By Lora Goerlich
Recreational trail riding frequently involves packing your trailer. Trailering to riding destinations requires extra money, time, knowledge, planning, and extra stuff. Whether it's a day trip, a close-to-home overnight, or a long-haul destination trip, planning and organizing the extras is absolutely necessary. When horses are involved, it’s far better to be over-prepared than to find yourself in dire straights – without.
Day Trips
Even short day trips require extra things and planning. Items I keep in my trailer that has proven useful on more than one occasion include: horse and human insect repellent and bug netting; horse and human first aid supplies; lead ropes, halters, paper maps, tack including girths, bridles, and reins; a 5-gallon bucket of fresh water, crop, and training stick, lunge line, helmet, leather gloves, rain gear, grooming tools, notebook, pen, heavy-duty scissors, and/or folding pocket knife, and last but not least, a manure fork.
Keeping items in the trailer reduces the risk of leaving them behind from constant shuttling back and forth. I prefer adding a hay bag with fresh hay for the drive, plus before and after riding.
On the Trail
For short rides of less than two hours, in areas that I am familiar with, I typically pack a water bottle, cotton bandana, smoosh-proof snacks for me and my mount (bear spray in certain areas), a pocket knife with a seat belt cutter, reading glasses/sunglasses, a waterproof, shockproof, dirt proof digital camera in a pommel bag or clipped to the saddle; However, I prefer the ease of sharing photos and videos straight from a cell phone, I don’t want to risk dropping it each time I take it out. Remember always to carry a cell phone somewhere on your body. If you find yourself on the ground as your horse is wildly fleeing the area, you don't want a phone attached to the saddle or in a saddle bag.
For longer rides of two hours or more, in familiar or unfamiliar areas, fortifying “short ride” supplies is important. When arranged correctly, the following essentials fit neatly on a saddle and inside saddlebags, cantle bags, or a pommel bag. Baby wipes, microfiber cloth, sunscreen, lip balm, compass on a carabineer, extra carabineers, gear ties, a long heavy-duty lead rope, a lightweight rain poncho for warm weather or heavier weight canvas duck poncho for cooler weather, paper maps, compact insect repellent spray, pain relievers just in case the pre-ride dose wears off, antihistamine, a compact folding shovel, zipper sealed bag, hand pruners, rescue/emergency whistle, hoof pick, and a GPS tracker.
Overnight Primitive Camping
Primitive camping isn’t for everyone since it typically means no electric, running water, or gas-powered generators. I would argue that more planning is involved than camping with a living quarter trailer with full hookups. There are budget-friendly, uncomplicated ways to make enjoyable accommodations, even on extended trips. Before deciding to stuff a low-profile cot into my bumper pull trailer's roughly 20-square-foot dressing room, I experimented with two other sleeping options: a tent cot and a one-person ground tent. I found both comfortable; however, getting up from the ground isn’t as easy as it used to be, and fumbling with zipper doors at night is cumbersome and noisy. A cot in the trailer has proven to be the best option so far. It keeps me in close proximity to my chamber bucket; I stay high and dry during inclement weather; there’s additional storage under the cot, and… there are fewer “things” to organize, pack, set up, tear down, clean, then pack up again. The cot stays set up in my tack/dressing room throughout the year, covered with a fitted sheet to keep the bedding horse hair dirt-free.
Solar Power
Solar is an efficient, low-cost way to incorporate power. My favorite solar must-haves are a battery charger, a solar/crank weather alert radio, and a flashlight. I know a horse trailer conversion genius, Holli Jacobs, who retrofitted her trailer with a solar bank capable of powering a small fridge.
Food creativity and simplicity – a few years ago, I began experimenting with the idea of a “No Cook Camp.” Some of the staples I lean on are precooked bacon, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, vegetables, jerky, nuts, nut butters, honey, dates, high-end instant coffee, or I'll brew at home, freeze, then drink as cold brew; overnight oatmeal, olives, hard cheese, summer sausage, artisan breads (and butter) plus other various snacks and beverages. I also pack a saucepan, metal serving spoon, thermal mug, and a single or double-burner fuel stove if I need to heat water or warm a pre-made, one-pot meal that I freeze in pint-sized freezer bags beforehand. Using recycled paper products ensures dishwashing and garbage are kept to a bare minimum.
Comfy Camp
Things that fold make it possible to take more extras! A wagon, manure cart, collapsible buckets, reclining or oversized chair, a footstool, and a side table definitely make camp more comfortable and functional. Cool-weather camping has benefits, too, with no bugs and no hot, sweaty days and nights. It is my favorite time to enjoy camping. I've stayed comfortable in nighttime temperatures down to 20°f with proper clothing and bedding.
Long Haul Destination Trip
In addition to everything already listed, water availability, water storage, horse accommodations, and communication options must be projected because not every destination offers water. Some facilities with water might require a generator to operate a well pump. Water, forage, feed/grain, and supplement rations must be calculated beforehand. Keeping in touch and on track in areas without cellular service is possible with satellite message communication devices and handheld GPS units. There are units available that offer both services. That means one less “thing” to pack.
Road Things
Being stranded on the roadside with horses is dangerous, not to mention stressful. Put together a tote containing high visibility vests, traffic cones or folding triangles, a tire aid to lift a bad tire off the ground, wheel chocks, a metal breaker bar (just in case), emergency contacts, and a tire iron. These items are essential for safety and repairs or while waiting for roadside assistance. Adding a tool bag with bolt cutters, a pry bar, a mini sledgehammer, and various wrenches, screwdrivers, and other hand tools may also prove to be beneficial.
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