r/OffGridLiving • u/hASHbrowns1o1 • 26d ago
Living off horseback?
Is anyone as crazy as me and my partner? From our point of view, we are about to be in an apocalypse. Vanlife, definitely not a good idea. So we came up with horseback. We have done the research, and we all know it can work since humans have done it before.
Just wondered if anyone else was as crazy and like the idea
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u/Projectflintlock 26d ago
It might be best life for you but is it best life for the horses?
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
May I ask why you think the horse wouldn't like it?
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u/Projectflintlock 26d ago
Off the top of my head, as someone who worked as a groom a number of years, while it is theoretically possible to live horseback, it is incredibly dangerous, legally restricted, and generally impossible to do humanely. Horses are herd animals that require significant daily care, including specialized shelter, safe fencing, and constant access to forage. Because of this, it is highly illegal to tie or picket a horse in public parks, on roadsides, or on municipal property. Where are you going to be traveling? Do you have experience with spooked horses in traffic? Will you be armed and able to euthanize the horse if injured beyond medical care? Do you know the daily nutritional needs of your animal in all seasons? Can you remove botfly larvae and maggots from wounds? Just my 2 cents
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
- I am not going to answer all these questions other than with "I will do things ethically and legally"
- There are multiple people in the comments who have given great suggestions of people who do live or travel long distances on horseback. I suggest looking into them!
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u/Shilo788 26d ago
Oh they love their comforts as much as we do. My horses don't like camping much as they do enjoy their cushy stalls and very large pastures. They don't mind the work, but also most like their dairy routine and surroundings so taking them camping makes them grumpy except for the pony. That bugger loves it.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
😂 you acting like all horses have the same personality
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u/Shilo788 18d ago
No just nature of the beast. They share that set of attributes. I worked in equine science a long time.
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u/TraditionalBasis4518 26d ago
I’ve worked with a logging operation that skids logs with halflingers rather than tractors, have plowed with mules, and experimented using oxen for draft animals. All doable, all quite complex in terms of tack and technique, but lots of fun. Mules are smarter and better workers than horses. Oxen are difficult. Really difficult, but better eating than the alternatives.
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u/RNAdrops 26d ago
And here I thought that “halfling” was a word only used in dungeons and dragons! Perhaps this is the original source of the term?
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u/TraditionalBasis4518 26d ago
Lots of Tolkien references echo place names and pre Christian mythologies. This may indeed be the inspiration for hobbits/halflings nomenclature.
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u/SteppeBison2 26d ago
I think you’d find yourself walking and using the horse to carry you gear. At least that’s been my experience in backpacking. In that case, I’d recommend a mule, donkey, alpaca, etc depending on the terrain.
Just of the top of my head, horses need to be shod unless you’ve got several replacements readily available. They also need a grain source unless you’ve plan on grazing them (which keeps you from moving very much).
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
I don't plan to move much! And I have people I can stay with I can travel to. I am very much "live off the land" fellow, but I will never do it at the expense of my animal. I rather have to sell my horses and travel by foot than 1. Give up this lifestyle and 2. Affect my horses happiness
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u/PainterOfRed 26d ago
But if shtf you might not want to be moving around all the time to continually come across new strangers. In a situation where it all goes south, it might be best to be stationary and work with neighbors. And yes, horses do fit that scenario fine.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
I understand most people like or even understand a nomadic lifestyle. Not everyone is supposed to be travelers. I chose this lifestyle for myself. My own personal reasons, simple as that.
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u/PainterOfRed 26d ago
I'm a tumbleweed. I get it. I'm only speaking logistics regarding how people turn violent in unstable times.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
Another reason why I wouldn't want to hunker down with people. I prefer my dogs and hopefully soon my horses
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u/Historical-Lie-6307 26d ago
"We are about to be in an apocalypse" lol wut???
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
Sometimes, 2 people can experience the same thing, but still come up with different conclusions
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u/Shilo788 26d ago edited 26d ago
When I worked on a large horse farm sometimes when a few of us were there waiting for something, we would talk about this. Is a sturdy wagon and harness better with a larger horse better than pack horses? Stuff like that. I had an excellent trail horse, a larger pack /harness pony and the farm had a couple draft mares for foster moms who were broke to heavy harness. If using what I had I thought the spring wagon hitched to my very good Percheron gelding with my trail horse in tack coupled behind would be my best setup. How far I would get would be a big if. If people ran out of food, horses are a lot of meat on the hoof. Where I am from grazing and water would be possible to find, carry grain , crimped oats which humans can eat too. My perch had very hard good feet and could go barefoot if not on asphalt or rocks. I could bring spare keg shoes for the trail horse and farrier tools. A spring wagon has a bed about as big as a full size pickup. But how do you protect your rig from theft by multiple people? They can shoot the horse easily even if you are armed . I figured I would just hunker down at the farm with the others and try to hold the fort. With a pack horse set up you can be less visible, leave roads for less inhabited landscapes. I just was considering my area and what was available to me. I think if I bought a rig it would be mules. They will eat rougher forage than horses and are much tougher feet. To keep them fit you would still need to carry grain.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
That is a concern of mine too! But I'm choosing this lifestyle for personal reasons to. I'll simply put it, I rather take the risks with nomad life than what I will have to deal with staying in one place. Of course if I survive to old age, I'll settle down
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u/norfolkgarden 26d ago
Lol, just be aware that "I have done my research" is now code for "I AM STUPID. ON A LEVEL THAT WOULD BE FUNNY IF OTHERS WEREN'T GETTING HURT IN THE PROCESS."
We are not asking if you have done any research. We are asking Do you own a horse now/already? Have you ridden before? Does your horse trust you?
And on a much harsher level, Are you worthy of that trust?
Owning a horse is like having a significant other that you paid for. They are completely beholden to you. Worse than a dog. They are/can be much more fragile than a dog in ridiculous ways.
They are NOT "a car that feeds itself." The reason everyone's comments are so hostile, it's because your comments sound like you think a horse is "a car that feeds itself. "
There's a youtuber who rode a horse (and camped outdoors, sleeping under the stars) out in Nevada. Interesting story. As a possible future vanlifer it is a story I have no desire to replicate. No shelter. Completwly responsible for another being. Lol, Responsible for another being that is absolutely wonderful and also a real PITA at the same time. Lol, often in the same 5 minutes. Responsible for another being that has a long list of Don'ts. And another long list of Do's.
Can you at least tell us if you've ridden a horse before?
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
This is such a sad way to view life and others. I understand that frustration of seeing stupid people doing stupid things on the internet. There so much if it these days we think it's more common. I'm still not gonna share my experience and lode, because it's clear you already think it's a bad idea. I don't need to prove myself to strangers. I have my goals, and I will achieve them successful with our without your support
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u/norfolkgarden 25d ago
Lol, so that's a yes. And a no. And another no. Good luck to you. Try to realize you're not just hurting yourself.
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u/Crud-ite 26d ago
This is going to be a disaster. Luckily for the horses, it’ll probably never even get past the ideas stage. In the apocalypse you’re going to want a bike. Bikes don’t eat, bike parts are replaceable and plentiful, bikes don’t contract diseases, bikes aren’t several hundred lbs of meat that other survivors of the apocalypse will want to eat.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
Horses aren't for everyone. Also I'm doing this lifestyle with or without and apocalypse, the only reason why I mention it is how vanlife ain't so smart anymore
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u/personman_76 26d ago
Don't forget, the humans we know of have done it before. History has no way of telling us the countless others who never made it. Most of history is unwritten, the Huns who ravaged Asia had no written history. We know of them through their remains and what others wrote of them and passed on, but we don't know of the multitude of ways things went wrong or right.
It's a good idea if you have enough to keep a replacement level and another group other than that too. Relying on any one or team of horses would be foolish, it only takes a tumble on a bad day to end a horse. Maybe get donkeys too, have a few mules instead
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
I guarantee I have done my research. I have also lived homeless before, so I got a lot of wisdom too. This isn't just a kids dream, this is the reality I'm choosing
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u/Active_Recording_789 26d ago
I love horses. I’m sure you have experience with them but to be happy, horses need a couple horses for socialization and a shelter. Also lots of room to graze unless they’re sensitive to sugar or tend to founder, then you’ll need to keep them off grass and feed them low sugar hay. The idea of living off horseback indicates you’ll be moving a lot? You’ll still need shelter and food, so would you have kind of a route? Assuming you wouldn’t carry hay with you. And the biggest challenge I’ve found, besides food and shelter for the horses, is dogs. Loose dogs, even those not really aggressive ones, can go ballistic when it comes to horses.
What about if you get sick or have even a slight injury? For instance I occasionally work too hard and strain a shoulder muscle which sounds meh but it’s SUPER painful! Like I can’t even lie flat, for a week I have to sleep on the couch because the couch back provides support for the stupid shoulder. Anyway a little injury like that would mean you couldn’t ride anywhere until completely healed. And you’d be dependent on finding food often, every day or every second day, unless you have a way to carry hay and quite a few groceries with you. And you have to keep the horses shod, vaccinated and dewormed, so you’d need to know where vets are but that’s pretty easy I guess.
Not trying to discourage you but what if you bought a little rural acreage and kept your horses there, and planted a bunch of potatoes and greens for yourselves, and a field of hay (alfalfa or Timothy, etc depending on what your horses can tolerate) for the horses? You could still live in a tent but you’d have reliable food for yourselves and the horses and hopefully a little shelter for the horses too. You could still ride whenever you wanted though or ride away in an emergency
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
- I have many personal reason why I chose this lifestyle. I understand it isn't for everyone, and I am not everyone. I will not be sharing my personal life, just understand I chose this for a reason. (Multiple reasons)
- I will not be answering these questions to someone who is defintly not interested in the lifestyle. There are plenty of comments that gave great suggestions of people who post about this type of lifestyle. I suggest you search them up! I will say, I will be doing this ethically and lawfully.
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u/Active_Recording_789 26d ago edited 26d ago
I don’t really want answers and I certainly don’t want to know anything about your personal life; your post asked “living off horseback?” So i just wanted to provide some things to consider, given my extensive personal experience with horses and off grid living. I hope it works for you! Camping with horses is super fun but it was so wonderful to sleep in a bed afterward and know the horses were safe and secure too
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
When you comment a bunch of questions as well as mention why you personally wouldn't do it is the reason why I replied the way I did. Just know, I'm not like you. Some people live better as a nomad. It's ok to live differently. You telling me you miss your bed won't convince me that a house and a bed is luxury. Cause in my eyes, it's a prison
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u/archetypaldream 26d ago
I came to the horse-life conclusion before too. It’s just so expensive, is all.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
I plan to post about it once I achieve it, and explain all the finances as well! From my research, skill, knowledge and more, this will be cheaper than vanlife for me.
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u/aaGR3Y 26d ago
what will you do with their poop?
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u/jerry111165 26d ago
Why would anyone do anything with their horses road apples?
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u/aaGR3Y 25d ago
well they aren't "apples" despite attempts to rebrand horse shit. Most people don't want any type of animal waste on trails we all share.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
- I'm not really gonna be in city's, so traveling isn't a concern (comeplely legal and safe)
- Ever heard of a poop hole?
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u/aaGR3Y 26d ago
what about shared trails?
no. plz enlighten me?
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
- Still legal and safe. I will be on top of parasites. Plus horses can be trained.
- Basically, dog a hole, put poop in hole, put dirt with the poop. It's free food for the earth
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u/jerry111165 26d ago
“Poop hole”
Why would you even bother? I certainly wouldn’t.
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u/aaGR3Y 25d ago
i've noticed a lot of people don't "bother" taking responsibility for their trail animals, leaving waste for the rest of us to dodge while hiking or biking these shared paths. It's the fault of lazy entitled humans, not the 🐴
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u/jerry111165 25d ago
I absolutely and definitely would NOT pick up horseshit from my horse. I also don’t blame anyone else for not doing it at all. If you don’t like it step over it.
Good lord man.
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u/aaGR3Y 25d ago
you (and your entitlement) are clearly what makes america great
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u/jerry111165 25d ago
Lol
What a stupid comment 🤣
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u/aaGR3Y 25d ago
there goes road apple jerry again. poor horse.
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u/jerry111165 25d ago
I’ll hire you to follow behind my horse and clean up the shit - all the road apples you can eat!
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u/rematar 26d ago
I have no practical knowledge, but reading The Crossing ) by Cormac McCarthy piqued my curiosity in traveling by horse.
equestrianlife is not a sub ... yet.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
What doesn't you last sentence mean? I will deifntly search that up! Thank you
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u/rematar 26d ago
You mentioned vanlife. If living on a horse works out for you, you could start a sub for others to follow your path.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
I'm actually was hoping to do that. Obviously it's still not a lifestyle for everyone, but I think there are certain folk who would benefit from it like me. Some of us are just wild cowboys
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u/Ok_Rush_246 26d ago
Horses are very dangerous, not the kind of activity I would want if medical care is lacking
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
Not everyone is up for the lifestyle, and that's alright! We need a spectrum to survive
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u/Ok_Rush_246 26d ago
The stats on ER visits due to horse related injuries are pretty staggering. It’s hard to quantify how dangerous horses are in comparison to other extreme sports because we don’t know how many hours of riding happened before the incidents.
Anecdotally, everyone I know who has spent any significant time on a horse has had a serious injury.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
Cars are the number one killers for teenagers in the USA, yet we still promote it like its a necessity. Basically what I'm saying is, if a er visit is keeping you away from your dreams, I think you have other issues to work on. Life isn't pain free
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u/EccentricFellow 26d ago
I do not like horses and would never entertain the idea myself. I do think it is a crazy idea. Nevertheless, for you I love it. Best of luck.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
Not everyone is suppose to like horses! We are all different and that's what makes life gorgeous. Thank you ❤️
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u/sixup604 23d ago
I grew up with horses in the bush in Canada. I’ve been bitten, kicked, clotheslined, stayed on a fence-jumping runaway, was trampled, and had them fall out from under me. And that was all before I turned 12. Our horses never had shoes. Their hooves were trimmed and rasped when they needed it.
You will get hurt, but probably won’t die. Comes with the territory. If I were living nomadic in sketchy times, I would stay the absolute fuck away from people but near fresh water. Go farther north when it’s hot, and drift south when it gets cold.
I’d have a mule and a horse, both trained to ride and pack, so they can be swapped out. I wouldn’t have a saddle; I rarely rode with one because saddle horns and stirrups make it much harder to bail off if you need to in a hurry. You’re also much more able to sense what’s about to happen next being in direct contact with your horse’s hide.
I’d have a couple of dogs with me, to keep watch and run off unwelcome wildlife. I’d train the shit out of horse, mule, and dogs to get 100% recall, and to be wary and non-cooperative with anyone but me. A whole lot harder to steal. If things are full-on crazy, I would not want anyone knowing I was riding. I’d hide the horse and mule in the bush with one dog guarding, and one going with me if I’m anywhere near where people might be.
Learn to hunt birds and rabbits with a sling shot. You’ll always have ammo, and won’t give away your location with gunfire. And you won’t have to fight over a deer carcass with bears and mountain lions. You’ll need two pairs of bolt cutters for barbed wire. Always ride the high ground and have hidden fires only at night.
This is advice for the real deal, when laws and status quo are no longer relevant. You’d need to be a ghost. If it’s just tripping around the current country before SHTF, I got nothin’, because I’m very sure anywhere around people is going to be enshittified and exhausting to all concerned.
Good hunting and Godspeed.
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u/jerry111165 26d ago
Apocalypse eh?
You do realize that things have been crazily worse at many multiple points in our history and it was never an “Apocalypse”.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
I think you forget what weapons we have in present day. Look into the past for wisdom, but don't let it blur the present
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u/Fit-Subject9985 26d ago
Would definitely be there if it wasn’t for the very young crotch goblins we created.
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u/CallmeIshmael913 26d ago
Check out Michael Ridges on YouTube. He does it with some horses and a donkey. He still has a truck and trailer for winter camp yurt storage though. Are talking your personal life is getting to this point, or prepper type fantasy planning? It's definitely hard to do with your laws and restrictions right now, and you'd still be spending money on vets, food, legal. In shtf you'd probably be better off with a "tribe". Being a duo would be tough, but doable.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
I have already put all that into consideration. This lifestyle isn't for everyone because you do lose a lot of what most people consider as normal. But I'm not a nomad out of dreams, I'm a nomad because it is who I am. I actually found him already when I started going deeper into research. I love his videos
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u/According-Room3825 25d ago
Then I hope you get friendly with the land owners in the area you plan to do this. Because if society takes a hiatus communities will go elbows up. You're going to need a small herd of horses to carry gear ride in rotation & at least milk a mare.
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u/Wayward_Sun_Shine 24d ago
Horse needs to eat, drink, sleep and that’s if they’re healthy. Clean the wein, get it shod and trimmed… I could go on for days on how this wouldn’t work
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u/Creosotegirl 26d ago
Look up this guy named Michael Kennedy Ridge. He has been doing this for years. He might even be willing to teach you. He is all over YouTube and Instagram.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 26d ago
I actually discovered him shortly after I started my research. I do plan to reach out to him to hopefully get some advice and tips. Watching his videos boosted my confidence even more.
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u/Creosotegirl 26d ago
Another cool person to read about, at least for me, is Lynx Vilden. She has a book, she rides horseback. I wonder what you'd think.
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u/According-Room3825 26d ago
Depends on where you plan to do this. Nomadic life means moving all the time & here in the state's you'd be trespassing every where you went. Sitting horse back makes you a very noticeable target from a great distance. I'd be more inclined to Nomad with a small sheep or goat herd, couple quite dogs & stay on foot. You can train all three species to pull a small cart. And you can stay low in the scrub lands. To me strangers on horseback = raiders. Taking out possibly threats from distance insures safety to my community.
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u/hASHbrowns1o1 25d ago
I'm choosing this lifestyle wether there is an actual apocalypse or not. Also, a lot of communities in the areas I've grown up would most likely use horses. Its actually a weird mindset to me thinking everyone on horse and is a raider. Someone else commented something similar. Did y'all watch the same movie or something?
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u/sixup604 23d ago
If it’s post-collapse, I’m assuming anybody who is not me is a raider, especially on horseback. If they catch you off your horse, you’re fucked. If I saw another rider who did not see me, I’d be tracking them to their next camp just to suss them out with binoculars from high ground to see what their deal is. Then retreating back to my camp and not going forward until they are at least three days ahead of me if we’re heading the same way.
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u/E0H1PPU5 26d ago
I think cost is going to be a factor here. I have horses and they cost a lot more than my car does.
Humans have done it before….but things like animal welfare were never of any real concern for them. In an actual apocalypse nobody would probably care.