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Stock
Keeping Them With You
Your animals are important if they wandered off, you'd have a heavy load on your shoulders! Be sure to familiarize and refamiliarize stock with all containment methods you plan to use before you ride into the backcountry. A few ideas are listed below.
Where to Put Stock
Keep pack animals at least 200 feet from streams, lake shores, trails, and camping areas. This helps keep water clean, protects the soil and plants, and keeps trails and campsites clear of loose stock. Rotate stock throughout the area to reduce trampling and prevent overgrazing.
Methods
Tree-Saver Straps: Used with highlines, these make a big difference in keeping your stock from girdling trees.
Highline: A highline is one of the easiest, lightweight ways to keep your stock in camp. It is easier to put up with a tree-saver strap. The highline prevents stock from trampling roots and chewing bark. See the picture of highlines and tree-saver straps for details.
Hitching Rails: If you must tie stock to a hitching rail or dead pole, tie a four-to-six inch round pole between two trees. Place padding or wooden shims under the lash ropes to protect the bark. Use rope or twine instead of nails or wire. Again, take it with you when you leave.
Highlines
How to use them:
1. Choose a hard and rocky spot.
2. Place the tree-savers and rope about 7 feet above the ground.
3. Stretch the line between two trees using adjustable nylon tree-saverstraps.
4. Run the rope between the straps, tie with a quick-release knot, and pull tight.
Picket Ropes and Pins
Bring an easy-to-move picket pin such as a metal one. Avoid areas with obstacles so the rope doesn't get hung up. If you walk your animal to the end of the rope before turning it loose, it's less likely to injure itself by running past the end of the rope. Move the picket pin frequently, to prevent trampling and reduce overgrazing. When you break camp, be sure to take that picket pin with you.
Hobbles:
Wandering horse? Hobbles work for some animals, but others can move fast while wearing them. Again, get your stock used to them before going into the backcountry.
Temporary Fences and Corals:
When you plan to spend several days in one spot, a temporary corral or fence is a good way to keep your stock in camp. Make sure your stock are trained to stay in temporary corrals before leaving home. If you find permanent corrals at trailheads or designated horse camps, use them! Try some of these temporary fences and corrals (don't forget to take them with you!):
Plastic Snow Fences:
This fencing is light- weight, easy to pack, and comes in colors such as green and black.
Rope Corrals:
Rope corrals are relatively easy to rig and move, but they do require extra rope. One method uses two parallel ropes tied with loops or bowlines and threaded with cross ropes for a more secure enclosure.
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