What are you riding/hunting off of?

[t-dog]

Those stories sound funny and are looking back but they aren't when they happen. I use the term the old man used pretty regular to describe myself "yard dart". A you g horse I was riding for a buddy planted me like a yard dart. I was mad but I knew as soon as I tried to get back on him it wasn't gonna happen. The doctors found what was hurting on me and then some. Blood blister from the middle of my forehead back past my ear, broke neck, right shoulder had to be sewn all back together, all the ribs on my right side bruised, and my left arm was broke. I loved that little horse.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[The Old Man]

Other than being a little skinned up I wasn't hurt from that wreck, but it can happen in a blink. Just revamped a little and went on and caught a hog.

[cajunl]

You hunt on your mule by yourself? Been looking at hunting off my horse some. But I hunt a bunch just me and the dogs. A rodeo in the woods solo don't seem like a good time.

Lynel

[The Old Man]

Yes I hunt alone on the mule here and down in the mountains (big country) in the SE corner of the state, don't think much about it other than snake bite or a broken leg if afoot. I did buy some snake boots a year ago, felt a little embarrassed about it since I'd never had any, but there are Timber Rattlers and Copperheads down there and sometimes I can't see the ground and or am in big chunk rock or ledges, I figured I might get to sick to go before I could get out of there if I got bit way off in there. Snakes are not a worry when I ride.  I suppose a fellow ought to get one of those Garmin in reach deals, it would take days to find me in some places I wind up when hunting in the mountains and there is almost zero cell phone reception, I just have one of those 10 dollar ones I carry in the truck anyway.
I work an odd schedule and hunt "almost" explicitly by myself when in the mountains, in the winter time my brother-in -law Adam and I hunt hogs a lot together here around home.
The worst bind I have been in down there on the mule "same mule in the pictures" was a long time ago, I was hunting by myself at night and had ran off Kiamichi Mountain, across Lynn Mountain , crossed Cucumber Creek and was on Blue Bouncer Mountain, well when I finished up I was just gonna ride off to Cucumber and keep going north to the truck but it was "real" steep and  before I could get off the mountain I got in a bunch of big chunk rock rip rap size and bigger, (steep enough I couldn't go back up) I was afraid I was gonna break my mules leg so I got off and would get by a tree to keep her from falling into or over me and jerk her to me, when I finally got off there without crippling my mule I determined to forever more study the elevation lines on the map before coming off a mountain in the dark. I hadn't had a Garmin long when this happened and wasn't real familiar with a topographical map but that caused me to learn haha.

[NLAhunter]

That is a dang good looking hound old man

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[The Old Man]

Thank you, we like him pretty good when turned loose as well.

[The Old Man]

jsh, you can buy saddles that are made with the rigging the way you are talking about, my saddle is just an old trophy saddle with a full double rigging I had won and used till it was pretty torn up so I patched it up and made a saddle for my mule out of it, I ride 4 nylon latigos on all my saddles rather than using billets and to keep the cinch from rubbing the mule I take the back latigos and pull the cinch ring back with it and it keeps the back of the saddle down good as well, works pretty good for a colt you are breaking too once you figure out how to position it. I don't ride a back cinch nor breast collar on my mules, the back cinch can catch a wire when jumping if the mule misjudges  by a fraction and "I think a breast collar restricts their reach a little" plus the fact I have never had my saddle try to come off the rear in real steep country or when dragging a hog, the front cinch being forwards of the rib spring and belly curve. Some folks ride a wide mohair girth for a back cinch on a mule and put it way back toward the flank behind the curve of the belly rather than a britching or a crupper.  You can also buy a saddle with "mule bars" in it since a mule and a horse are made somewhat different but I have not had any trouble with the quarter horse bars when a mule is padded right. Lots of ways to rig a saddle for a mule whatever works for you in your circumstance is what is best.

[Fixitlouie]

My latest rig... love it

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk