Blazing the trail: Horse or Four-Wheel Drive

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
Messages
4,453
There are times when a person has to seek a certain communion with Mother Nature.

In this Age of Information Technology where one can strap on a GPS watch equipped with 10 Nasa type features, roaming around with a horse may seem a bit outdated.

I know many outdoor types prefer a tough-as-hell 4WD which can definitely take a lot of things one will need in an emergency or any kind of situation.

So earlier while I was having tea, I was trying to imagine the advantages of riding a horse, or having a horse as a travelling companion, compared to the merits of a 4WD.

The first thing that popped into my head was a horse can rush in where 4WDs fear to tread. I can imagine all kinds of terrain that won't be suitable for the all-terrain vehicle.

Finally, I figure it may be up to the individual. The lone wolf type of man would certainly prefer a horse. Fewer complications and there's nothing like a horse out there in the country.

Then there is the 4WD where you can have 3 or 4 of your closest mates to rough it out with you and all that camaraderie.

Horse or 4WD, your choice?

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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
Personally, I'd love to do a real horse trip, maybe 5-7 days in nice country. Takes a lot of planning and knowledge these days though, and I used to ride! Yea I rode, but its been 30 years now and no one is going to trust me with their valuable horse in the wilderness, and I wouldn't blame them. Horses like to trip up unfamiliar riders. Would have to go with a group having a guide, etc. Could still be a lot of fun if it was the right group.
 
Being a California boy, I have actually never been on a horse. I'm sure it's a better mode of transportation though. But I love my Jeep! It gets me where I want to go, and I've taken it on some rough, steep stuff.
 
Hmmmmm.

Well, the 4WD gets you there faster, so you get more time out-n-about. It also provides shelter (kind of) if you get caught in nasty weather. The gasoline works much better than horse pee to get a fire going.

The horse, on the other hand, is quiet. It lets you really enjoy the quiet of the outdoors. The slow pace might be better than the get-you-there 4WD; you would really see the area. Also, horses are less likely to spook game, allowing you to get closer to the herds of elk. What about the companionship of the horse? Ever try to carress a jeep and get a response out of it? What if your four closest mates are horses, eh? And horse hooves don't make quite the mess that 4WD vehicles do.

I vote for the horse. Now if I could only learn to ride...

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Camine con tranquilidad, sirva con humildad, y viva en paz.
 
I think a horse would provide more companionship than a jeep
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Lest we forget the invaluable ATV. My Recon takes me places where I can't physically walk and carries my kit quite nicely. She hauls my critters when I score and doesn't buck or whiney when I shoot. I'll cast my vote for the 4wd and atv, thank you.

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It's not the pace of life that concerns me, It's the sudden stop at the end.
 
Huge swathes of the world are still worked over with horses and mules. Even the best off road vehicles (Argocat types included)are very limited to where they can go. So its horse every time as they are the next best thing to your own feet.

My trouble is I'm no horseman.
 
A horse does not run out of gas.... and if it does die you can eat it- can you eat your four wheel drive? I would say that if you are truly into long term a horse would be worthwhile though few of us have the ability to keep a horse or two but a FWD can sit with little care till needed...

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If You Abide in Him then,"All His Promises are YES and AMEN"
 
Hello Friends...I am scheduled for hand surgery on Monday the 22nd. and was told not to use my wrists, but I could not resist this thread, just could not do it. I have a "tough-as-hell 4WD" vehicle that will go places a horse ( or other 4-leg animal) may not attempt to negotiate, such as miles of mud 3 feet deep, sand dumes and desert praries, steep hills and deep snow, frigid cold weater and scorching hot days.
My companion and I have had communion with Mother Nature many times over the years. For sure it not "better" than a horse; it is just different. Some say, correctly I believe, it is in a class of its own. My companion is a 1997 4-door Hummer, and I drive her everywhere I go on a daily basis. She is the 2nd. such "animal" I have owned and at this point in time I have learned quite well how to max-her-out..or get the most out of this incrediable machine on ANY surface,during any weather and at any time. No, a Hummer cannot swim across a deep river and its is likely she could not go places a horse might go and vice-versa. Mr. Golok started me thinking about vet. bills vs. a mechanics invoice, stacks of hay vs. gallons of diesel fuel, torque vs. agility, raw horse power vs. 195hp V8 turbo diesel engine, manure Vs. exhaust fumes, a garage vs. a barn, animal vs. machine. I don't think mother nature cares how you get to her as long as you visit often. Horse or 4WD, my choice? I'll tale the Hummer, but if I see a horse comming down the trail I will get the heck out of the way. They scare the poop out of me. Bye for now.
 
If I had to choose one or the other for every "nature" trip I take, it would probably be the horse. While I would call myself a "horseman," I have rode them many times, from pony to plow-horse (practically), and even one or two that were a little ornery. I wouldn't say that it is difficult to ride a horse; you just have to realize that it is an animal, not a machine, so you have to direct it, not "steer" it. Anyway, I digress....

Barring an extended trip into an arid area, for a given amount of time, it will probably be easier to maintain a horse than maintain an ATV. When's the last time you ran across a stream of gasoline or diesel in the wilderness?
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But, bottom line for me, it comes down to the horse being a better companion, and letting me be more of a participant in nature.

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The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. - Ambrose Bierce
Most dog owners are at length able to teach themselves to obey their dog. - Robert Morley

iktomi
 
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