If you want to pack through the backcountry, this four-video series will start you on the right path. Phil and Debbie Page, instructors and owners of the Rocky
Mountain School in Dillon, Mont., offer safe, reliable information for packers, guides and horse people of all riding levels.
The first video, appropriately titled "Becoming a Big Game Back Country Guide", focuses on developing the skills necessary to become a packer and guide. The 75-minute program covers such fundamentals as horsemanship, saddling, grooming, horseshoeing, setting up camp, high-lining and hunting techniques. Also, the Pages' Dutch-oven cooking tips will help you
prepare delectable meals.
The second video, "Packing the Horse & Mule",emphasizes safe stock-handling and packing skills. "The knowledge contained in this video allows you to fulfill your biggest responsibility as a guide: safety of yourself, the client and maintaining soundness and safety of the stock," the Pages explain. In the 2-hour instructional video, the couple discusses the care and use of packing equipment, including applying and adjusting a pack saddle, tying knots and horses, hobbling and accustoming your horse to packing wild game.
As with other disciplines, the foundation for packing begins with ground work in a round pen. The better you can train your animals from the ground, the more
effective you'll be in the saddle, the Pages
point out in Groundworking the Horse & Mule. To help you understand how horses and mules mink and react, and to aid in developing trust and respect with your
animals, the Pages demonstrate techniques for facing up, longeing, suppling, moving laterally, and changing leads and gaits. The 2-hour video also covers desen-
sitization, rope work, trailer loading and
the first ride or pack trip.
Video four, "Horsemanship Novice to Advanced", builds on the previous video. The Pages offer instructions for performing more than a dozen horsemanship maneuvers, such as stops, spins, lead changes and rollbacks — all critical for balance and
control. Once your horse masters the maneuvers, the Pages demonstrate roping techniques and how to work buffalo.
Filmed in Montana, the videos offer scenic backgrounds and decent sound and videography. A limited amount of quality instructional information on packing and outfitting is available through other avenues, but these videos cover the gamut.
To order, contact:
Rocky Mountain School Inc.,
1001 Bon Accord Road,
Dillon, MT 597255
406-834-3499;
www. rockvmountainguideschool. com.
Cost: $30 for video No. 1 and $40 each
for videos No. 2, 3 and 4, plus shipping.
JD