Packing Tips RSS
Horse Packing Tips: How to Pack Saddlebags Without Hurting Your Animals
I meet a lot of folks at my shows and I hear even more stories. I always pay attention because there is much to be learned, especially when the story involves broken bones. A couple of years ago when I was at an expo in Salt Lake City, UT there was a gentleman at my booth admiring my saddle bags. He liked my design but wanted to make sure there was a way to tie them down. He proceeded to tell me a story of how his horse did not do well with floppy saddlebags. He said he was on...
Pannier Load Balancing Tips and Tricks
Many skills are required to properly haul loads with equines. Knowledge of proper lashings and hitches seems to be a lost art. I've seen some crazy stuff when it comes to inexperienced people tying down loads. Whether it’s a box hitch, diamond hitch or squaw hitch, folks who regularly pack with broom tails will always have their favorite method. An old packer once commented about the controversy of which hitch is best: "If you get from the trailhead to camp without losing any packing gear or injuring humans or your animals, then you probably did something right." Although this has...
"Donkeys Walk Too Slowly!"
I read a post recently on a donkey/pack mule online forum where a commenter listed various reasons why he did not care to use donkeys as pack animals. Among other things, one of the reasons he cited was that “donkeys walk too slowly.” Huh, I thought. That’s interesting. I don’t know where he would come up with that idea. First of all, on average, a donkey walks about the same speed as a man. Of course, there are factors like the weight of the load (and how it’s adjusted), the terrain, the weather, and in some cases, the animal’s mood which...
