A big part of backcountry riding is getting up close and personal with nature and the raw elements.
Yes, sometimes that means getting pretty darn cold or soaking wet, closer to moose than one would hope to, or a clueless horse sticks its nose into a hornet’s nest.
Most of the time though, it’s about moments like this. Getting above treeline in early October and being greeted by what I call sun snow (I much prefer that to thunder snow in this situation).
If the video looks a bit sideways, that’s because I was leaning, hard, so I wouldn’t get blown off of Tiny. It was super windy, you can see the storm blowing in over the Rockies.
These two Mustangs sure made me proud on that ride. Tiny was rock solid and thanks to hoof protection traveled eagerly and with ease. Petrie tagged along sans pack, because our gear was all still in camp.
We weren’t far from our lunch spot at this point. Can you imagine having lunch in the sun while it’s snowing at 13,000ft, overlooking all that, watching the horses graze and the dogs snooze? It was pretty darn special.
This type of riding gives me a different level of appreciation for the horses that make those trips possible and the work that goes into preparing for them.
We had some bloopers on that trip, you live and you learn. Reading, YouTube and preparation only get you so far. That’s why it’s helpful to learn from those who have been there and done that, made mistakes and found things that work.
Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy will be offering packing workshops again this year. We will announce them on social media and on w i l d h o r s e o u t r e a c h . o r g
Music: Free by Ocie Elliott
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