Planning a ride
Carol Geraghty has just completed the Trail on horseback deciding that once at Dover she would turn around and ride all the way back. She has also completed the Bicentennial National Trail. Carol has provided a brief list of points to consider when planning a ride and these are as follows:
- How will you carry your gear and horse feed? We chose to pack but you may have the option of a support vehicle, feed drops or a shorter ride.
- Plenty of road work involved, from bikes to logging trucks.
- Carry an electric fence, not all camps have horse yards.
- Some camps have little or poor quality grass. We carried a complete pellet, being conscious to not spread weeds.
- Good hoof protection is essential. We were not adequately prepared for the rock, gravel and bluestone.
- Insect repellent for horses, especially suitable for midge flies. Ticks that cause paralysis occur along the trail. Leeches are also common.
- Carry a canvas/collapsible bucket for hard to reach water along the trail. It was great to have water dropped off to the Victoria Valley camp.
- UV and heat, we found that these were strong and very different to what we expected.
- Weather, we experienced everything from sleet/snow to 38c heat. Luckily we had followed the packing list and were well prepared.