How much tack/gear is too much?

[Palm_Beach]

For those who followed the saga of Playdoh, who lost his rider and ran off into the woods in a MD park and was thankfully found 2 weeks later. He had minor injuries, and it seems as if they were caused by his tack.

“He had the leash from his sponge wrapped around his foot. The hikers has to cut the leash. He has a very nasty gash that is infected which was rubbed by the breast collar. He has other tack rubs as well.”

There is another fb post, which I can’t find right now, written by the person who found him. The saddle had slipped sideways, poor horse probably lost some weight due to lack of food and dehydration. Anyway, we like to be prepared when we head out on the trail, but at what point could we be carrying so much stuff that it becomes a hazard? What stuff is truly essential, and what is the safest way to carry it?

I also make sure I lope my horse on the lunge line and then get on and lope for a while to make sure he is OK with any new bags or whatnot that I may carry out on the trail with me. And to make sure it securely attaches to my saddle. I got a new saddle bag that had velcro attachments, and they came undone real quick. I did not like the way they attached, which is why I decided to lope on the lunge for a minute, and when they came unattached and started flopping we got some bucks.

[cloudy18]

At that point, I wonder if it matters. Obviously, checking tack and new equipment like you did is a good idea. I was on a ride where a friend dismounted, her horse got away and the last we saw as it headed down the road was the saddle hanging under it. The horse was found a month later with the saddle still hanging there (it was an Aussie and one or both stirrups had come off), bridle with bit still on. I am amazed that horse did not kill itself or get hopelessly tangled and starve to death.

I have a saddle, bridle, breast collar, Stowaway saddle bags, and occasionally I tie on a jacket or rain gear. I can’t really ride with less. Occasionally I leave the breast collar at home. Make sure things fit, and if possible, use something that will break if necessary, reducing the horse’s chance of getting entangled/caught.

[enjoytheride]

I don’t think refraining from including tack in the off chance that our horse gets away from us is a useful thing. He could have just as easily gotten hung up on his bridle and then would we say bridles aren’t safe?

I also think blaming his tack for his getting away is wrong. I do condition my horses to their first packs and other dangly noisy things but it’s a non issue after that. I ride with someone who carries sleigh bells to ward off turkeys and I’ve never had a spook.

[Palm_Beach]

[QUOTE=enjoytheride;8698784]
I also think blaming his tack for his getting away is wrong.[/QUOTE]

The tack did not cause the horse to get away. Something happened with the footing - trail collapse, embankment gave way, and the rider came off.

[Highflyer]

Any tack is going to slip and rub after the horse has been wearing it for eleven days.

[Palm_Beach]

[QUOTE=Highflyer;8699765]
Any tack is going to slip and rub after the horse has been wearing it for eleven days.[/QUOTE]

Yes, hence the question, it is better to have less in case your horse does get loose? Or is it better to carry everything you might possibly need?

[Guilherme]

You should have the amount of tack and gear on the horse that is necessary to do the job you have in mind. Neither more nor less.

G.

[tabula_rashah]

[QUOTE=Guilherme;8700201]
You should have the amount of tack and gear on the horse that is necessary to do the job you have in mind. Neither more nor less.

G.[/QUOTE]

This. I change what I ride with depending on what I’m doing- obviously I won’t take all the stuff I’d take for 7-8 hours in the mountains when I’m just hacking out from the barn for an hour. I do consider a sponge on a leash pretty standard equipment for a ride when it’s hot around here.
Just a note that I know the owner of Playdoh from competing in Orienteering together- she is a safety conscious, knowledgeable rider. I don’t think she could have done anything different to have changed the outcome.
This does have my friends and I chatting about some kind of trackable device to put on the horses.

[Palm_Beach]

[QUOTE=tabula rashah;8700437]
This. I change what I ride with depending on what I’m doing- obviously I won’t take all the stuff I’d take for 7-8 hours in the mountains when I’m just hacking out from the barn for an hour. I do consider a sponge on a leash pretty standard equipment for a ride when it’s hot around here.
Just a note that I know the owner of Playdoh from competing in Orienteering together- she is a safety conscious, knowledgeable rider. I don’t think she could have done anything different to have changed the outcome.
This does have my friends and I chatting about some kind of trackable device to put on the horses.[/QUOTE]

There are gps devices that you can put on vehicles - motor carriers use them to track where their trucks are. I’m sure you can put one on a horse.

[Highflyer]

They make them for hunting dogs as well, I think.

[Palm_Beach]

[QUOTE=Guilherme;8700201]
You should have the amount of tack and gear on the horse that is necessary to do the job you have in mind. Neither more nor less.

G.[/QUOTE]

Easy to say, but not easy to predict. What if you need a first aid kit? What if you get lost and need a flashlight/food/water due to darkness? Should you carry baling twine in case a piece of tack breaks? A paper map in case your cellphone battery dies? Paper and pen? Trail markers? Rain gear? Extra clothing if you are in between seasons?

[tabula_rashah]

[QUOTE=Palm Beach;8701752]
Easy to say, but not easy to predict. What if you need a first aid kit? What if you get lost and need a flashlight/food/water due to darkness? Should you carry baling twine in case a piece of tack breaks? A paper map in case your cellphone battery dies? Paper and pen? Trail markers? Rain gear? Extra clothing if you are in between seasons?[/QUOTE]

When you do it a lot- it’s not that hard. I’ve got 3 “sets of stuff” that I use.
-Ride from home (I back up to a several thousand acre park) 1-2 hour hack: On me- cell phone, whistle, knife. On the horse- regular tack, sponge when it’s hot, fly bonnet when the flies our out, bottle of water, very small pommel bag with my bee meds, a piece of twine, 2 replacement snaps and roll of vet wrap.
-Medium ride, generally some place fairly close to civilization- same on stuff on me. For the horse, I might add a couple of treats for the horse and me in the saddle bag and a better first aid kit.
-Long ride out in the middle of nowhere- all of the above plus at least 1 extra water bottle or a camel pak on myself. Map in my map holder that goes on saddle (map holder is a plastic see through pencil case from the dollar store), a small folding saw, a space blanket (super compact), an emergency poncho and some matches. Oh and lunch lol! All still fit into two small bags- the one on the pommel and one on the back of the saddle. Everything is attached by something fairly easy to break.
Also I like to use multipurpose stuff- like a halter/bridle so I don’t have to carry a halter and rope reins (attached with scissor clips that will break) so I don’t have to carry a lead rope.

[Palm_Beach]

^^Makes sense, especially lunch! Every time I look at this thread, the theme song for Gilligan’s Island goes through my head…

[tabula_rashah]

[QUOTE=Palm Beach;8702486]
^^Makes sense, especially lunch! Every time I look at this thread, the theme song for Gilligan’s Island goes through my head…[/QUOTE]

LOL!
I will say that I have been lost before- really, really lost (and I have an excellent sense of direction and am very competent with a compass) both riding (mts in VA) and hiking (mts in Maine). Both times the only thing I wished I had more of was water.

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=Palm Beach;8701752]
Easy to say, but not easy to predict. What if you need a first aid kit? What if you get lost and need a flashlight/food/water due to darkness? Should you carry baling twine in case a piece of tack breaks? A paper map in case your cellphone battery dies? Paper and pen? Trail markers? Rain gear? Extra clothing if you are in between seasons?[/QUOTE]

Absolutely right. So this is where judgement and discretion based upon experience come in.

There is not “school” answer in most cases. It’s what the rider thinks they will need.

G.

[mountainhorse]

The GPS system idea is a great one…The “inReach” system is a great one-affordable, and could be placed in a saddle bag to track the horse in the event you were separated from the horse, or you end up lost (on the horse), and need direction.

I agree with the comment of: you ride with what you need for the job intended. Thinking of any possible outcome and trying to prepare for everything is futile.

[AshleyandAnnabel]

I wouldn’t change the amount of stuff I have on my mare for that “What if?” situation. The one thing I will say, I’m still a fan of leather even though Beta Biothane seems to be the popular thing. Leather will break. I tend to carry different things though when I’m trail riding versus doing an organized ride like an Endurance ride. When I’m trail riding I’m more likely to carry human and equine first aid items, mace, a whistle, etc than an organized ride when I try to be minimal.

Slightly off topic but regarding safety, I need to attach a luggage tag to my tack somewhere. If I were to fall off, my mare usually stands but if she were to run off I’d like her to have some form identification. I also need to get a way to carry my phone that is not in a bag on my horse. I really like this phone holster,
http://www.thehorseholster.com/shop-online.html
I also like the idea of putting your first and last name and a phone number and emergency contact on the front of your truck.