density pad inserts to give her a little extra padding.

Easyboots and medium density pad inserts

Last week, when Penny unexpectedly took a turn for the worse, I ordered a second set of boots and pads for her rear hooves. However, as things turned out, Penny had to be put down before the second set of boots arrived.

The second pair arrived yesterday. I called easycareinc.com to ask for an authorization to return the second pair of boots and pads, unopened and unused. When the customer service representative asked the reason for the return, I told her I had to put the horse down before the boots arrived. She was very kind and expressed her condolences.

Easyboot originals and medium density pad inserts

Then she did an unexpected thing. She looked up the sale of the boots and noticed the previous order, from three weeks ago. She asked whether I was returning both sets or just the second set. I told her I had been using the first set for Penny’s front hooves since I received them and was quite happy with them. She then told me they were still within the 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee period, and that if I didn’t need them I was welcome to return them. How refreshing that was in this day and age when customer service has nearly died and the almighty dollar is the highest aspiration of all.

I plan to return both sets of boots, since Penny has passed on and I currently have no other horses, however, that one act by that customer service representative, at a time when any kindness softened a troubled time for me, has won a loyal customer.

I will continue outfitting for my Mexico to Canada trip for 2015. You can bet Easyboot originals will be on the required equipment list for all of us.

Thanks again, EasyCare, Inc.

Good Stories

I was thinking about Penny this morning…

August 21, 2013 Tony Henrie

I woke up about 4am this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. Got a little maintenance work done on the website. My thoughts were on Penny. Putting her down yesterday was a hard thing.

After the vet verified death, we stood and talked a minute. I was grateful for a listening ear in those difficult moments right after her passing. I told her about the day I first saw Penny.

I had decided to buy a horse for my teenage daughter, to see whether she would take to horses like I did as a child. I started looking on Craigslist for candidates and came up with a list of horses, ranging in price from $800 to $1,500. Most of them indicated “greenbroke” in the ad, or “needs an experienced rider”, or something along those lines, which is why they were selling cheap. I wasn’t concerned about that, because I prefer to train my own horses anyway. Neither was I concerned about buying a registered horse, since my enjoyment comes from trail riding and packing. Having a horse with papers serves no purpose for me. I simply look for a horse with a good character, good conformation, and good hooves.

The first horse I looked at was Penny. She was located in Spotsylvania County, VA on a small acreage with no pasture, just a large fenced corral where trees had been cleared away, in which no grass grew. She had a small pony as a companion. The owner advertised her as a 6 year-old unregistered, greenbroke Quarter Horse for $800. She said they had owned her several years and used to rider her often, but hadn’t ridden her in about two years. They had decided to sell her, since they weren’t using her any more.

When we approached the corral gate, the owner called to her and Penny approached willingly. She wore an old halter that looked like it hadn’t been removed since they had owned her. It had worn the hair away and left a mark on her nose from the nose band. She appeared to be in good shape, weight-wise, and looked healthy. Right away, I could see she had a unique personality. She was very personable and gentle and seemed to genuinely like people.

I looked her over and found she had a scar on the coronet band of her right rear hoof, but it was healed and did not seem to affect the growth or soundness of the hoof. All her heels seemed to be a little “pinched”, but I guessed this was from a lack of regular hoof care. She seemed sound and showed no tenderness on any hoof or joint. I liked what I saw.

I put my heavy-duty lead rope on her halter, walked her out of the corral, and tied her to a tree. I brushed her down and tossed my saddle pad and saddle on her back while the owner stood back and watched. Penny fidgeted a little, which was my warning. As I began to cinch her up, all hell broke loose! She buck-jumped, pulled back, then lunged forward, hitting the tree. She pulled again and bucked and jumped until she finally came to rest on her back, legs in the air, neck outstretched against the lead rope still snubbed to the tree. I just stepped back and watched the rodeo until she stopped struggling.

Once Penny came to rest, I reached up and pulled loose the safety knot on the lead rope with a jerk. She immediately rolled upright and stood up. I looked her over to make sure she wasn’t hurt, then brushed her off a little. The saddle had stayed in place, so I finished cinching it up, which she permitted this time, although she hunched a little at it. I then walked her around for a few minutes to see how she moved and to make sure she would actually move with a saddle in place. She calmed down quickly and all went well.

I took Penny back to the tree and tied her again, then walked over to the owner, who was still watching. I smiled at the lady and said, “I like her. She seems like a horse that might work for me, however, there are several more horses I plan to look at. I may come back to this one, but if I do, I’ll be talking $300, not $800.”

The lady looked over at Penny for a long second, then back to me and said, “I can do that.”

Once that was settled, I spent a few more minutes talking to the owner and got the full story. They had owned Penny about 3 years, having bought her from a person they know. They started out riding her, but found she was lazy and slow. She seemed to be reluctant to do anything. The owner’s husband chimed in then and said, “We like horses that GO! So, I decided to get on her and make her GO!” Penny had promptly bucked him off and they never rode her again. It was pretty obvious to me that neither of them were experienced with horses, other than simply getting on and riding a dead-broke animal.

As it turned out, Penny was the best of a bunch of horses I looked at. Not the best conformation, not the best conditioned, not the best bred, but I could not get over her personality. I was taken with her the first time I saw her.

I went back for her. This time, just to make sure, I saddled her up (this time with no issues) and rode her around the place or a few minutes. I determined that she was simply untrained. She just didn’t know anything, yet she was willing. The last test was whether she would load in the trailer. I told the owner I would not give her the check (for $300) until I had her loaded in the trailer.

Though frightened of the trailer, after a little bit of coaxing, Penny hopped in, showing again her willing temperament.

I handed over the check and became the new owner of a $300, six year-old, unregistered, greenbroke, peach of a mare. Penny.

Great Western Trail, Horse Health

It’s raining today…

August 18, 2013 Tony Henrie

It’s raining today, which is appropriate.

Last night I made the decision to euthanize Penny, who has been my faithful friend for the past three years. Tomorrow I will make all the arrangements.

This will probably be a surprise to those of you who have been following my entries on Penny’s Laminitis. Her prospects, initially, for recovery were very good. The vet, after taking X-rays three weeks ago, indicated that with proper care and hoof trimming she should be back to normal within six months. That same night, Penny escaped her stall and spent an unknown amount of time grazing in the lush, green pastures of the small farm where she is kept. By the following morning, when I found her in the pasture, the damage was done. She relapsed almost immediately.

Once she began recovering well from that relapse, I tried to slowly transition her back to pasture, believing that it might be possible, since the initial trigger for her Laminitis was not the grass, but an overload of sweet feed. Not to be. After two efforts at transitioning her to the pasture, I found that any quantity of grass in her diet immediately brought back the symptoms of Laminitis. I resigned myself to keeping her in a stall and hand-feeding her until she was well enough to begin to ride again, at which time I would find her a new home.

This past week I was encouraged at her progress. Although she was still tender, she was able to walk with me around the pasture, and would do so willingly. I had noticed she was dropping weight rather quickly, so I did some research to find a supplemental feed that might be tolerable for her in her current state. I came upon Timothy hay pellets, which, according to my reading, as well as the labels on the bag, contains no more than 8% sugars, which is well below other kinds of feed. As I have been mixing Penny’s Bute dosages with about 1 pound of alfalfa pellets, I thought it would be safe to replace the alfalfa pellets with the Timothy pellets, further reducing her sugars intake.

I started with one pound of Timothy pellets, moistened, and mixed with the Bute, morning and evening. After two days she seemed to be ok, although I noticed that she may have been slightly more sore on her rear hooves the second night. On the third night I increased the Timothy pellets to two pounds. That was last Thursday evening. On Friday morning her her rear fetlocks were very swollen and she was obviously hurting. By Friday evening, once again, she was in full-blown Laminitis and her fetlocks were swollen tight as balloons. I soaked her rear hooves in cool water to try to ease the swelling and the pain.

I immediately discontinued the Timothy pellets and tried to administer Penny’s Bute dosage orally. She was in such pain that I suppose it really didn’t matter much to her any more, and she took the Bute orally without resistance. I thought I would let her go until Monday and decide then whether to call the vet again, for an evaluation and to decide then whether to start treatments again or look at “other alternatives”.

Yesterday morning, I found that Penny’s swelling had reduced substantially. I saw that she had lain down during the night, which must have helped. I was greatly encouraged, until I saw that she had not finished her hay from the night before, had not drunk any water during the night, and was having a difficult time standing. I went back out to check her at noon and found her down in her stall.

I called the vet.

The vet arrived about 5:30 pm or so. After examining Penny, the vet spoke with me and very carefully gave me her prognosis: Penny has very little chance of ever recovering to the point of leading a pain-free and productive life. There is the slight chance of recovery to the point of soundness…as in, “it has happened before”…but it would take at least a full year of very strict and very expensive veterinary and farrier care, all based on the slight hope of more than a partial recovery.

Penny and I have lost the battle against Laminitis.

With her prognosis now being very poor, with little chance she could ever recover to the point of being sound, euthanasia is my only choice. Within nine months I will be moving two thousand miles across the country. She could never stand the trip. Not being sound, I would never be able to find a home for her. Her sensitivity to pasture grass is such that she could not even become a “pasture buddy” for another horse. Even if I got her to the point that she was comfortable, and were able to find new owners who were willing to take her on, the care required to keep her so would be a heavy work and financial burden, and it would only be a matter of time before her end would be the same: more pain, more suffering, and euthanasia…or a slaughter house. The only humane decision I can make is to put her down. I can do her this one last kindness.

As a young boy, I remember once becoming disoriented and lost while riding my horse on remote trails near the stables where we kept our horses. After trying to find my way for a while and getting nowhere that I recognized, I remembered what my father had taught me, that if I would “give the horse her head,” she would lead me home.

Tomorrow I will give Penny her head.

Horse Health

And now for the bill

August 13, 2013 Tony Henrie 1 Comment

Thought I’d go over the vet charges I’ve incurred so far, so others who may find themselves in a similar situation, with a Laminitic horse, might be able to get an idea of what they can expect, as far as a vet bill.

The vet I use, and have been very happy with, is

Haymarket Veterinary Service
Haymarket, VA 20168
(703) 754-3309

They specialize in equine services and cover a fairly large area. They have several full-time equine vets working for them. At least four have helped me with Penny and I have nothing but praise for all of them.

A farm visit from HVS runs $58. Since I called after-hours on a Thursday evening the first time, and since it was an emergency, I had a $100 “After-hours Fee” tacked on. Since they traveled about 45 miles to get out to me on a Thursday evening, I have no problem with that at all. They also came out that Saturday to check on her and give her another dose of DMSO, but did not charge me the After-hours Fee. I ended up with five farm visits, for a total of $390, including the After-Hour Fees (there is another After-hours Fee on the invoice that is in error).

The vets provided me with a tub of Phenylbutazone at a cost of $50 and 50 mls of Acepromazine at $34, along with several syringes for oral application for a couple bucks, so I could administer the Bute and Ace myself.

They administered three litres of DMSO fluid (don’t ask what it is, because I don’t know) by IV on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, for a total of nine litres. It is some sort of fluid that is supposed to help flush the toxins from the body and promote quicker healing. At $165 per treatment, that totaled $495 (they mistakenly charged me for a fourth treatment).

I was charged $82 for a “Lameness Examination” and $55 thereafter for “Repeat Exams”, for a total of $357

I was charged $410 for the x-rays.

While they were at it, I had them get Penny current on her Coggins test and vaccinations.

Those are the major expenses. All told, with all the smaller incidentals, the grand total came to $2727.00…and we may not be done yet.

I have several charges to dispute, but I’m sure they will not be a problem. Always make sure you go over your bills. People make mistakes, but you will pay for them if you don’t pay attention. Additionally, you might ask for a bill for each visit, so you know how much you are spending as the charges accumulate. I didn’t and was quite surprised at the total when I received the bill at the end of the month. I also think you might be able to get your vet to tell you what each item of treatment will cost before hand. While that is not usual, and they might get testy about it, you may not be in a financial position to handle the cost of treatments that may be good, but not essential.

Some charges from vet services seem to me to be simply frivolous. They are simply a means of getting a little more for their service, while seeming to charge less for other services (sort of like “shipping and Handling” for online services). I tend to look at the “Setup” charge for the X-rays in that way. They pulled a box about the size of a boot box out of their truck, plugged the cord into the wall, and plugged the actual X-ray camera and a laptop computer into that. That cost me $50. Then they charged me $360 for actually taking the pictures. The pictures uploaded real-time to a computer, so there was no development expense for them. They simply emailed me the pictures. Then there is the $58 for the farm visit on top of the $82 for the “Lameness Exam”, in which she walked around the horse and lifted each hoof. These kind of charges only occur in the health services businesses. Vets are learning well from their human health counterparts. You may be able to negotiate reductions in some of those charges if you are aware.

So that’s what I spent for vet care for Laminitis treatment on my $300 mare.

And that doesn’t include the $160 for the hoof boots and pad inserts, the new feed buckets, extra feed, and the extra time I’ve spent trying to get her through this illness. Take it from me, it’s better not to have to go through this. Pay attention and watch your horse’s feed. Penny’s Laminitis was caused by an overload of sweet feed, which occurred by sheer accident. Somebody (maybe even me) left a gate open. It could happen to anyone, but could have been avoided altogether.

If you keep horses long enough, eventually you will run into something that requires extensive vet care. Be prepared for the expenses. Keep an emergency fund for your horse, or be prepared to make tough decisions as to how far you can go to help your horse recover.

I have included scanned copies of my invoices for your perusal. Again, I have no complaints against Haymarket Veterinary Service. They did good work for me. I would recommend them. I’m simply posting this so other people in my position may benefit by having some idea of what they may expect.

For horse and mule packing, camping, and trail riding in the western United States

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Western Trail Rider

Now, a little about the truck I use for hauling my horses…

The Chip

If you are considering a chip, here are some things you should know:

Air Intakes

Four-inch Straight Exhaust System

Exhaust Brake

Free-Spin Manual Hubs

All the Rest

Front Bumper

Driving and Fog Lamps

Two-inch Front End Lift

Shock Absorbers

Ball Joints

One Piece Drive Shaft

Tires

Wrapping it Up

Accessories I would still like to add:

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Why Does My Horse Bloat When I Saddle Her?

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And now the Non-fiction Version…

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A Real Cowboy

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Sorry for the lack of posts lately…

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Getting Ready for Winter Riding, or, How to Keep Your Tootsies Warm…

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A short plug for Easycare.com and Easyboots

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I was thinking about Penny this morning…

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It’s raining today…

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And now for the bill

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For horse and mule packing, camping, and trail riding in the western United States

The Chip

If you are considering a chip, here are some things you should know:

Air Intakes

Four-inch Straight Exhaust System

Exhaust Brake

Free-Spin Manual Hubs

All the Rest

Front Bumper

Driving and Fog Lamps

Two-inch Front End Lift

Shock Absorbers

Ball Joints

One Piece Drive Shaft

Tires

Wrapping it Up

Accessories I would still like to add:

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For horse and mule packing, camping, and trail riding in the western United States