Pros and Cons of Horses

[Nightlord]

Hello fellow hunters,
I am here to tell you the pros and cons of choosing a horse as a vehicle for the APocalypse,
The higher on the list the more significant.
Let's begin,

PROS:
Does not need gasoline or diesel
Companian
Relatively low supply demand, a field and water is all
Can travel through forest, unlike cars
Fast and all terrain

CONS:
Unprotected against Zeds
Needs to have saddle, bridle etc
Can run ou of energy
Can be loud
Can spook and bolt, leaving you alone and unprotected

OVERALL:
I'd recommend not taking horses, as they are too unpredictable and cause hassle. However you may consider it if the gas dries up

[Tater Raider]

If you treat them as livestock keep in mind you can eat a horse but you can't eat a deuce and a half.

The spook and bolt thing... if they spook it's a good warning that there's trouble afoot so it can keep you out of mischief.

I personally prefer a donkey over a horse in theory. In practice... no experience with either and a donkey needs to be handled differently from what I've been told on this very forum.

[ArmchairRacer]

Just my opinion, but I think horses should come pretty low on the list of prep priorities, just based on the amount of money and land needed to keep them pre-paw. I feel like I can use those resources more efficiently. That said, I'm sure that if the fantasy/movie style paw ever comes then horse breeders will be able to live like kings, or atleast the king's horse breeder.

[Murgatroy]

Horses are awesome, they come with a personality and a free will. They can be trained to follow and otherwise be useful around a camp without having to be made to do. They can spot dangers before a human can.

The downside is that they require medical attention, do require feeding, shoeing and other specialized tasks that not everyone can perform. They require being rubbed down after a ride.

You are also forgetting about stabling a horse before the PAW. I happen to live in an area that is very horse heavy. I could pick a horse up for less than the cost of a new gun. However, medical and stabling for the horse will cost me a fair penny every month. Now, with my ideal plan right now I am saving for a farm of my own, and in that instance, having a horse would be a little on the cheaper side, as I could stable it at my farm, without having to pay a stabling fee. I would still have to pay for a vet, feed, and shoeing.

I honestly think that a horse is as versatile if not more than a car, but there are even drawbacks making it a moot point of choosing one or the other.

[MaconCJ7]

Horses are awesome. If you have a horse that spooks and leaves you stranded, you haven't spent enough time working with the horse. I've gone horse camping for a couple of weeks every summer in the Sierra Nevada's. Nothing but what we had in our saddle bags, and away we went. Very rough country, and the horses were all great.

Horses are very faithful, and a properly trained one isn't likely to spook, much less take off if it did spook for some reason. They are extremely reliable. Vet costs are only significant in the event of injury or serious sickness, just like a person or other pet. Shots are cheap, and cheaper still to do them yourself.

Shoeing isn't a cost inhibitor unless the horse has special needs, then it can get costly. Every horse person I know has the ability to reattach a thrown shoe. It's the initial fitting that takes a little skill. Hoof trimming is also a DIY task, and in the PAW I see a lot of horses going shoeless for a long period. It doesn't hurt them to not have shoes, shoes are just preferred.

Donkeys are stubborn little shits. Mules are the way to go. Bigger than a donkey, calmer than a horse. But, to have mules, you need donkey's and horses as they are a sterile cross breed of both. A Hinny is also a crossbreed, but not as common. If I had to choose between a horse or a mule, location would be a big factor. Where a horse has a high chance of bumping it's head, I'd take a mule. A horse would bump it's head, then slam it's head back into whatever it bumped as a reaction (general statement, as some horses aren't that stupid), a mule would bump it's head, then duck so it doesn't do it again.

I prefer horses, but I'm not against a mule. I don't have much love for donkeys. They have their place of course, just not with me. Would I suggest a horse to some random guy with no fuel for his car? No. You can't just hop on a horse and ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Just like shooting, camping, hiking, most other skilled preps, it takes time to acquire and evolve that skill.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Weighing horses versus petroleum powered Cars/Motorcycles/Quads will all depend on the availability of fuel.

Now, a battery-assisted bike that can be recharged by solar panels... I've never tried one, but I think I'll try that before I look into buying a horse.

[Rev]

Well if we're going to ride animals.



I have cattle already, and only one horse and he's a gelding. If I'm just looking into not having to walk to town I'd just ride a cow or have it pull a cart. Or ride a bike.

[Nightlord]

Horses are good if you need to go a short distance very fast

[skruface]

I would think in the long-term planning scenario (5 years + after a SHTF scenario), a horse would have more value in trade than a vehicle, particularly a gas vehicle, once gas becomes hard to come by. Not only that, but horses can be bred and the surplus beyond your needs could be traded.

That said, if we're picking animals to ride/pull carts, I think I'll go this route:

[Doctorr Fabulous]

I'd take a donkey, a llama, a camel (surprisingly quick), an ox, a yak, or a pair of goats. Some can be ridden, some can be pack animals, but by and large most taste better than a horse when you have to eat one.

[ineffableone]

Mules are a much better option than horses for a PAW bug out vehicle.

Long term yes you would need a donkey and horse to breed more, but a mule will live longer than a horse typically and be able to effectively work for more of those years than a horse.

For weight a mule is able to take more load or pull more.

Mules also are more intelligent than a horse.

When spooked a mule stops and stays still rather than bolting like horses do.

Mules can negotiate trails that horses can't, and are much more sure footed.

A mule can jump from a standing position quite high, while horses need a running start.

Mules tend to be quieter (though they can make noise it tends to be less often), hoses tend to make a lot more noise in general.

Mules are much easier to graze and take less specialised feed than horses do.

Another great option to go along with a mule or two or instead of mules is goats. A string of pack goats can take trails humans can't and are amazingly sure footed. A string of pack goats is a great bug out option especially if you have a couple mules you can ride and pack the heavier stuff on. Goats are even easier to feed on the trail than mules, and will forage for edibles quite readily.

For me, my ultimate BOV would be 2 mules and a string of 6 or more goats.

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Wow! I had no idea there was such thing as pack goats! I want some now!

[Muffin]

Rodeo'd growing up, horses are a LOT of work. Although they can be really fun. I would say probably the funnest part was cowboy action shooting off the horses and I have shot a deer from horseback once. if you train them right and spend the time the horses will very rarey spook. our horses will stand still and just look at me when I would go flying by 80 plus mph on my fourwheeler.

[Black]

I grew up on a horse ranch. Now, I have a 5.2L Jeep Grand Cherokee as a BOV for when SHTF. However, one of the first things to go when SHTF will be the fuel (sorry to burst some of your bubble). So, a BOV is really only good to get you to a specific location/hide-site. I have cabin that's 2 hours away and requires a 4x4 to get there. However, once it's there, it's there (unless you can find an alternative fuel source). If you live in a place where there are ranches, then having a horse will likely be quite sustainable because a lot of them can make their own equipment, have feed/hay, have the medical know how, ect. However, if it's just you and your horse, you may be SOL. So, if you live in Montana like me, then a horse would probably be a good idea. If you live in a major city and want to keep a horse on the roof of your apartment complex, probably not.

[DarkAxel]

Truth be told, the only advantage a horse has over walking is that you can carry more stuff, and a lot of that stuff is going to be feed for the horse.

A horse that does nothing but frolic in a meadow can live on grass graze, but as soon as you ask for it to do any real traveling you are going to need to bring feed or the horse will slowly starve to death.

Even the strongest horse is going to need regular rest. Like several times a day. If you push them hard or fast, they need longer rest periods. Horses are expensive investments in the NAW, and you don't want to overtax the horse. They have a tendency to die if pushed too hard.

[ineffableone]

Truth be told, the only advantage a horse has over walking is that you can carry more stuff, and a lot of that stuff is going to be feed for the horse.

A horse that does nothing but frolic in a meadow can live on grass graze, but as soon as you ask for it to do any real traveling you are going to need to bring feed or the horse will slowly starve to death.

Even the strongest horse is going to need regular rest. Like several times a day. If you push them hard or fast, they need longer rest periods. Horses are expensive investments in the NAW, and you don't want to overtax the horse. They have a tendency to die if pushed too hard.

These are some of the reasons I recommended mules over horses. A mule will stop and rest when it needs to, you wont be able to push a mule to death. Mules also are less dependent upon feed for their food and can survive much better on wild grazing than a horse. Mules are also more agile, live longer, more productive within their life span, smarter than horses, less easily spooked, and so much more.

I also mentioned not just mules, but pack goats also. They are even less dependent upon feed, and can forage extremely well in most environments. They too have more sense than a horse and will stop to rest before being pushed to death. Of course the draw back of goats is you can't ride them, but a combo of mules and goats is a very strong well rounded option for longer term BOV or PAW transport.

[KentsOkay]

Long term PAW, breed mules.

The short term, and what I have now? Yes I think my war pony will do nicely



As a gelding he would be useless in the long run, but two or three years in with a lack of petrol I think he will suit me well. I've never fired a gun around him, but he is accustomed to fireworks of all shapes and sizes and has a hatred for small animals. This mean he will cheerfully attack dogs, which I think will be a serious problem (roaming packs of feral dogs).