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June 2004 — #106

Trail Etiquette with Horses

Over the years I have gone on many a trek where we encountered horses on the trail. On each of these occasions the animals reacted differently. If we did the wrong thing on any of those treks we could have had a bad situation where someone could have gotten hurt. Many a scouter has asked me what do if they meet up with a horse on the trail. To understand, what to do, we have to know something about horses and of course what is good trail etiquette in such situations.

Background on Horses

To survive, the horse has evolved in many ways. Descending from animals that lived on open savannas, he is a wandering and grazing animal who does not hunt other animals. This background makes them naturally uncomfortable in a confined space, like a narrow trail in a woodland or mountain area. On the open plain he developed ways to protect himself from predators. His first defense is speed. Given a head start (50 yds.) no predator can catch him. Some say that the horse is the fastest living animal at any distance over a quarter of a mile. To use this speed nature has given him a number of sensory means to warn of possible danger. This sensory alarm system consists of his eyes, nose, sense of smell and instinct. The first two senses are the most important followed by the sense of smell. Any unknown warming from any of these senses and the horse may bolt or run. If it can not run and it feels that it is corned or restricted its last line of defense is to kick.

Horse Senses

Let’s look at the horse’s senses to understand why people can get into trouble.

Sight: Horses have an incredible range of vision (340 degrees), but have poor color vision and have limited depth perception. A backpacker appearing for the first time in peripheral vision could look like a big scary predator. A horse’s night vision is better than a person’s, but it takes longer for its eyes to adjust from light to dark. This is why many horses become frightened when going from a fairly light area to a dark one. A horse’s big eyes are an advantage in that it enables him to detect the slightest motion. On windy days this could be a problem, because there are too many moving things for them to identify. A horse sees in two ways, monocular and binocular. A horse can see his surroundings on both sides of their head. This is called monocular vision (‘mono’ meaning ‘one’). His binocular vision comes into play when he uses both eyes together to focus on something. Binocular vision is directed down their nose and not straight ahead.

This accounts for his blind spot in front of his forehead. A horse’s range of vision is adjusted by raising or lowering its head.

Most horses cannot see objects that are closer than a meter directly in front of them unless they move their head. Horses have blind spots where they cannot see. When a horse is grazing, it cannot see directly in front of or behind itself.

The blind spot directly behind a horse is the most dangerous because the horse will be using its sense of hearing and any unexpected noise may cause him to kick. The blind spot in front also has its problems. Never approach a horse directly from the front.

Small objects are hard for horses to see (bird or rabbit), but they will perceive movement instantly and will react (good or bad).

Hearing and Smell: Horses have sharper and broader hearing ranges than humans. Loud noises may be painful to some horses’ ears. Their sense of smell is also acute. They identify individuals by their individual odor. Their sensitivity to sound and smells may be why they become hard to handle on a windy day - they are receiving conflicting messages from their senses.

Tactile: Horses are very sensitive. It is said that a 1500 pound mare can detect a fly that lands on her hip.

Taste: Horses can differentiate between sweet and salty and may develop preferences in their food.

How Smart are Horses?

Horses cannot reason like humans. They do not have the ability to question or think about a situation, they just react. They do have a great ability to learn and a memory that some say is second only to elephants. This remembering of what is learned played a big part in their survival. If for example an attack came at a certain place, the herd would avoid that spot in the future. A well trained horse never forgets its training. Neither does a poorly trained one. When you think about it, that is why some horses react in a negative way to backpackers. They simply have never seen a person carrying a pack before and their instincts are warning them about a dangerous situation. If the horse has encounter backpackers before and knows that they are humans and will not harm him, he will not get upset and a positive outcome will result.

Meeting a Horse on the Trail – What to Do

Now that we have a background on why a horse behaves like he does, what should we do it we meet a horse on the trail? Here is what the Blue Ridge Trail Riders, the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club say on the subject:

• Be alert for horses.
• Yield to horse/rider when possible. Step off the downhill side of the trail and stand still. By stepping to the downhill side, adequate room is yielded to the horse for passing. Be sure the horse has seen you before stepping aside, particularly if you step out of sight. When the horse approaches you, any sudden movement on your part will probably spook the horse if he is unaware of your existence. Also, DO NOT attempt to pet the horse. Many horses are spooked by the sight of backpackers; the large pack themselves, the noise and sight of ATVers, and the sight and quick action of bicycles. Therefore, upon stopping, remain still and speak softly to have a calming effect on the horse. (Editor’s Note: Face the horse if wearing a backpack. Give the horse the opportunity to see that you are a person, not a scary predator.)
• If the rider stops the horse, converse with the rider. Promote a positive relationship between user groups (hikers) by encouraging a friendly, courteous meeting.
• The rider may choose to move the horse on without stopping. This may not be due to a lack of courtesy, but rather due to a decision that the horse may be agitated and is best handled by urging him on past you. However, in some cases the rider may decide that he can best handle his horse by having you move on and request you do so. This is more apt to occur with a hiker or bicyclist than with an ATVer because of the noise created by the ATVer. Expect the rider to advise you.

What to do When Overtaking a Horse and Rider

• If you are traveling at a fast pace, alert the rider to your presence by calling out that you wish to pass. The rider should pull the horse over. Step to downhill side. If rider has horse under control, proceed on; if not, allow rider to move horse to rear.
• Bicyclist: A bicycle is generally quiet and is not heard by horse/rider. Signal by horn, bell or calling out that you are approaching. Stop. If horse is not agitated by your presence, proceed on. Otherwise, allow rider to move horse to rear before proceeding. Many horses are well conditioned to traffic, and your presence would be undisturbing. Some are not, in which case following this protocol will create a smoother, safer passing.

For more information on horses and trail etiquette with horses, bicyclist, and ATVers you can refer to the following web sites:

• http://muextsion.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/ansci/g02862.htm
• http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/1030
• http://www.serversolutions.com/ambc/brochure.htm
• http://www.horsetraineronline.com/horsesense.htm
• http://www.horsewyse.com.au/howhorsessee.html

Fishing the Back Country

Some of my best times I have spent in the outdoors are when I took the time to go fishing, even if I did not catch any fish. For many, fishing is a great way to relax and enjoy the outdoors. You can’t go about fishing at a fast pace, you have to take time and put some thought into it. Where are those fish going to be? Are they in the white water beyond the falls or in the shadows of that big rock? If you make the right choice you have the thrill of catching a fish and maybe adding to your breakfast or dinner meal.

This all sounds great if you are car camping, but what if you’re backpacking. Don’t you need a lot of equipment and isn’t that a great deal of extra weight that you would have to carry. To answer that question one has to understand that when you purchase your own camping gear you make a number of choices for your own comfort and/or enjoyment of the out-of-doors. This may mean that some gear may be heavier than normal, but that is your choice. As long as you keep it simple, you can still fish with a minimal amount of gear. All you really need is an old rod and reel and some hooks and/or lures. If you really want to go light, a hand line and hooks will do.

Where to Find Fish in a Lake	Where to Find Fish in a Stream
Large fish in log	Fish between logs
Fish in the Shadows
Hooks and Knots

Where to Find Fish?

Now that we got the equipment issue out of the way the next question is where do we find the fish to catch and how to catch them?  In the backcountry, the two areas that present themselves are lakes and streams. Both of these areas require different approaches. To increase ones chances of catching fish one must do homework.  One good reference comes to mind “How to Catch a Trout Every Time When Spinner Fishing Your Favorite Stream or River…!” by Nick Anikijenko.” This is a good starting point, because it tells you what to look for before you go to a specific area. Before you go on a trek you usually have a planning stage which is usually months or even a year out from the date that you plan on going. This is the time that you should start looking for answers for the following items that would affect fishing. This would include the following:

• What types of fish are in the area?
• Time of year?
• Best time of day to fish?
• What do fish normally eat? (does this change during the season?)
• What will the weather be like?
• What lure / spinner / natural bait works best for that time of year?
• What natural bait is available to the fish?

Where do you find the answers to these questions? The following are resources to check:

Check the Internet for weather and stages of the moon etc. also any other information that is available

• Talk to the local people in the area
• When getting your trail permits talk to the ranger (What tips can he give you?)
• Call the local resorts in the area
• See if there are any local fishing guide books
• Check with local bait shops
• When you get on location, check to see what natural bait is available at site

The following artwork shows some basic areas of where to find fish and other helpful tips.

Book Review:

Backpacking Basics

This issue's book review is on Thomas Winnett’s book “Backpacking Basics” published by Wilderness Press. Mr. Winnett has over 55 years experience as an amateur and professional outdoorsmen (Editor’s note: Mr. Winnett is the founder of Wilderness Press which has published numerous reference books that have been of use to the Scouters in the Bay Area). It’s the fourth edition for this book and was co-authored by Melanie Findling. For the beginning backpacker this is a good starting point. It covers all the basic knowledge that one needs to know before going on any trek let alone a campout. Just looking at the table of contents, you know that they have done their homework.

Getting Started

• Equipment
• Clothing
• Food and Cooking
• Day Hikes-A Prelude
• Planning Trips
• Trailhead Tips
• Walking
• Camping Techniques
• Safety and Well-being
• Map and Compass
• Equipment Care
• Taking Children
• Recommended Reading
  • Author’s Pack
  • Checklist for Packing
  • Conservation Organizatio

It has numerous photos and illustrations to help the reader follow along. The index is done well along with many useful appendixes. If you are just starting out as an adult leader who plans on taking scouts on outings in the out-of-doors, I strongly recommend you get and read this work. It should be one of your first reference books in your scouting library.

What’s For Dinner

Trout on the Trail

Ingredients

• Fresh trout
• Equal parts white flour and cornmeal, salt and pepper to taste
• Bacon drippings or vegetable oil (2-4 TB)

At Home

Combine dredging flours and salt and pepper in a large Ziploc bag. Bring bacon to make drippings or bring drippings from home in a wide-mouth nalgene jar. You can substitute vegetable oil for the bacon.

In Camp

Clean fish. Keep in cool place until ready.

Dredge trout in flour mixture. Melt 2-4 table spoons bacon drippings or add vegetable oil in a frying pan. Lay trout in pan and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. When trout has a nice brown crust on the skin and the flesh is no longer translucent and flakes with a bit of pressure, they are done. Enjoy.