Customer Reviews

Horses, Hitches, and Rocky Trails

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a repurchase of an old friend. Years ago my career and life took me to Wyoming. Like many, I fell in love with the high country and soon realized that the only way to get to the best of it was with horses. As a relative greenhorn, however, I had a lot to learn about getting to and living in the high country, with or without horses. A friend gave me Joe Back's book Horses, Hitches and Rocky Trails. Somewhere along the way, I misplaced it. I'm glad to have it back.

This book is more than informative. It delivers all its name suggests, telling all I needed to know about the tack, rigging and techniques of handling horses in a pack string. By simply following his advice, I found myself not only able to do it, but do it without embarassing myself in the company of real mountain men.

Beyond that, Joe's earthy narrative and humorous, but informative, illustrations make the book a joy to read. Even after you read it cover to cover, you'll want to spend some time looking at the illustrations and re-reading the tidbits of wisdom. If you have an interest or plan to go into the primitive areas of the mountain West, I encourage you to read this even if you never intend to pack a horse yourself.

This is a great book for anyone interested in packing horses into the mountains. Weather you are a experienced or inexperienced packer. The writing and illustrations are one of a kind,and with a style of the west.When reading the book you feel like your there packing your own string into the mountains. I would recomend it to any packers past present or future.

This is a presentation of the method of packing into the wilderness. It is for the amateur just learning what to do in the wilderness and for the professional packer. One packer put it, "I'm surprised how many of those books I see, wide open on the back of a horse." Pat Murray, then Supervisor of the Shoshone National Forest, says in his Foreword: "Joe's home range starts where wheeled travel stops. To haul loads successfully and not hurt your animals takes know-how. Much of the know-how you have in your hands has never been written down before. Rangers, outfitters, and many so-called dudes will use this handbook, and be thankful every day they have it on the trail."

There are 52 drawings to amplify the text. First published in 1959, it has been reprinted 18 times.
--- from book's back cover

This is probably the single best work I've ever seen on the "science" of packing. Joe Back lived and worked in N.W. Wyoming, and was a legend in the area. His humorous annecdotes, and extremely accurate hand drawn diagrams, combined with his obvious knowledge of the subject, make this a "must have" for anyone seriously interested in learning how to pack horses or mules, and survive. This little work deserves a place in any packer's library.

I have had a copy of Horses, Hitches, & Rocky Trails for eighteen years. It has been taken to the field many times and read in total and in part many times. For the past eighteen years I have been alert for books that would provide new information or expend on Joe's presentation. If there are better ideas out there they need a literate, artistic, and humorous champion like Joe Back.

This charming book is sure to please anyone interested in good old-fashioned prose created around the subject of packing into the wilderness. Not only is the writing and story-telling fascinating, the artwork that accompanies each of the pieces is wonderful. Joe Back is not only a writer, but an artist, wildlife sculptor, a rustic poet, back woodsman, and most of all, a humorist.

The book covers the method of packing into the wilderness for both the amateur and the professional. Most of the information in the book has never been written down before. Western Horseman magazine reviewed it as the "greatest little book ever written on packing into the back country." For my money, just looking at the detail drawings is worth the price of admission.

The description of the used book condition was right on. I am impressed. A very good concept, the book was mailed immediately, arrived in great condition.

This book is dubbed the horse packer's bible and for good reason. Extensive illustrations and anecdotal stories provide someone getting started with all the information necessary.

If you are packing horses or going to the mountains horseback you need this book. Even if you are like me and had everything else you could find published about horse packing.

To call this the Bible of Packing horses is almost an understatement. It covers camping, safety in the mountains and how to survive a tough spot.

If you ride horses it is a great book to have. There are so many tips in it on knots for tying, extras to have and how to's. The only time I ever had to put a shoe back on a horse without a shoer in miles was on a shale rock climb up West Goose Wing Creek in WY. Guess what I dug out of my saddle bag! And it stayed on a week in ventures through the Gros Ventre Wilderness.

This is one of my all time favorite reads. Joe Back was an amazing gentleman. I never knew him but after reading this book you will wish you did.

This one is the original book on packing. Everyone interested in the craft should have it.