Staying warm on a horse (ATV, etc.).

[robby denning]

once the cold weather hits, it is dang cold to get on a horse before sunrise. This is the system I’m using this year, and it’s working pretty good. I’ve had several mornings in the single digits, as low as 5°. But this system allowed me to stay warm enough to hunt all day if needed

All First Lite (FL) from base to outer (in Cipher unless noted)

-Mercury Sock
-Kiln zip-off Med WT Merino bottoms
-Light WT Merino boxer (can’t remember the name)
-Fuse Med WT Merino top (in Pine)
-Uncompahgre Puffy Jacket (in Pine)
-Catalyst Pant
-Uncompahgre zip-off Puffy Pant (do not go brush busting in these unless you have Tenacious Tape)
-Chamberlain Coat (over-the-top warm)
-Merino Neck Gaitor (black)
-Grizzly Mitten (in Fusion, Gen 1 2015 model)
-Catalyst Glove (in Pine, for shooting/hiking)

Other:
-Schnees Hunter II Pacs
-Grabber Foot Warmer Insoles
-Turtle Fur Earband

If I need to hike, I takeoff the Chamberlain and the Uncompahgre puffy pants, and the grizzlies,. Then I’m ready to go

But got lazy once and left the Puffy Pants on.

So had to break out the Tenacious. @Jordan Budd warned me not to brush bust with these.

Other than that, very happy with this system.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Deplorable77]

I like to put the neoprene/gel pads on the saddle, frozen leather is miserable to sit on.

 

[mcseal2]

They aren't great for walking in, but I really like the Kennetrek Bobcat boots with the zipper for riding in the winter. I'm not a fan of a lace-up boot for riding. I have been drug by a boot hung up in a stirrup. I wasn't drug far, but it scared me enough to never want to experience it again. I know guys who have been seriously injured or killed that way. I try to almost always ride in a slip on boot, but the zipper of the Kennetrek Bobcat is way more likely to blow out than laces. Zippers seem to fail on me when I don't want them to, hopefully if I'm ever getting drug by a horse the zipper will fail then too. I found a clearance pair of insulated slip on Georgia Mud Dog slip on boots with a rubber bottom I bought this fall. I don't think they will have the warmth of the Kennetreks, but they will work for short rides or less severe cold.

I turned out my 4yr old horse for the winter and pulled his shoes this week. He has had a lot of miles for his age and I think a break will do him good. I like to ride the older horses in the winter on slick ground. I always feel like I'm sending mixed signals to a young horse doing ranch work on slick ground. I hold them back from making moves on a cow I'd be encouraging on good footing. The young horses are often fresh, energetic, and extra enthusiastic when I'm riding in the winter. That extra little bit of try with poor footing can lead to bad results. I remember losing my temper trying to bring in a cow with a backward calf when I was younger. I turned loose my young horse at the time (who is 20 now) and let him work her. He did good for several trips up and down the hill, turning her and keeping her going the right direction. Then she lost her footing up the hill from us, took out my horses legs, and we all went down in a pile. I luckily ended up uphill of the horse and cow and crawled clear. None of us were injured. I got back on and we got the cow to the barn. She cooperated after that, I think having the horse land on her changed her attitude.

I have had our farrier put borium on the bottom of the shoes for years now for extra traction on ice. Yesterday I also had him put pads on the front feet of my main using horse, the 10yr old I wrote about several years back when he was young. I was talking to a guy at the steer tripping finals from Montana who said he did this to keep the wet snow from building up big snowballs under the horse's foot. I encounter that often enough I figured it was worth a try.

I sometimes get teased for wearing my warm hunting gear riding in the winter months, but I don't care. I'll take warmth over a cowboy appearance every day. On a side note I bought 4 new pairs of Wranglers early this year and ripped the crotch out of the last pair this week getting on horse. I am buying more solid color Kuiu Attack pants for work. The Sitka Ascent or Kuiu pants I've used on days I'll be walking instead of riding for several years are still good as new. With the way these last and how comfortable they are my jeans will get used less and less.

 

[rayporter]

gaiters really help on the cold feet and legs. they seal that opening between boot and pant. i used leather gaiters a lot in cold weather.

another, if you just go a short distance is flannel lined jeans with long under wear. i broke a lot of critters in the winter this way.

 

[Carr5vols]

Going to sound crazy but we use the rain proof long dusters (yellow thick ones), the heat off the horse gets caught inside and works pretty good.

 

[Corey Paulsen (teamkabob)]

Nice horse Robby

 

[rayporter]

and the horse is rigged for the high country with a full butt harness. i have learned to have something to steady that saddle on the hills.
and the big stirrups, too. are they custom?

 

[Deplorable77]

Im not sure what duster you are referring to,, but I wore an oilskin duster on a horse for two days in rain/snow conditions and absolutely agree that it is like wearing a heated jacket, trapping the horses heat. The downside is the horrid stench of horse sweat is permanently infused into the fabric. Smell went away after airing it outdoors for a week, but when it got wet again, the smell was "reactivated"

Going to sound crazy but we use the rain proof long dusters (yellow thick ones), the heat off the horse gets caught inside and works pretty good.

 

[robby denning]

Going to sound crazy but we use the rain proof long dusters (yellow thick ones), the heat off the horse gets caught inside and works pretty good.

this is true. I’ve worn a big army poncho while riding and experienced the same thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Travis Hobbs]

I have had our farrier put borium on the bottom of the shoes for years now for extra traction on ice.

Not to hijack the thread! Great write up
Robby!

But mcseal can you expound on this?

I had an old rancher friend tell me about this some years ago. If I remember it looked almost like slag dripped on bottom of horse shoes? He died a few years ago and I never really got to understand how they went about it.

I don’t generally shoe my mules but after a long season sometimes I’m wondering if I shouldn’t. Snow and ice are the biggest reasons I don’t. If it makes a big difference I would sure like to learn more.

 

[mcseal2]

Thats exactly what it looks like. He puts it 4 places around the shoe. I’m honestly not sure what he does to get it welded on the shoe. I have not been there to watch him do that part. He lets me know what day he is coming and I have horses locked up for him. Unless its a young one getting shoes the first time or two I’m he doesn’t need me around. If I get a chance I’ll take a picture of one this morning.

 

[Travis Hobbs]

Thats exactly what it looks like. He puts it 4 places around the shoe. I’m honestly not sure what he does to get it welded on the shoe. I have not been there to watch him do that part. He lets me know what day he is coming and I have horses locked up for him. Unless its a young one getting shoes the first time or two I’m he doesn’t need me around. If I get a chance I’ll take a picture of one this morning.

That would be great! And also if you could report on how long it lasts, etc that would be awesome. This rancher that told me about it said it even helped with traction on straight rocks? I might have to try it.

 

[rayporter]

borium or drill tec lasts until the shoe literally breaks in half because it is paper thin, or the nail holes are so big the nails fall through.

 

[mcseal2]

Yeah it lasts as long as the shoe. I did not get a pic today, horses had left from eating when I went back. They come in for grain but have a pasture to run. I can get one tomorrow.

It will help on slick rock or concrete.

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

The borium is basically brazed , shoe is heated almost to melting and then the borium is melted and dabbed on. The hard part is flatness due to all the heat stress. All the mules in the grand canyon have these shoes. If you watch the independent film done by Ben Masters called Unbranded where they ride mustangs from mexico to Canada they show this in the beginning. They were hard facing the shoes I believe and not using dabs for traction. The shoes will wear much longer. They carried extras along the way, these are the kind of details I wish they would cover more on big trips like that, im more interested in the logistics sometimes because it gets glossed over just like hunting, the public sees about 30 percent of the journey.
I took the mules out in 14 degree weather and rode bareback, I was quite warm minus my nose and feet. Amazing how much heat those animals put off.
Another option to the borium is screw in carbide studs, if welded from the backside ounce in place they will wear just as well as borium and much easier to handle

 

[robby denning]

The borium is basically brazed , shoe is heated almost to melting and then the borium is melted and dabbed on. The hard part is flatness due to all the heat stress. All the mules in the grand canyon have these shoes. If you watch the independent film done by Ben Masters called Unbranded where they ride mustangs from mexico to Canada they show this in the beginning. They were hard facing the shoes I believe and not using dabs for traction. The shoes will wear much longer. They carried extras along the way, these are the kind of details I wish they would cover more on big trips like that, im more interested in the logistics sometimes because it gets glossed over just like hunting, the public sees about 30 percent of the journey.
I took the mules out in 14 degree weather and rode bareback, I was quite warm minus my nose and feet. Amazing how much heat those animals put off.
Another option to the borium is screw in carbide studs, if welded from the backside ounce in place they will wear just as well as borium and much easier to handle

I saw that film. It was awesome. There’s guys around here that run the barium shoes and really like them. I’ve had good luck with heel and toe


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

There is also a book from the trip that has a bit more detail and some amazing photography. Plenty of videos on youtube of adding the barium.

 

[Carr5vols]

Just watched the film amazing adventure. I have always wanted to do the TAT trail with my boys or float the length from Two Medicine Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico.

 

[mcseal2]

Kept forgetting to get a pic of the borium shoes when I turned horses out the last few days, sorry about that. I got one today but we had an inch of rain last night so its a little muddy. He has 2 pads of borium at the toe of the shoe and 2 at the heel.