Top 4 Reasons to Horse Camp
It’s July! So there you go; my top four reasons to camp with horses. What are yours? Share them with us on
Waking up to Fabulous Views – “On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.” Jules Renard.
Last year during one ride into the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex I hung my hammock in the trees next to a shallow lake. When morning came the shifting sunlight danced with the dark shadows in the cliffs a thousand feet above us. It was a fabulous performance.
Beating Back the Night with a Cozy Fire – “You get guys around a campfire, and they start telling their stories. That’s the fellowship that they want to be in.” John Eldredge.
There’s nothing like a good camp fire at the end of a long day on the trail. Even though a camp fire is almost completely unnecessary there’s no other feeling in the world quite like that of sitting around cozy flames as the night skies darken. For eons humans have found warmth, comfort, and and friendship in the glow of camp fires. I’m glad that things haven’t changed much!
Experiencing Nature – “God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.” Martin Luther.
Dawn and dusk are some of my favorite times. I like to rise just before dawn and watch the sun crest in the east as I graze my animals. Experiencing the the shifting colors in the sky as the sun rises is a wonderful way to start the day. Likewise, watching the setting sun paint the sky in hues reminiscent of a Monet landscape is a delightful way to wrap up the day.
Bond with our Horses – “Anytime I can sneak in a moment to fish and ride horses, I’m a happy camper.” George Foreman
Living 24/7 with our 4-legged friends builds a great relationship that you just can’t get at home.
If you’re looking for new places to ride and camp you’ll find the best information at TrailMeister . Accurate trail and trailhead data, driving directions, GPS tracks, and much more TrailMeister will help you keep your adventures on the trails, not getting to them.
TrailMeister has become the GO-TO trail tool for horse riders and groups across t
he nation. Oregon Horse Country has just joined the Wisonsin Horse Council, North American Trail Ride Conference, Back Country Horsemen of Washington, and many other groups that have made TrailMeister their trail directory of choice.
As always a HUGE THANK YOU to all of the fabulous companies that keep TrailMeister available for all to use and enjoy!
Featured Review – DeLorme InReach Explorer
If you’re considering a satellite messenger and GPS tracking device the DeLorme InReach is the best that we’ve found.
Message delivery is reliable, the ability to easily text messages and of course the ability to receive messages as well as send them is wonderful.
Featured Trail – Long Swamp Camp
Riding in a wilderness area sound good to you? Long Swamp makes it easy to get into the Pasayten Wilderness!
Stay a day—or a week—exploring the this alpine landscape. Ride to the local peaks, check out the Canadian border monuments, or sit back and enjoy the views. At night, listen to the coyotes and count stars.
GPS Tracks of the Month – Malibu Creek State Park
Reader Patfish has given a voice to many of her favorite mule riding routes that are equally good for those of us riding animals with shorter ears!
Every trail area has a GPS Tracks tab where you can upload, download, print and share your favorite ride. Give YOUR trail a voice by adding your GPS tracks!
FYI – Movies and shows filmed at Malibu Creek include M*A*S*H, and The Planet of the Apes.
Featured Article of the Month – Are YOU Ready for an Eventful Ride?
Icelandic Horse Quarterly, 2016 Issue Two –
I don’t know about you but my favorite type of ride is an uneventful one. Memorable rides are glorious but I’ll gladly pass on the “eventful” ones. If only we had a say in when an event happens. To help me prepare for that potential eventful occurrence I take the time and make the effort to pre-plan each ride.
After all it’s never “just a trail ride”.
Here’s what I do.
There are a lot of horsey events on the calendar in July! From Endurance events to Mounted Orienteering.
Click here for the full July Event Calendar
Have an event that you’d like to share? Click on the Submit Event button and get the word out.
Join me in giving your trails a voice at the National Equestrian Trails Conference in Raleigh, NC July 8-10.
The purpose of the National Equestrian Trails Conference (NETC) is to bring together people who are concerned about the future of the natural and cultural heritage of the trail experience from the back of a horse.
The use of saddle and pack stock on trails in wildlands is coming under increasing scrutiny and criticism by natural resource management agencies and non-government organizations that focus on wildland preservation.
Happy Trails!