As you may have read in Becki Jackson's article a few months ago, we have been enjoying Competitive trail riding and camping with our horses all season. Becki introduced me to NATRC late last year with a wonderful array of information, web sites, brochures and videos. Well, being a trail riding fool, I absolutely fell in love with it. I recruited my dear friend Robyn Richmond to ride my other foxtrotter gelding and join me. We planned and plotted for months. The e-mails flew back and forth to Becki who became our "Official Coach." And a grand coach she is! We were very well prepared for our first ride as evidenced by our scores and placings. I about dropped my drawers when they announced my name for 2nd place first time out. WOW, what a thrill.
NATRC rides are usually 2 day events with a pretty snug schedule, so your camping abilities better be up to snuff. Nobody gets me out of bed at 5 AM and can expect me to be ready to rock and roll in an hour and a half without a major plan!
You will see every kind of rig imaginable at these rides! Folks will camp in anything from hammocks to tents to trucks to the biggest gooseneck rigs with all the whistles and bells. One of the requirements for the NATRC rides is that the horses are all stabled equally, which usually means tied to the trailer, or stationary tied on a high line. I was a little nervous about that one as I had a new trailer that I had customized myself and wasn't wanting to see it beat up by a horse that wasn't accustomed to being tied overnight. But things worked out fine. Good ole Skamp made his trailer his home in no time. We mounted bucket brackets to the side of the trailer to hold water buckets safely and Becki turned us onto the most wonderful tie system! Called leader lines, these are like high powered bungies and allow the horse more freedom. Skamp soon learned he could lay down and rest, reach everything necessary and even peek around the corner and keep track of Mom. With a large awning mounted on the door side he is naturally stabled on the opposite side, except in really hot sun or rain when I can move him to the other side for shelter. Protecting the arms of the awning was a challenge until I looked around at a NATRC ride and got a myriad of ideas from everyone else. We did invest in a raincoat for him too! I found that good horse campers always have a way to keep their mounts dry and warm. Cold muscles invite injuries!
I also learned the benefits of portable corral stabling.
With a small electric fencer and fiberglass portable poles I can have both
my horses very comfortable in no time.
Thanks again Becki! After the competition is over
the boys are very happy to have a little breathing room!
Since most of the NATRC sites don't have hookups, a generator
became a girls best friend! Water must also be hauled to some rides
and a 40 gal drum strapped into the extra trailer stall became a wonderful
addition. I have a 30 gal tank inside the living quarters, but that
doesn't go far for a thirsty working boy! NATRC and Becki introduced
me to the greatest ways to transport and handle the water situation.
Since we are judged on our horses stabling site, keeping
them tidy and well watered was very important. Showers for ourselves
can be a challenge too. Sometimes showers aren't available.
We saw everything from the ole camp bag showers to my absolutely heaven
sent shower inside. The gas/electric water heater produces enough
hot water for Becki, Robyn and I to shower luxuriously after a long ride!
And to think I thought that was frivolous at first, HA,
I dare ya to take it away from me now!! Becki will be adding hot
water and shower facilities in her trailer for next season! I love
the way everyone swaps ideas at these things!
Now cooking time isn't exactly rampant at these shindigs,
so I had to learn how to prepare good quality meals with minimal time and
effort. As it turned out we discovered traveling and camping with
a group can really make life easier there.
We each took one dinner and fed everyone. Worked
out grand! Becki has this wonderful little gas grill which can turn
out the most awesome steaks imaginable; or is it just that we are so hungry
after a long ride??? Adding a compact model became a necessity for
me! Things that fold up and can be stored easily are essential!
My idea of fun shopping is an RV center! Seat belts acquired from
about any junk yard can be used to secure all your favorite equipment for
a safe ride. The addition of an electric/propane fridge was wonderful.
Food doesn't spoil and ice is readily available.
However many folks do ok doing the ice chest thing too,
but their menus are rather limited. Becki uses dry ice a lot and
can even keep ice cream for a couple of days.
Keeping warm or cool to keep yourself healthy is important. Fans or cooling bandanas help. Air conditioners work better! A small electric heater and a small propane heater are packed away in my trailer permanently for future comfort. Beware the propane models..... not many can be used inside safely for long periods of time. If hookups are available an electric blanket is absolute luxury!
I have seen all different kinds of awning arrangements! Everything from the tarp secured to the trailer and stretched out with poles to umbrellas. But keeping yourself and your mount in the shade is really important on a hot day, so explore what works best for you. I upgraded from the tarp method to a real awning last year and it was worth every dime!
Vinyl flooring in your trailer w/throw rugs are easiest
to keep clean. Nothing worse than climbing into bed and dragging
crud between the sheets with you. A simple dust pan and brush makes
tidying up really easy. Carpeting is warmer but without a hookup
for the little vac it stays dirty. But the generator helps there
too. While the generator is running for the microwave or AC I'll
take a minute to run the dirt devil.
Robyn has some really nice tile in her trailer.....even
installed it herself! Sure looks great.
Keeping a good supply of batteries is a must. Becki even has a little lawn mover battery that does everything from power her little water pump to her electric fence corral. That girl is truly the queen of toys! But in all fairness she has been riding NATRC for 15 years so she has really learned all the tricks!
I have really come to enjoy camping with my horse, and so has he. Learning how to camp comfortably and safely has been a real joy and has only encouraged us to get out and do more of it. Riding a sweet natured smooth foxtrotter really ices the cake and makes any trip a joy! So scrounge up the camping gear, refine your systems, and have a ball. Nothing will develop a true kinship with your horse as much as a trip away from home together.
Gail Stevens
NATRC Region 4
Riding Foxtrotters of course!
Copyright ©2000 Gail Stevens for the Missouri Foxtrotter News. All rights reseved.
Editors Note:
For more information on the NATRC read the articles on
the Missouri Foxtrotter News
THE
NORTH AMERICAN TRAIL RIDE CONFERENCE on theMFT
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