Equicache (geocaching on horseback)

[+Team Appaloosa]

I started geocaching because I learned about 'equicaching' in Trail Blazer Magazine. It's a whole heck of a lot of fun, if you have the right horse. Love to talk to others who are doing this!

[+webscouter.]

There are several caches in the Blue and Gray park near me that are all near horse trails. I wanted to cache them with my sons girlfriend and her horses but alas they are no longer together and I don't know anyone who has horses nearby.

[Clan Riffster]

The last time I found myself on a horse, the dern thing got stuck in reverse.

Imagine an ol' fat crippled guy in a smelly hat, trotting aimlessly around a field, backwards.

Not a pretty sight!

[+Rockin Roddy]

The last time I found myself on a horse, the dern thing got stuck in reverse.

Imagine an ol' fat crippled guy in a smelly hat, trotting aimlessly around a field, backwards.

Not a pretty sight!

 

The visual of this.....to funny. Maybe the horse was trying to get away from that smelly hat??

 

on topic...have fun out there, just make sure not to take your horses where they aren't allowed. Many trails around here are multi-use, but some are horse only or bike only etc. and the trails groups around here are very anal about these issues!

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I work ham radio communications each year for the 3-day Yellowhammer 100-mile Endurance Horse Ride through the Talladega National Forest in Alabama each year. Two years ago I suggested making geocaching along the trails part of the event, this year a few riders found some, next year they are talking about making geocaching an official part of the event.

 

This year was the first in which we used GPS-enabled amateur radio tracking called APRS to keep track of the lead and drag rider's locations, next year every rider may have a GPS, so geocaching will be a natural fit.

[+sunsetmeadowlark]

I would love to do this but my horses are still too young. Maybe in a few years and hopefully we'll have lots more caches by then!

[+Clarkbowman]

I work ham radio communications each year for the 3-day Yellowhammer 100-mile Endurance Horse Ride through the Talladega National Forest in Alabama each year. Two years ago I suggested making geocaching along the trails part of the event, this year a few riders found some, next year they are talking about making geocaching an official part of the event.

 

This year was the first in which we used GPS-enabled amateur radio tracking called APRS to keep track of the lead and drag rider's locations, next year every rider may have a GPS, so geocaching will be a natural fit.

 

Not heard of this event before, When do they do it?

[+Walts Hunting]

I do a lot of hiking in Cronan Ranch which also allows horses and has about 150 caches. When I talk with the horse people some of them tell me they have followed the geotrails across fields (and mostly up hill, we do like up don't we) and found a cache at the end.

[+Dnalsi]

Funny you should ask.

We are planning on taking our Fjords out caching this week.

I've cached with a car, on foot, motorcycle, bicycle and now with horses.

Should be a great way to combine my wife's hobby (horses) and mine!

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I work ham radio communications each year for the 3-day Yellowhammer 100-mile Endurance Horse Ride through the Talladega National Forest in Alabama each year. Two years ago I suggested making geocaching along the trails part of the event, this year a few riders found some, next year they are talking about making geocaching an official part of the event.

 

This year was the first in which we used GPS-enabled amateur radio tracking called APRS to keep track of the lead and drag rider's locations, next year every rider may have a GPS, so geocaching will be a natural fit.

 

Not heard of this event before, When do they do it?

 

Every year, same week - http://www.seraonline.org/forms/YellowHammer2008.pdf

 

Pictures from this year - http://www.picturesdanieltook.com/Endurance

[+ickster]

As with most guys, the horse part is my wife's passion that I ride along with (pardon the pun). I've placed some caches while out on horse back, but haven't yet found any. While out caching I usually discover new equi-friendly trails, to which we often return with the horses.

 

You can check my "Giddy Up!" cache GC15VCM if you want to see pics of our horses while out at the cache site.

[+sataraid1]

I used to have a horse before I started caching, and loved every aspect of riding and horse ownership. However, I no longer have a place to keep one, and have been without for a couple of years. Maybe again someday soon. I would love to go caching on horseback, and would go to great lengths to attend an equi-caching event if I could borrow a ride, so to speak.

 

Hopefully some of you will eventually find my travel bug Horsin' Around and log some caches with it. That's what it was released for!

 

There are lots of pictures in the bug's log of me, my own horse, and other horses I've met and ridden over the years.

[+at play by jc/eaglei]

Hey there fellow horse person, my wife and I both enjoy horses very much as well as snow shoeing, hiking and our grand kids. we have invloved caching with all of our activities and esp horses, the way it works for us is I go online when we decide where were going be it horse hike or snowshoe ( some we do in the same areas) what I do is look for caches in the area were going and if I find some close by I download them to my GPS if there are none we go any way (thats seldom the case) just last weekend we went for a fall ride & campout with some of our friends from the BCH Thats backcountry horsemen of wa, (there are chapters in calif also) I only found three caches close enough to where I knew we were camping but as it turned out we found all three one was my first FTF and we turned a couple friends onto geocaching ,check out one of the caches we found GCK28R Mcneil peak which stands at 6650ft elevation and what a great ride. the funny thing is we have ridin in the area before but never up the rattlesnake trail so we would not have gotten to this beautifull spot had we not been geocaching. we have only been caching for a few months but what fun and great fun with our kids & grand kids, The BCH is even more fun cause we have made friends with alot of great folks that enjoy the same things we do, we also snow shoe with several couples we ride with so my best advice would be find the closest chapter of BCH and check it out, by the way I was very resistant when my wife first sugested the BCH but it is beyond a doupt the best thing we ever got involved in as a horse person.

at play by jc Lewis county chapter BCHW...

[+Team Appaloosa]

Wow--what great posts!

 

--I've done endurance, and I can't imagine taking the time to find a cache during a ride--it always seems like go-go-GO!

--I will have to check out the BCH! Sounds like my kind of people!

 

I placed a cache not long ago called J.J.'s Power Up, which I placed while on my horse, J.J. I'm planning a true "equicache" in the coming weeks--it will be filled with horsey items. There is a website dedicated to this, but it's not quite geocaching.com try www.equicache.com

 

Oh, and wanted to note that when I decide to take the horses out caching, I of course go to one of the horse friendly parks. I also preview the satellite image, which helps me get an idea of where the cache is, and if it's safe to get there on horseback. It is hard to be stealth, afterall, on a 1000 pound horse!

 

Appaloosa Gal

[K9FindM]

I started geocaching because I learned about 'equicaching' in Trail Blazer Magazine. It's a whole heck of a lot of fun, if you have the right horse. Love to talk to others who are doing this!

[K9FindM]

I know your post is from last summer - but I wanted to speak with someone who has been doing the geocaching by horseback. New to geocaching - never done it actually, but would love to get started and get involved in this activity. Have background using topo maps/searching and some use of GPS.

 

Any advice,

 

Thanks

[Mr.Yuck]

I know your post is from last summer - but I wanted to speak with someone who has been doing the geocaching by horseback. New to geocaching - never done it actually, but would love to get started and get involved in this activity. Have background using topo maps/searching and some use of GPS.

 

Any advice,

 

Thanks

 

My advice? Make sure the horse is wearing one of those poop bags, so us hikers don't step on any land mines.

 

I think the post is 2 1/2 years old, not from last summer. I'd say it's very unlikely that person will see your post, maybe try contacting them through the website on their profile?

[+Juicepig]

done that!

 

of course I have 30 horses at my disposal... most caches I do I would not consider a horse for however. You would have to do some good planning before hand as to if a horse is really a good call for the cache

[K9FindM]

Looking for info from people who geocache on horseback in the PA/MD area. If there is anyone out there that does this or what I heard "stamping"?, please reply.

 

Thanks in advance.

[+briansnat]

Looking for info from people who geocache on horseback in the PA/MD area. If there is anyone out there that does this or what I heard "stamping"?, please reply.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

You might be better off posting this in the Mid Atlantic forum, or perhaps the MDGS forums where locals are more likely to see it. SEPAG (South East PA Geocachers) used to have forums, but I can't find their website anymore.

[K9FindM]

Looking for info from people who geocache on horseback in the PA/MD area. If there is anyone out there that does this or what I heard "stamping"?, please reply.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

You might be better off posting this in the Mid Atlantic forum, or perhaps the MDGS forums where locals are more likely to see it. SEPAG (South East PA Geocachers) used to have forums, but I can't find their website anymore.

[K9FindM]

Hi and thanks for the info. I have tried to find forums in this area (South Central PA), but they all seem to be defunct.

 

Will try the MDGS forum you suggested.

 

Thanks again!

[+The VanDucks]

I'm not a "horse person" so would never want to geocache by horseback (!) but I did want to mention that in northern Virginia, where we live, there is a horse trail running most of the length of the W&OD Trail, which was converted from a railroad right-of-way to a paved bike path alongside a dirt and gravel bridal/pedestrian trail many years ago. There are many, many geocaches hidden along the trail, which runs 32.5 miles from Alexandria, Va to Purcellville, VA, so you could certainly use it for horseback caching.

 

We own one of the caches along the trail, GCYE86, and the cache page includes a bookmark list of "Bike Trail Caches" by our friend 2Wheel'in.

 

A link to information about the W&OD Trail and its horse trail can be seen at: www.wodfriends.org/trail

Edited February 19, 2011 by The VanDucks

[+TerraViators]

What a great concepet! We don't have our horses, since we relocated. We had 4 quarter horses but had to relocate them once we moved to an area that didn't support a pasture.

[+zookeepertx]

I do Competitive Trail Rides with my horse & always check before a ride to see if there are any caches at the ride locations. If I have time during the ride, I hunt the cache. If not, there's always next year, LOL! I also download several caches on the route while hauling TO the ride; does that count, heheh?

[K9FindM]

I'm not a "horse person" so would never want to geocache by horseback (!) but I did want to mention that in northern Virginia, where we live, there is a horse trail running most of the length of the W&OD Trail, which was converted from a railroad right-of-way to a paved bike path alongside a dirt and gravel bridal/pedestrian trail many years ago. There are many, many geocaches hidden along the trail, which runs 32.5 miles from Alexandria, Va to Purcellville, VA, so you could certainly use it for horseback caching.

 

We own one of the caches along the trail, GCYE86, and the cache page includes a bookmark list of "Bike Trail Caches" by our friend 2Wheel'in.

 

A link to information about the W&OD Trail and its horse trail can be seen at: www.wodfriends.org/trail

[K9FindM]

Thank you for the info. I am planning a fund raising trail ride/camp out sometime this year along the C & O canal. If I get this project together, maybe I can plan to look for some geocaches hidden along there.

 

Also, my husband & I bike the rail trail in PA - never even thought to see if there are some along there. Where do I find the info?

 

Thanks,

 

K9FindM

[+The VanDucks]

The C&O Canal is a national park, and placement of geocaches is not allowed on NPS property. However, there are some virtual caches along the canal or nearby. You can look at the listing for "Aquarius", GCFB54.

The cache description page includes a bookmark list for "C&O Canal" by Kordite.

(for some reason my computer doesn't let me add in links, sorry!)

 

To locate caches along a trail in PA, try choosing a Zip Code nearby the trail on the Hide and Seek a geocache page; then you can select the google geocaching map and find caches near or on the bike trail. Someone may have made up a bookmark list that will show you other caches on that trail.

Edited February 21, 2011 by The VanDucks

[Dinoprophet]

Ortonville Recreation Area has a slew of caches on its equestrian trails (and an equestrian campground, by the way, if you travel with your horse). Some of the best hiking in the area, too, so well worth a visit even without a horse.

[+Pasha88]

The BPACH trail is entirely equine-friendly, and is a series of about 150 caches from Jerseyville, Ontario to Port Dover, Ontario. The Dundas Conservation area has a number of caches, including a few that are equine friendly; it's $8 for the day pass for your trailer, and includes however many horses and people you can bring in those vehicles.

 

I cache with my 6 year old Appy x Hanovarian hunter mare, Somersault, to keep her sane in between shows. She LOVES it.

[+Fjordi]

Guess where my username and avatar picture come from

That's my Norwegian Fjordhorse "Vanessa".

 

Unfortunately we have loads of problems with hunters and farmers in our area, who see a potential danger in people on horseback

 

What I plan, is a cache series along the riding track I go once a month.

I want to place the caches while I am horse riding, but there are no horse-riding geocachers - so they will go on foot anyway.

 

But I would love to go on a tour with my horse, where I can find some caches.

[EquicachingUAE]

Hello Everyone!

 

We just started Equicaching in the United Arab Emirates ( better known to some as Dubai ) . Our first event was today and it was great fun a success. If anyone happens to live in the United Arab Emirates or close by and is interested in attending please let us know!

 

Our website is www.equicachinguae.com or you can find us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/equicachinguae

 

See you there!

[stldenise]

Drats! I wish equicaching had been around when I was a part of the Mounted Girl Scouts--that would have been a blast!!

 

Is the idea to get close, hand your horse off to a partner and poke around the underbrush for the cache....or put it in a tree at a rider's height? I don't think my horse would have had the patience for me to geocache with her, but I knew girls who could sunbathe bareback with just a halter on the horse--those horses were like Lassie and would put up with anything.