Pack Horse Contests Catching On Fast

Pack Horse Contests Catching On Fast AG WORLD Ag World 6-4-19 "It's really not a race," says Dr. James Shubert, a Minnesota dentist who's working in his state to organize the hottest new sport in the horse world. "A pack horse contest is most like a trail ride, but involves more people. It's not an endurance test, but rather it involves skill and efficiency." A pack horse team consists of two riders, two saddle horses and one pack horse. At the starting point, the team "packs" the pack horse and then rides out to a designated campsite, which is the finish line, to set up a tent and lay out all their packed equipment in a prescribed manner. Time is a factor, but it's most important to carry the load right and set up camp properly. Teams are penalized for moving their horses faster than a trot. To judge how well the load was packed and carried, each team includes in its load a dozen eggs, some canned goods and a set of deer antlers. Each broken egg, dented can, or damaged antler costs the team points in their final score. There are two classes of competition ù amateur course is 15 miles, the professional 30 miles. The team competition is only the showy part of horse packing. Many months of learning and preparation precede the event itself. Many contestants build their own pack saddle and then must learn how to mount it and load it. Animals must be trained for carrying this kind of load. "It's an ideal project for youth groups," says Dr. Shubert, "but it also has special appeal to the hunter and the horseman of any age. Pack horse contests started in Wyoming about 6 years ago and last year we tried it near Park Rapids, Minn. This year we will offer the first Minnesota state pack horse championships." The pack horse competition is usually combined with other horse events, and last year was held in connection with the muzzle loader rifle competition. "Horse packing is part of the American heritage," says Dr. Shubert. "Pack animals were important to settlers moving West, to hunters who had to bring home a large carcass, and to the horse-mounted cavalry." Shubert and a local Jaycees club have conducted many pack horse clinics where horsemen are taught , how to make a pack saddle, how to load it and how to manage and train the animal. "The response to our clinics has gone far beyond what we ever expected," says Dr. Shubert. He adds that mules, donkeys and even goats can be good pack animals and are eligible for competition. The Minnesota group is anxious to promote horse packing over a wider area. They have information available on setting up a contest, where to buy books on packing, how to build a pack saddle, and how to load a pack animal. For information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dr. James Shubert, 604 Forest St., Park Rapids, Minn. 56470 (ph 218 732-3879).

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