Customer Reviews

Have Saddle, Will Travel : Low-Impact Trail Riding and Horse Camping

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I didn't expect this book to be about horse "packing," but I did expect it to provide useful ideas about horse "camping," and general information on back country techniques and practices. Unfortunately, this book is virtually nothing more than West's demeaning views about other backcountry users and an advertisement for his line of clothing and horse tack. Some of the information is questionable at best and lethal at worst, such as picketing a horse by the halter, or high lining a horse so that it can graze during the night.

Additionally, there is no information about horse first aid, nor horse nutrition/feed (West travels in the Rockies of CO so he just grazes his mounts on hard mountain grass, which for that environment is understandable but just one more limiting factor of this exceptionally limited book), maybe a paragraph pertains to any type of horse training. West does mention that one should bury one's own feces 6-8" in the earth (a recommendation neither feasible nor advisable in a rocky arid environment)but in his suggested equipment list a shovel is not mentioned.

Overall, if one is interested in learning about packing or even just camping with horses, there is no better book than Packin' In On Mules and Horses. That book is not only thoroughly informative, but written as the best of "how to" books are written: with advise on a number of options, and with compelling reasons for why the author prefers one option over the others.

A final disappointment about Have Saddle Will Travel is that it is published by Storey Books. Storey has published some great books, but this is certainly not one of them.

I wish I would have paid attention to the review which said the packing information could be summed into 10 pages. That reviewer was dead on. The actual packing information could have been summed up into a pamphlet. Most of the book is Don's stories and poetry which someone must find more interesting than I did.

The author has a definite disdain for hunters whom he refers to as "The Orange Army". The author does market his own "system" of panniers and cantle bags which based upon their price must be the best. Country Supply has a similar, simpler system for almost $200 less. However, it concerns me to place all of that weight over the horse's poor kidneys.

The actual information in the book could be summed up as: use a small backpack tent,sleeping bag,stove, and only pack during the season and within an area your horse can graze so you don't carry feed.

Smoke Elsner's and Joe Back's books on packing are true packing books, and I highly recommend them both, but they are aimed at a different crowd who use multiple horses. I agree with Don West's goal of camping with just you and your horse, but I was disappointed in the book's lack of informative content and sheer volume of fluff.

If you're interested the exercises the author does to stay in shape - this is the book for you.
If you're interested in getting into the nuts n' bolts of camping and packing with horses - this is NOT the book for you. Keep looking because this ain't it.
The meaningful information related to camping and packing with horses could be condensed to maybe ten pages.

I found this book more helpful than some of the other reviewers did. It is true that the book has very little text -- its 144 pages are filled with photographs. High quality, full color photographs, which partly accounts for the exorbitant price.

There were two things I liked about this book. First, the horsecamping technique, while brief, is fairly detailed. The author describes the sequence of making and breaking camp and lists and illustrates each piece of equipment. His practice of tying overnight on a high line, using enough lead rope to allow a horse to touch the ground with its muzzle, is not risk free. However, shorten the lead by one foot and it's the technique used at horse campgrounds across the country. Many who use it attach one end of the high line to their camper so if a horse gets into trouble they will be awakened. West bells his horse on the high line for the same reason.

The second thing I like about the book is West's experiences. He doesn't just tell stories of pleasant rides and beautiful sunsets. Wrecks, runaway horses and getting lost are sobering reminders that horses and wilderness can be dangerous and unpredictable.

Weaknesses? Well, by current thinking a horse can carry a maximum load of 20% of his body weight. The old U.S. Cavalry set an absolute maximum of 250 lbs. I'm 6'4" tall, and no matter how close I come to achieving my target BMI, there's no way I can put my clothed body, full tack, horse equipment, and overnight camping gear on a horse and stay under those limits. So West's system is out for me. I need a pack horse to go out overnight.

Also, the book's greener-than-thou tone gets old. The ultralight equipment he advocates is ideal for short outings with daily moves. But most outfitters pay the bills by guiding elk hunters deep into the wilderness, where they set up camp for the whole season. When camp is stationary, the snow is heavy and the nights fall below zero, a big canvas wall tent with a sheet metal stove inside starts to make sense. Can you blame them for using the same stuff for the summer guests? And while slobs use the traditional methods and gear, that doesn't mean everybody who uses canvas is a slob.

So yes, the book is preachy and it is not the complete book of horse camping. But West shares helpful insights, and I came away feeling better prepared to plan an excursion.

I know Don from his earlier days being involved in the mountaineering community. Well, finally, someone wrote about using all this great outdoor gear that backpackers and mountaineers have known about since about 1975. I know people gave the book a poor review due to his stories, but wait one minute, telling stories around camp is all part of the horse thing, isn't it? As someone coming from the outdoor industry and now moving into the backcountry horse world, all I can say is "Don keep telling the story". Ya, ya, ya all that canvas is nice for elk camp, cast iron dutch ovens are cool, I get that from my many sea kayaking trips. But getting the horse community to go walk into the local outdoor equipment shop to "discover" whats new seems to still be an uphill fight. But, thanks to Don, the word is STARTING to get out that you can go light, and travel further, have just as much fun maybe, and just perhaps get off your horse and walk a bit on the downhill sections. Less is More! As they say in Ireland-Good on ya Don
Jerry on Whidbey

Don West has been an inspiration for me in daring to be different. The old style of packing has its place but there are other ways of doing it as well and Don West will show you one. I like his approach. It is not a "this is a working formula book" but it is a book which can give enough ideas to do it yourself. I don't understand some other reviewers criticism. If you are looking for a book on old style packing then get Joe Back's "Horse, Hitches, and Rocky Trails" or other books. But if you want to horsecamp lightly without bringing a packhorse with you - this is perfectly feasible and he will show you how. I highline my horse in the Rocky Mountains and have the horse graze on high ground. That was good enough for my horse and the method worked well.

The book is presented in a format which shows Don West's path to how he got to to where he is now. The only criticism I have is that it does not address some issues which it should, such as horseshoes, or guns. However, it is one of the few books out there addressing the needs of a changing world, where owners are more environmentally sensitive (ever seen those old style horsecamps after everyone was gone? scattered hay and leftover twine, poles nailed to trees which had been used as saddleracks or as tieoffs, etc.?), and which incorporates smaller and lighter high tech camping gear rather than the castiron pan and the stove to stay warm inside grandfather's canvas tent.

This gentleman has a world of experience with horses and traveling the back country and it shows.

Reading his book is like sitting a the kitchen table with a cup of coffee with a good friend. It's full of good advise and tales of adventure and for a horseback rider full of ooohs and ooops.

It has inspired me personally to further explore the experiences possible on horseback in wilderness areas. But the information in this book is not just for camping, the general information and necessities list is well worthwhile for all trailriders.

I personally am hoping Mr. West puts pen to paper for an additional work.