Ginny's Horse Product Review

What’s up guys!?

We just got back from a horse camping trip at Bruneau Dunes State Park in Bruneau, Idaho. If you haven’t been out there, go there quick before it gets too hot! As it was, the middle of the day was a little warm, especially for the ponies that haven’t fully shed out their winter coats! We rode in the evening on the first day and on the morning the second day.

Camp Has Large Corrals

When we arrived on Thursday afternoon, the place was completely empty. We put Monkey and Bamboozal in adjoining corrals. The corrals are HUGE. It’s such a luxury to have a large corral for your horse in a campground. When we go places with stalls, I always feel bad for my horses and make sure to do a lot of hand-walking since they’re used to being turned out FULL TIME. Being confined can be difficult for older horses like Bamboozal who have arthritis. The more he is walking and moving around the better. You don’t want your old arthritic horses just standing still.

Also, being confined can be tough on their digestive systems. Always make sure they get time to move around and are drinking plenty of water. Watch for any signs of colic in a horse that isn’t used to being stalled.

The Deets on Camp

This camp has about 15 or so spots, some of them are pull through and some of them are back-in. There is a vault toilet and water, but no electricity.  There are four large horse corrals that are stuck together. There is one horse corral that is separate. This is probably the best choice for a stud or a horse that doesn’t get along well with neighbors. All of the boards seemed sturdy and in good repair. Gates worked well and latched too. As far as horse camping goes, this place has great facilities!

Bugs at Bruneau Dunes State Park

This was like the first REALLY warm weekend we’ve had, and we just didn’t anticipate any bugs, but at dusk the mosquitos were out in full force! Gnats were driving the horses crazy too. I haven’t even bought any fly spray for the horses this YEAR. We sprayed them with some of our human all-natural bug spray, and we put their fly masks on. On a side note, they always wear their fly masks in the trailer to protect their eyes from any wind/shavings/debris. Thankfully, the bugs were only really bad at dusk.

The Low Down on The Equestrian Trails

Okay, this is what you came here for. You want to know about the trails! They’re pretty deceptively challenging. There’s a 7 miler and a 9 miler. The first day we just went out and back and did a few miles to see what the footing would be like. NEWSFLASH: THE FOOTING AT A SAND DUNE STATE PARK IS SANDY! I was riding my senior Morgan gelding and watching him very closely for any signs of discomfort or lameness. He did INCREDIBLY well on these strenuous trails.

On the very steep inclines, I got off and hiked. He’s a flatlander from the east coast, and it’s not fair to ask him to be a mountain horse now. I can use the exercise, so it’s a win win for both of us. There were also some portions of the trail that were so deep that even Max got off of Monkey and hiked her. She actually sank in almost to her belly in one area and had to lurch out!

Riding Through Deep Sand Safely

If I were to go again, I would avoid ANY area on the trail map marked “wetlands” as those areas seemed to have the deepest sand. If you’re horse isn’t used to sand, and you ride too fast, you could risk a ligament or tendon injury. Take your time or get off and hike if it’s really bad. It’s not worth injuring your horse, especially if he or she isn’t conditioned to ride in sand.

When we got back to camp, we hosed the horses and spent a little extra time on their legs. I always poultice Bamboozal after strenuous trail rides, and this was no exception. This gives me a chance to feel his legs for any heat or swelling, and it helps him to feel pampered after carrying me around. My favorite poultice is Sore No More, and it’s a cooling clay with arnica. It cools and tightens the legs, and you don’t need to wrap. It’s easily curried or hosed off after it dries. Monkey watched intently while I poulticed Bamboozal, so I took it as a sign that she wanted some too.

Camp Got BUSY

It’s important to point out that this is a no-reservations camp. It is first come, first serve! On the second day, camp filled up with non-equestrians! Almost every spot was taken, and nobody brought a horse! That was good and bad. It’s good because your horses get exposed to a lot of different activities, but it’s also bad, because non-horse people don’t really know how to be safe and respectful of horses.

I had to get after a group of boyscouts MULTIPLE times for shooting air soft guns near our horses and sprinting towards them like predators.  Monkey and Bamboozal are seasoned campers and have been a lot of places, but that freaked them the hell out, and I can’t blame them. All in all, most campers were very respectful and there were only a few ying yangs in the bunch.

Horse Camping at Bruneau Dunes State Park

Over all, horse camping at Bruneau Dunes State Park in Bruneau, Idaho was incredible. Although this place is only about a half hour from where we live, the terrain is TOTALLY different. You feel like you’re on an African safari or something! We saw lots of antelope, a few strange lizards and two horny toads! I would definitely go back, but with a few caveats. First, I would go on weekdays to weed out the non-horse people who all showed up on Friday afternoon. Second, I would go early in the Spring or late in the Fall, because the middle of summer might be unbearably hot.

Finally, one of the best things about Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park is how dark it is at night. I think it’s actually considered a certified “dark space” or something, whatever that means. All I can tell you is that it was pretty overcast/hazy when we were there, and it was some of the best star viewing I’ve ever seen. They actually have an observatory and telescope at the park, but we didn’t get over there for the presentation.

Until next time, Happy Trails!