b'SMART AND SAFE HORSE CAMPINGPre-Trip PlanningAny trip begins long before we load the trailer, says Eversole. With peoples busy schedules these days, most have a set time frame when they can go. Destina-tions are based on where you can drive to and what you want to see. Do you want to go to a guest ranch and just ride part of the day? Or do a backcountry adventure? Time of the year also affects your choic-es. For example, says Eversole, summer-time rules out places like deserts. Weather is another factor. There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappro-priate weather, he says. I learned about how to have a good time riding in the rain from (living in) the Seattle area. Snow can make things much sporti-er, as Eversole likes to call it. Wherever you go, you need to prepare for all the weather possibilities. Decide ELLEN PONS (BELOW); ALAYNE BLICKLE PHOTOS (LEFT)what you can tolerate, temperature- and precipitation-wise, and find areas that fit that parameter. Also consider trail conditions and how far you want to ride in a day. Find out who else might be using the trail and whether you mindtrail traffic could in-clude anything from other riders to packanimals to motorized vehicles. Are you prepared for mountain bikers or hikers with backpacks to approach from behind? Eversole suggests preparing for theseHorse restraint scenarios by riding a bike around yourand con\x13nement paddocks or wearing a backpack whilemethods on camp-doing barn chores. Desensitize your horseing trips include (top to bottom), as much as possible before heading out. permanent camp-site corrals, trailer Is Your Horse Ready? high-ties, and Make sure your horse is conditionedportable corrals, for what youll be asking of him. Mostamong others, any horse can do anything, but is yourdepending on the location and your horse properly trained for this task (of preference.trail riding), and do they like their job? says Eversole, who firmly believes in choosing a horse that enjoys trail riding and is ready to do it. Our horses dontIf your trip will be out of state, getting thesays Eversole, this might require learning get to pick what they do each day. To me,required veterinary checks, Coggins tests,basic skills from your veterinarian or tak-making sure my animals are having abrand inspections, and associated healthing an equine first-aid class. Do you know good timeis important.certificates and other required paperworkhow to clean and bandage a wound? What As far as conditioning, we spend a lotcan take a couple of weeks. I keep themwould you do if your horse colicked? of time keeping horses legged up over theall in a big manila folder in my vehicle,I ride with Bute and Banamine (the winter so that our first (trail) rides are notsays Eversole. non-steroidal anti-inflammatories phen-onerous for them.ylbutazone and flunixin meglumine) inHe likens taking an out-of-shape horseFirst Aid for All my first-aid kit, but it took a long time camping to asking a human to run aCamping without cell phone servicefor my vet to feel confident in my abili-marathon without training for it. demands a level of heath responsibility be- ties (before prescribing) them for me toThen there are the paperwork logistics.yond whats needed at home. For horses,carry with me, says Eversole. Far too 22August 2019The Horse | TheHorse.com'