Guided Overnight Backcountry Ride--Marble Mountains

Have you been looking for a way to go from dreaming about overnight camping rides with your horse to actually doing it? This is your opportunity to take that next step with the support of an experienced coach at your side, helping you translate what you know in theory to something you can do with confidence.

Drawing on a decade of solo long-distance trail rides, Gillian Larson is now offering guided overnight outings for you and your equine partner, so you can practice all the necessary skills for a safe and enjoyable back country camping trip. Whether you plan to use a single riding horse to carry you and your gear, or if you want to have a pack animal as well, these sessions are designed to ensure that you have the equipment, knowledge, and abilities to make your goal a reality.

To promote a focus on individual support and learning, each trip will have no more than four riders, with the potential to accommodate two pack animals per group. Each trip requires the following:

➢ Before joining a session, all riders must have attended either an in-person equestrian camping workshop or completed the online course, so that they have the necessary background knowledge. Contact the organizer if you have questions regarding this requirement.

*** online course enrollment here

*** in-person workshop info here

➢ Riders demonstrate their commitment to executing back country trips by using their own riding/pack animals and equipment for the outing.

➢ Prior to the trip, riders will receive a preparatory check list to follow; they are expected to complete “homework” consisting of 1) acquiring and knowing how to use their gear; 2) practicing suitable stock containment methods; and 3) familiarizing their riding/pack animals with saddlebags and/or packsaddle equipment.

➢ Participants will engage in three individual video chat sessions with the guide before the trip, to assess their progress and preparation.