EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

okay everyone has jacked the last post to the point where everything but horseback hunting is being talked about. i'm still interested interested in learning more about this subject though. so if you have actually hunted hogs from horseback, please post info about it here. please stick to the subject at hand. i don't care about real cowboys, or barking at hogs or any of that who's the biggest and the baddest bull. i just want info on hunting off of horseback. the upside, the downside of it. what you should do, what to watch out for, etc.. and please, no "i've heard this" stuff. i'm looking to hear from people with firsthand experience doing this. thanks a bunch!

Sean,
When you have a big enough place hunting off a horse is the best way to go. 
The dogs have to be horse broke and have some manners.
Get to the bay faster and see more woods than on any 4-wheeler.  This the place you can use a running catch dog because you can get there faster. 
I like it because it's relacking and refreshing and you can hear a lot better.

Have to watch out for the tree limbs and vines.

cool, okay here's another part to this question(and one of the reasons i want to find out about this kind of hunting). how feasable would it be to film from horseback. i'm certain the vantage point would be better, but is there a horse that would be still enough to do that. and would i be able to get close enough to the action to even get any film from a horse? i'm sure most people who have done this haven't filmed while doing it, i'm just wondering if a horse would have that good a handle to make this possible. or if i need to just forget about the camera while doing this type of hunting?

Sean,

     While I have ZERO experience filming horseback, I do think it can be done.  I think if you have decent image stabilization, then you would probably be in about the same boat as if you had just run to the bay on foot. Either you are going to be breathing heavy, or the horse is.  I don't think you will have a problem getting close enough to the bay to film, though there are going to be plenty of times that you have to ditch the horse, to crawl through the nasty stuff to get to the bay. Even then, you likely won't be as winded as you would be if you had run the entire distance.

    I am going to say that a lot has to do with the horse. Also remember, that the horse has the same flight instincts that we do. If the hog breaks and is headed in your direction, the horse is gonna get out of the way QUICK. If you don't have a good seat, you might end up on the ground right where the hog is headed.

I am going to say that more often than not, you will use the horse to get you close to the bay, the rest will be on foot. Unless  you are in sure enough open country.

My two cents.   

As far as stabilization goes, there are breeds of horses which are almost completely bounce-less. There is no jarring action that a quarter horse has at a trot with say a Tennessee Walker or a Racking Horse. It's more of a side to side "sashay". If you were going to attempt to film from the back of a horse, I'd explore the idea of getting a gaited one. 

The only problem is that we don't have gaited horses for you to try out. As far as hunting horses go, we have quarter horses - not the smoothest rides. I seriously doubt you'd want to try to film from the back of my high energy show mare (pictured). I would think that if you tried hunting horseback with us or someone else and liked it enough to get a horse, we should locate you a gaited one.
M
(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee228/aladatrot/mysti.jpg)

My very first horse was a big 16.3 black and white paint half tennessee walker and man he was nice to ride, and he would cover the ground at a good clip.  I rode a mule a few weeks back that would blow your hat off at a walk and I mean a SMOOTH walk, I was impressed.  I had no idea an equine could be that smooth.  I climbed some pretty straigt up and down terrain and I believe I could have done it and not even spilled a drink.  I then went and rode what I considered to be some crap horses that a man was selling and soon realized how good the mule was.  I HATE a horse with head shake and this one would not stop and the owner said he neck reins great but I was having to fight his mouth with the bit just to make him react.  It has been a long time since I rode a GOOD horse and they are hard to find but I still think there are a few out there that can be bought without having to take out a loan.  Just have to meet the right guy in the right situation.

Matt

Matt, the rule of numbers applies here. If you ride enough of them, sooner or later you find one you like. I hate to even mention this, but we recently went to a sale to buy ponies. I can't believe how cheap horses are right now! "Decent" or seemingly decent horses were bringing $400 and $500. If a person were willing to take a chance, you could buy a few of those seemingly decent horses at $400 and just weed through and sell them if they didn't work out. Granted, you are gambling with any horse at a sale. I managed to get one sure enough awesome pony and one little butt head.
M

I "have" tried to shoot video horseback...it is very hard to keep something in frame( while on the move) let alone get good video. While you are stopped it works OK. I would think ride to the bay and get off to shoot the video. If you are riding a broke horse that is used to being in the pasture (ranch horse) you can cover alot of groung really fast in most places. The big problem is a novice rider staying on the horse....An experienced rider can run right up with the dogs in a chase and even help them when they lose the track when you can see the hog from horseback, or take down your rope but that is probably for pros only.

Paul T

yeah, definitely not a pro here paul. i do learn very fast, but that is neither here nor there. i like the idea of getting to the bay quick on the horse, then getting off to film without being winded at all. that would take away my great vantage point though(looking down from the horse at the bay i mean). good info though ya'll. keep it comin  :)

Sean, Here is a link to some video of Tennessee Walking Horses. Of course, these aren't woods broke horses, and a hunting horse wouldn't move with this much animation, but the gaits would be the same for the most part. Notice in all the videos of the running walk that the horse takes all the shock from the motion and the rider is not jostled around in any way. I would think that if you were going to try to get video of the approach to the bay while on a horse, this would be the only way to go.
M
http://www.twhbea.com/gaitsvideo.htm

wow, that's pretty wild. even when they canter the rider is barely bouncing at all.  :o

Those horses do not work in the brush or pastures well. They don't lift their feet up enough. Even Tenessee Walkers will trip on you in the pasture.

You have to go up and down to get over stuff and up hills. Its just the way it is.

well, i doubt that i am going to find the "perfect" horse for the job(i am in no position to go buy a horse anyway). i'm more just wondering about how feasable filming from horseback even is. and more than that i'm wanting info from people who have hunted this way. whether i can film from one or not, if i get the chance to hunt off a horse i am going to try it. the filming thing would just be a real nice bonus...

gettin to the bay and filmin is real good,just gotta get everyone to give ya a head start,same as foot huntin,got to be there for the action.hoss's is a way to go .we gonna give heck on this 3000 acres up here in a weeek

Like said before hunting horse back is a blast. You can cover a lot more country, you can get to the bay a lot faster and see a lot more action whether its over the tall grass…palmettos or what ever type country you hunt. You can drag hogs out of the woods much easier…just tie hog off to horse’s tail and out you come. If you do have one bayed up in the open it is fun to rope one. Now comes the negative side of being horse back. If a person is an inexperienced rider and is not mounted well…meaning horse is not used to the situations you’ll have him….the rider is going to hate every minute of it…..you’ll be fighting the horse the whole time and something…being you or the horse will end up hurt. If hunting smaller places that have more cattle guards than gates or gaps then you’ll end up having to walk a lot or take down fences which is a pain. If someone other than you owns the property and stock…whatever it might be…horses or cattle may not want the excitement of you running around their place horse back and keeping the cattle all wound up. Easing around a set of cows on a 4 wheeler is a bit less stressful than them seeing you coming across the pasture at them horse back. To me the biggest two down falls to being horse back is ONE….im not a real big fan of running catch dogs (nor am I a fan of shooting over my dogs). If the four of five curs I have on the ground are bayed up…then it is a good chance it is a good size hog and I want my catch dogs fresh when I cut them loose….not wore out from running all morning (kinda like me jogging two miles then getting in the ring with a fresh boxer….I don’t stand a chance in hell). TWO is that at the end of the hunt I want to load my dogs up on that scooter and get back to the trailer….not ride for miles on a wore out horse and a set of dogs that are cut up and just want to lay down.

Sean

 you are getting alot of info here most of it is good,although i would not recomend " tieing a hog to a horses tail".lol  shurely he wasnt serious.

 i own and have rode alot of gaited horses, they are smooth as silk on the trail, but they tend to get just as rough as a quarter horse in the conditions you are catching hogs in, rocks, briars, thick brush,ect.

as far as filming from horse back the only way thats going to work is get as close as possible, tie the horse up and walk in.

i take alot of pictures and most of the time thats what i do , sometimes i can get a picture or 2 from horseback but you are going to have to get on the ground to catch the hog anyway so i usually pull my camera out once im on the ground snap a few then catch the hog.

i have rode my whole life and it would be tough to carry a camera with one hand while busting thru brush and make a good video.

 the ranch im hunting on now is 14,000 acres and it is loaded with hogs, and a horse is the only way i can hunt 90% of this place.
last weekend my dogs bayed on the other side of a cross fence ,i snaged my catch dog and put her on a leash, tied my horse up and led my catch dog to the bay. it was about a 1/2 mile over a mountian ,caught the hog and walked back to get my horse.
so you have to be able to adust to the situation.

 the picture below shows how we have loaded live hogs on a mule.
(http://www.texasboars.com/photopost/albums/userpics/normal_hog_pic_050.jpg)

"although i would not recomend " tieing a hog to a horses tail".lol  shurely he wasnt serious."

Serious as a heart attack. Don't get me...if your talking some 2 or 3 hundred pound hogs then no I wouldn’t think about it. But if there around 120 or less take a tie rope off your saddle tie one end to the hogs nose and take the other end wrap it right under where the tails ends and its just hair....fold the tail hair around the tie rope....then a half hitch to hold the hair folded over and off you go. Kinda hard to explain but it does work....at least in the areas I hunt...maybe not so good for other. Kinda have to feel the horse out....some don't think to kindly of this.

yeah, i'm starting to think the idea of filming from up on the horse is not very likely. still, if i could get to the bay on a horse, then get down and film that would work too. i was mostly just thinking of the great vantage point, like when i'm filming from the top of a bank on some of my river videos. i'm more than willing to work around that though. thanks for all the great info so far everyone!

You definitly want an older well broken horse....Where I hunt, hogs ususally end up in the thickest stuff around, so getting to the bay can be tough...horse will have to go through tight spots and will have to step over plenty of logs..

i saw were u asked about the camera and all we do is hog hunt off horses and yes if you have a good horse with a good handle you can video off a horse but it wont be as clear! a man we hunt with does it all the time!

We hunt horseback and we lead our bulldog but we very seldom  if ever run to a bay we don't use running catch dogs because of not knowing how far they are going to get before it all takes place.I think everyone else touched on all the other points.If you feel you have to run I have seen a guy pull the bulldog up in the saddle with him and go to beat them to the river so it can be done. I think broke horse and good rider will help you do everthing fun and safe including filming it should be a blast. Des

James lands video was shot off a mule,I am pretty sure.Its a very good video,and I dont like most videos out there.

It was a great expierence but I dont think that I would fool with a horse again unless I had a bunch of hunting partners close by that rode too.  Fourwheelers are just to easy and practical especially when hunting long distances from the house.

Joey