>>1413913Make sure the ponies are in shape for your 30 mile trail first. What timeframe do you plan to finish 30 miles in? Can you find somebody to teach you to pack a horse properly first? You might not be able to find a horse pack saddle in pony Shetland size but they do have them in burro size. Some places require you to haul in certified weed free or even bagged hay cubes if you’re bringing horses. Feeding the fuckers instead of just grazing them ensures your chances that they don’t stray too far at night, even if you hobble them. Hobble your horses at night. Don’t let me find out you tied them instead overnight. Predators can tell when an animal is tied and can’t run. Remember that two sets of eyes are better than one for spotting predators and that horses are social animals who are prone to depression when alone. Consider taking at least two horses. Traditionally, one horse is your riding horse and the other is your pack horse. Get your horses used to you yourself feeding them at night and the morning, get them associating your tent with “home”. They don’t need to live in it, they just need to know that’s where the man sleeps after they’re fed and before they’re fed again. If they need grain and they don’t already eat it, introduce them to it slowly. Give them a grazing break halfway through the day. Horses are hindgut fermenters and prone to colic but they can be overfed, so don’t just let them graze ALL day on top of being fed hay.
If you can really commit to conditioning, training, and generally familiarizing these horses with you, you should be able to bond enough to make it all work very nicely. There’s nothing like being just you and your horsies in the wilderness.
