Horses for hunting

[45ACPKING]

I did a quick search and didn't find any threads I could reference.
A friend asked me if I would consider getting a horse so we could add that element to our future adventures.
I have been bugging him to buy an atv and he came back at me with this horse idea LOL

I rode years ago, western saddle and bareback but it has been 20 years since I sat on a horse.

My questions for those who own hunting horses or work around them:
what kind of horse for BC mountain hunting?
is it wise to include a mule with a hunting horse group?
I took a wilderness wrangling course in my early 20's so have some idea but are their resources for re-learning wilderness horse care? I'm 50 now and it's been a long time.
what else?...…. yearly cost to maintain one horse although we are thinking 2 horses and a mule.

recommend a good family that breeds or raises such horses? (BC)

I don't know, I would like to hear thoughts, experiences, pros and cons of purchasing and owning horses for hunting in BC.
Assume I have adequate acreage, stables/paddock and all the essentials for housing and keeping said horses while they are not in the field.

discuss?

 

[Suther]

An ATV sounds like a lot less work, both during the hunt and in the off season, and ATVs won't kick your head off...

Could a person rent a horse for a weekend to see if they are really interested in them?

 

[Ashcroft]

Like anything, there are pros and cons.
ATV's can sit for days, weeks, months with no care or attention, turn the key and they go. Easy to choose and buy, not scared of bears, gunfire, thunder, never stray or head home, easy to store, easy for anyone to use, easy to sell when you're moving on. Most ranchers nowadays use 4x4 pickups, atv's and trail bikes for most of their mobility purposes, horses only occasionally. Wash & wear, easy care.
Horses can take you places where an atv can't go, are free to go in most areas where wheeled vehicles are banned, live off the land and even provide a measure of security and companionship. Horse hunting in our BC mountains is truly special and it's at it's very best with someone else's horses and a full time wrangler.

 

[45ACPKING]

An ATV sounds like a lot less work, both during the hunt and in the off season, and ATVs won't kick your head off...

Could a person rent a horse for a weekend to see if they are really interested in them?

I have a 3/4 ton 5.9 diesel 4x4 to get me there, a tricked up jeep Cherokee that will get me further..... and a grizzly 550 atv that gets almost everywhere else.

NONE of these vehicles do me any good if I need to cover ground in a motor vehicle closed area...… So I find myself once again pondering the life long commitment that comes with owning and caring (well) for a horse or 2.

keep in mind , I live in the cariboo, surrounded by prime horseback country and have year round proper facilities for horses.
I'm not from the city , pipe dreaming about keeping a horse in board for the occasional hunting trip.
I plan to spend near every day with said horses if I plan to bring them into the family.

 

[kamlooky]

Yeaaah butt, iff'in yew git yer arse awl lawst, well chit, yew gartzs vittles with the caval.

 

[45ACPKING]

Like anything, there are pros and cons.
ATV's can sit for days, weeks, months with no care or attention, turn the key and they go. Easy to choose and buy, not scared of bears, gunfire, thunder, never stray or head home, easy to store, easy for anyone to use, easy to sell when you're moving on. Most ranchers nowadays use 4x4 pickups, atv's and trail bikes for most of their mobility purposes, horses only occasionally. Wash & wear, easy care.
Horses can take you places where an atv can't go, are free to go in most areas where wheeled vehicles are banned, live off the land and even provide a measure of security and companionship. Horse hunting in our BC mountains is truly special and it's at it's very best with someone else's horses and a full time wrangler.

yes, I bought my grizzly in 2012 and it only has a hair over 4000K on it. All snow plowing, hunting and ice fishing. Even hunting it goes to a trailhead and gets parked and then gets it's use hauling game. Otherwise it sits in dry storage waiting for the snow to fall , the lakes to freeze or to be loaded for a hunting trip

I just really badly want to spend the rest of my able hunting years getting into horseback country and I'm not rich enough or foolish enough to go blowing my retirement plans on big game hunting trips I can't figure out on my own.

going green is part of it too and truthfully, if I found the right horse that could tolerate me.... I'd probably trade in my atv for a snowblower and a 2 up sled.

 

[Suther]

I have a 3/4 ton 5.9 diesel 4x4 to get me there, a tricked up jeep Cherokee that will get me further..... and a grizzly 550 atv that gets almost everywhere else.

NONE of these vehicles do me any good if I need to cover ground in a motor vehicle closed area...… So I find myself once again pondering the life long commitment that comes with owning and caring (well) for a horse or 2.

keep in mind , I live in the cariboo, surrounded by prime horseback country and have year round proper facilities for horses.
I'm not from the city , pipe dreaming about keeping a horse in board for the occasional hunting trip.
I plan to spend near every day with said horses if I plan to bring them into the family.

Do you find yourself wanting to go into motor vehicle closed areas a lot? If you do, then maybe you're on the right track with this horse idea.

I hear Llamas are great pack animals - you can't ride 'em, but they'll carry your stuff so you don't have to, and they are not as dangerous as a horse.

I've also heard about using dogs as pack animals. There is an outfitter in the Rockies that does just that. He was on a podcast a while back, I can't remember if it was MeatEater, Hunt Talk Radio or Rookie Hunter podcast though...

 

[45ACPKING]

Do you find yourself wanting to go into motor vehicle closed areas a lot? If you do, then maybe you're on the right track with this horse idea.

I hear Llamas are great pack animals - you can't ride 'em, but they'll carry your stuff so you don't have to, and they are not as dangerous as a horse.

recent topics that talked about caribou hunting have resparked my interest in horse back hunting
My wife got quite excited about the prospect of it and she has never really got that amped up about hunting before. She's in, don't get me wrong, but to see that hunter lust in her eyes when we started talking caribou.... that's something new for her and our relationship. So ….. my quest begins to figure out how I can make that happen for us without paying for outfitters year after year. Googling prime caribou hunting grounds and there is not much for roads so it looks like successful people are horsebacking in or flying in.
The pilots I know that would happily fly me anywhere in the province to fish float plane access waters are long retired or dead and I don't make new friends easily LOL so maybe I can find a good horse that can tolerate me

 

[timandkimandshea]

I have 4 horses at the moment, It is a commitment. If you work or are afield regularly, better make sure your family is on board. I say go for it, sounds ideal to me for your circumstances.
Don't forget there is a huge difference between a suitable horse and a fantastic horse.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Horses are lifestyle commitment, with rewards of it's own, not something to tackle lightly and without a lot of thought. They're a family thing. Better own land to keep them and consider feed costs as well.

Grizz

 

[peterf]

I have 4 horses and have had them for a lot of years. I don't hunt with them but my wife and I used to ride them regularly. We haven't in a couple of years but that's mostly because of very busy lives. Mostly pets at this point but that will hopefully change and they will be used again. They are a major commitment in time and money though. I would guess about an hour and a half a day and a pain to arrange care for when we want to go away for more than a day.
It is a lifestyle choice and I don't regret it but it helps to know going in.

 

[holzmeister]

While I think it a romantic idea I see many issues that come up. Vet costs, the dentist ( yes they need dental care ) feed, hay ( good quality hay ) shelter, water, blacksmith, and the time you must spend riding and getting the horse to trust you. I have 1 horse and it is a full time commitment. Space is another factor. A pasture, a paddock, run in shelter, barn.... They just do not eat grass, they require supplements to keep them in peak condition. You can not just let them stand for weeks/months at a time.
Then you need a coach/trainer. For you and the horse. I could go on and on.

 

[CranePete]

Having had horses around for many years, I can tell you that between farriers, vets, supplements, hay, tack, facilities and upkeep of facilities, you’ll be further ahead to find a guide/outfitter to get you where you want to go. Horses, in my experience anyway, are very much like bigger boats...typically expensive to buy, typically expensive to own. Many folks have them and use them with great joy. Not so much for me. Good luck.

 

[1-trident-1]

peterf nailed it. your vet bills will make the atv look cheap. would you bring three children into your life? I have three horses, I love em, but I knew the commitment I was making.

 

[45ACPKING]

thanks for the comments so far guys..... keep em coming.
I've know a couple girls that were big into horses when I was younger. One kept her horse in a boarding place and I remember how tough that was on her financially and otherwise. The other had a huge farm and taught me to ride. Big horses and tempermental LOL but they let me ride them.
I took a chilcotin adventures wrangling course in my mid 20's as I was planning to be a fishing guide and possibly get into working for an outfitter (big 9) but I ended up going full boar into the fishing side and learned how to tie flies, find steelhead and salmon, operate boats and down riggers and radios and pull the perfect bait hehehe

my good friends have horses that are just pets but the topic of getting horses for trail and hunting is hot right now around here..... as a healthy lifestyle change is one of the reasons.
as for what I have now or have access to is 160 acre property that was a former horse race track , paddock, stables, corrals, hayfields and all the tack and farrier supplies ect.
Our good friend is a farrier but not as an occupation. She has spent many of her years when her dad was alive , camping, fishing , prospecting and hunting from horseback.
The retired horses they have were the very same animals, they just haven't been ridden in a decade since her dad passed. Ornery beast they are LOL

 

[holzmeister]

thanks for the comments so far guys..... keep em coming.
I've know a couple girls that were big into horses when I was younger. One kept her horse in a boarding place and I remember how tough that was on her financially and otherwise. The other had a huge farm and taught me to ride. Big horses and tempermental LOL but they let me ride them.
I took a chilcotin adventures wrangling course in my mid 20's as I was planning to be a fishing guide and possibly get into working for an outfitter (big 9) but I ended up going full boar into the fishing side and learned how to tie flies, find steelhead and salmon, operate boats and down riggers and radios and pull the perfect bait hehehe

my good friends have horses that are just pets but the topic of getting horses for trail and hunting is hot right now around here..... as a healthy lifestyle change is one of the reasons.
as for what I have now or have access to is 160 acre property that was a former horse race track , paddock, stables, corrals, hayfields and all the tack and farrier supplies ect.
Our good friend is a farrier but not as an occupation. She has spent many of her years when her dad was alive , camping, fishing , prospecting and hunting from horseback.
The retired horses they have were the very same animals, they just haven't been ridden in a decade since her dad passed. Ornery beast they are LOL

I think you maybe missing a few key components in this. A retired horse is not what you want. They are akin to school horses with that glazed over look in their eyes. A good horse is like a good dog, they need a job and constant training. I think if you are serious then you need to get a younger horse, get a proper farrier ( Many a horse has been sidelined when they are not trimmed correctly ) Get a good coach and make the commitment. Retired race horses are another issue. They are usually physically far older then they appear. Do not get me wrong I think it an amazing idea!!! I just do not see many people wanting to commit to such a life style. My 5 year old Hanoverian is ridden/trained 6 days a week for 3 hours at a time. The 7th day he is walked for an hour and I walk him up running quads, tractors, blue boxes dead coyotes etc..
Also as many will tell you tack is something that needs to be fitted, you on on the horses back so if that saddle is not perfect then the horse gets a sore back, compensates by tensing his/her back and in the am you have a lame horse.. In the middle of the bush that is the last thing you want...

 

[LittleBoyLefty]

I have 4 horses at the moment, It is a commitment. If you work or are afield regularly, better make sure your family is on board. I say go for it, sounds ideal to me for your circumstances.
Don't forget there is a huge difference between a suitable horse and a fantastic horse.

Horses are lifestyle commitment, with rewards of it's own, not something to tackle lightly and without a lot of thought. They're a family thing. Better own land to keep them and consider feed costs as well.

Grizz

X2. There are days you'll wish they had Honda or Yamaha painted on the side. On the other hand, there will be days you wouldn't trade them for anything. It's a special feeling and experience, backcountry horse trips and hunting.

 

[45ACPKING]

I would not want to get old horses either. My friends old horses aren't on my radar nor being offered, they are just pets. They have mini horses as well, all just living good lives. The young kids ride the small horses at the parade and stuff but otherwise all those horses are just taking it easy being horses.

There is a guy not far from me (lone butte bc) that has some trail riding horses for sale. They are trained for pack and riding and I think he said 5 and 6 years old. It's a short drive for me to go check them out. If I was to get horses, think maybe 2 or 3 years from now and after I have taken in some riding to get used to it again. I've never ridden in the mountains other than down in Chilliwack/vedder area so it's not like I think I'll end up on the spatzizi with my fresh horse under me cleaning up all the trophy racks for the year haha

but keep it coming, I like the pros and cons I'm reading.

how about types of horses..... I see various breeds are used.
how about having a pack mule/donkey? I understand they are very protective and good scrappers if critters come around.

 

[pete dobinson]

A Quarter horse is a stable breed, I would look for one that's "Bombproof". What ever you do, do not get a barrel racer, they are usually too hot. Something else to consider, you can also lease a horse, then if it doesn't work out you could return it.

 

['Boo]

From my experience for a hunting horse you want a good grade horse with a touch of draft for solid feet and legs and a touch of Arabian for endurance. The best hunting horse I ever had was 1/4 Belgian 1/4 Arab and 1/2 running quarter horse . He was big - 16+ hands wore #2 shoes and was never lame in his life. I just put him down a few years ago at the ripe old age of 30.

Horses require a huge commitment in both time and money. A horse that is only ridden a few times a month is generally a bomb waiting to explode. If they don't get herdbound they will get lazy and unless you like a mini-rodeo every time your ass hits the saddle you had better plan on riding them a 2 or 3 times a week every week of the year. Vet and farrier bills can add up even with healthy animals and lets not forget feed and tack costs. All told the cost of owning a horse may well equal a new ATV every year.

Now with all that said hunting off a GOOD horse is on the best experience you can have. No exhaust fumes or noise and it is amazing how close you can get to deer and moose while riding. The horse will also spot game at much greater distance than most humans can see.

As for mules ........................................ They are the only animal that will wait patiently for 20 years for the chance to lay one good kick on you.