The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Horse Exercises You Will Need If Planning A Horseback HuntGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| Exercises You Will Need If Planning A Horseback Hunt | Login/Join |
| One of Us |
Before last Fall's elk hunt in the Wyoming wilderness, I exercised by walking 2-1/2 miles of steep hills, 3 times per week for 4 months. I also was doing 3 sets of 20 deep knee bends, 5 times per week. (BTW: My age is 71) What I learned too late was that for a horseback hunt where I would spend 12 to 15 hours per day riding, I should have done many more deep knee bends. Probably should have been doing at least 50 in each set. If you have not ben riding regularly, such as at least 20 hours per month (maybe lots more), you should seriously consider my recommendation. I might also say that if you are over 65, and not a very, very active exerciser, you will need the deep knee exercises. I did OK, but I assure you that I speak from experience! Bob Nisbet DRSS & 348 Lever Winchester Lover Temporarily Displaced Texan If there's no food on your plate when dinner is done, you didn't get enough to eat. | ||
|
| One of Us |
one thing you should try if having knee issues is dropping the stirrups a hole or two, your guide should be able to help get the right length. also getting off and walking for a bit every hour or two helps me a lot and i ride quite a bit almost every weekend if you find you are doing horseback hunts every year or two, invest in a pair of stirrups i like my stirrups with a lot of cushion on them, my wife just got a new pair of caged stirrups with a nice thick cushion but a lot of grip so may need to file those down so they don't hold a hunting boot too tight i also find if you are SUPER comfortable with the horse, you can take your feet out of the stirrups for a bit, but i only do that with my horse that i've had for a few years and have a darn good idea of what she may do next in most situations | |||
|
One of Us |
The best bet is to try and and ride 2-3 hours at a time a couple of times a month for 3 to 4 months in advance of the the hunt. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
|
| one of us |
Deep knee bends might help as the knees go first..I ride all the time so its a non issue with me..Your butt will chaffe also after the first day... The only real thing that helps is riding several time a week..Learning to ride is the real secret, take some lessons, if you ride properly you won't have to deal with these issues, but that may not be the case with many hunters. that said, we have a saying "cowboy up" when all else fails!  Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
|
| One of Us |
Another sneaky trick some outfitters I know use. If you have a dude that just hasn't ridden before--put them in panty hose--seriously it stops the chaffing and provides some warmth. of course you can't get them to try it till the second day----LOL "The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane." Mark Twain TANSTAAFL www.savannagems.com A unique way to own a piece of Africa. DSC Life NRA Life | |||
|
| one of us |
Ive never tried pany hose but I know it works, they are also good cold weather undies. Again I say Ive never tried panty hose, never! know folks that have!!!   Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
|
| One of Us |
Regarding Panty Hose: My son decided that bicycle pants, (which are similar to panty hose) would be his solution to the possibility of chaffing. Bob Nisbet DRSS & 348 Lever Winchester Lover Temporarily Displaced Texan If there's no food on your plate when dinner is done, you didn't get enough to eat. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Great Ideas But Limited Possibilities: Recommending that a hunter spend lots of time riding before heading out on a horseback hunt is a great idea. For me, I would have had to go practice riding alone, since no-one I know has any interest in riding. It would also only work if you know someone with horses. If you are not known to the horse owner, what are the chances you would be trusted with a horse. You would be limited to stables that rent horses. Consider that most hunters today are in areas where stables with horses to rent and ride are few and far between. Last place I rented a horse (15 miles outside Dallas) the rate was $25 per hour. Multiply that times 2 to 4 hours at a time, 3 times a week for 12 to 16 weeks to get in shape. (Multiplies out with max cost of nearly $5K) I would have loved to have been able to get in lots of riding in advance, but I also had a job and would have had to travel lots of miles to the nearest place. Just seemed to me that exercise was my logical choice. I just didn't realize how much exercise I would need, and that's my reason to share my thoughts on this. Bob Nisbet DRSS & 348 Lever Winchester Lover Temporarily Displaced Texan If there's no food on your plate when dinner is done, you didn't get enough to eat. | |||
|
one of us |
The nylon stretch long undies at Walmart (Russel) work pretty well, in place of panty hose. Not sure what you guys do with the extra parts in panty hose. If you have knee problems (like I did) get crooked stirrups. It cured me. It is the way stirrups should have been from the get go. Not sure how anyone can ride 15 hours a day. Out in the dark and back to camp in the dark is not unusual but day after day? Fifteen hours is a long time no matter how old you are. Don't even stop for lunch? Eat in the saddle? Elk must be few and far between there. The only way for me to get over a sore rear end is to grin and bear it. On day four or five you're broken in. ------------------------------- Will / Once you've been amongst them, there is no such thing as too much gun. --------------------------------------- and, God Bless John Wayne. NRA Benefactor, GOA, NAGR _________________________ "Elephant and Elephant Guns" $99 shipped. “Hunting Africa's Dangerous Game" $20 shipped. red.dirt.elephant@gmail.com _________________________ If anything be of note, let it be he was once an elephant hunter, hoping to wind up where elephant hunters go. | |||
|
| one of us |
what you describe is a problem, but just no way around it..If you book a pack in hunt then you must pack in and that's usually a 4 to 8 hour ride, maybe less or more..I don't know any exercise that mimicks riding a horse other than deep knee bends to strengthen your legs..keep your heels down while riding helps keep your butt from chaffing to a certain degree I suppose..Also one can walk and lead his horse if the outfitter will allow it and he should cater to the hunter../the only other option I know of is just grin and bare it, in cowboy culture that means cowboy up! Maybe you need to take up back packing, lots of hunters do that. I know the only real answer is to learn to ride correctly, and riding in mountainous country is the fast way to learn. I can lay up for a year or two and go ride 20 miles without anything more than a tired back. Today I rope two or three times a week, mostly to stay in shape and for fun..I still compete a little, so a horse back hunt for me is a piece of cake and my preferred method of hunting deer and elk, rates right up there with my pickup, another preferred way of hunting for me!  As to stirrup length, you should not have to reach for your stirrups with your boots..stand up in the stirrups and you should be able to stick your hand between the saddle and your crotch, that's about an inch or two.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Horse Exercises You Will Need If Planning A Horseback Hunt
Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia