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Post by mountedantman on Jul 26, 2012 10:42:57 GMT -5
Why the Equestrian wil beat YOU in life in TEOTOAWKI -You can travel through narrow areas in the city or dense forests -Grass more plentiful than Gasoline -Doubles as a milk wagon for mares ( horse blood also very good ) -Your mode of transportation bears offspring -You can wave your sword or fire pistols in transit ( unlike (motor)bikes ) -Doubles as tractor for agriculture -Keeps you warm at night -When killed, you can have a barbecue -Looks much cooler than some guy in a car, and you have better chance of becoming a leader dude on horseback with increased charisma or get a girl more easily because they usually think someone with an animal is naturally a trustable person and you can have her riding behind you grabbing for dear life as opposed to having her ride shotgun like some hitchhiker. -Horse dung is great for burning fuel or fertillizer -Horse hair great for making brushes, wigs, and possibly some hats -Horse hides great for making indian cloaks and loincloths -Saves ton of time by parking perfectly in seconds -Saves your life by being able to turn the other way on a one way street when a mob of gangs are after you. -When there is a sudden ice age like in Day after Tomorrow, you can kill it, rip it open, and go inside it to survive the cold like in Empire Strikes Back.
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Pupnik
Wasteland Warlord
Posts: 260
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Post by Pupnik on Jul 26, 2012 14:42:33 GMT -5
I like horses, and would certainly prefer a horse over a car - primarily because the only fuel to worry about would be grasses. Not sure I would use them for milk though, a horse is pregnant for a long time and can't be ridden during that time or for a length of time after, and if I weren't on the move something like goats would be better.
You can also get a trailer and carry extra people/ belongings when needed, and stash the trailer away while you go out scouting.
One issue with them would be that they would need shoeing or they could get a split hoof and become lame.
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Post by mountedantman on Jul 27, 2012 9:45:47 GMT -5
Hey, do you know where one would find horses when SHTF Im guessing the ones in artificial pens will either die of starvation or kick themselves free. And also would some would be in the grazing area as if nothing had happened?
I think it wont be much problem with horseshoes as those could be found where horses are found, and can be forged from simple scrap metal when needed. But Im sure with hard pavement, it would bust those hooves if unprotected.
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Pupnik
Wasteland Warlord
Posts: 260
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Post by Pupnik on Jul 27, 2012 14:06:46 GMT -5
Well my sister has four horses so those will do I think any stabled animals would die but so long as the climate is good the horses in fields would last for as long as they have a water supply - I think water would be a bigger problem for them than food since so many horses have water buckets or troughs that need to be refilled often. Not sure how long they could survive with just moisture from the grass. If I survived an apocalyptic event I think I would make sure to try and free any animals I came across even if I did not have any use for them at that moment, allowing animals like sheep, cows, pigs etc out so they can fend for themselves and possibly breed would be good for the long term.
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Post by mountedantman on Jul 28, 2012 11:09:13 GMT -5
Sweet! Ive always wanted to have my own horses. Have you ever tried horseback archery? or grabbed your pistol and went dragooning? Or Charged a stack of hay, striking it with your sword with devastating horsepower? I know I would definitely try all those things when I get the chance. Though it may be very suicidal without enough training.
How do you train a foal to follow the standard riding commands? And how would you tame a wild one? Thanks. Youre so lucky man.
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Morg308
Raider
Tired of being tired.
Posts: 490
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Post by Morg308 on Jul 28, 2012 17:41:47 GMT -5
Horse dung is good for making hats? Oops - I read that wrong, LOL. Horses are dangerous as hell though - people used to get killed or end up like Christopher Reeve all the time. They are also noisy in the woods compared to being on foot, but can save your life out here (West). I like horses fine, but they are high maintenance - who will shoe them? Have to watch they don't founder - there are lots of things to know about horses to make them a successful part of your life. They are NOT a cheap hobby. I like riding, and being around them, but they are like loaded guns - you have to watch your six every minute. If you bond with a horse, it's just like having a big dog.
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matov
Wasteland Warlord
Posts: 448
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Post by matov on Jul 29, 2012 4:55:35 GMT -5
I ate horse once in France. Never knew it was horse until afterwards (we were staying in a French youth hostel and just sat down to eat a communal evening meal).
It was alright. Not sure why people make all the fuss about them. I have only ever lost money betting on the 4 legged donkeys.
I can remember riding one once when I was a kid and it gave me a very sore bum. Never again.
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King of the Wastes
Wasteland King
GTFO MY PORCH [F4:PA_Earth][F4:KingoftheWaste]
Posts: 1,910
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Post by King of the Wastes on Jul 29, 2012 22:58:06 GMT -5
I have been thinking about getting a horse for a while now, my aunt has some and I figure I can ask her to pen it for me till I can move east.
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Corny
Wasteland Warlord
Posts: 281
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Post by Corny on Aug 14, 2012 13:31:33 GMT -5
I like horse riding as well, but in the period of post-apocalypse where fuel is still available, you have a huge speed disadvantage over cars etc. Also, your horse can get sick and can die much faster than a car can rendered completely unusable - although replace parts for cars might be scarce, replace parts for horses will be much harder to come by and "install". A car running into crow's feet might give you up to four flat tires, while a horse running into crow's feet gives you a seriously injured horse. Also, depending on what kind of horse you have, especially the faster ones are much easier to scare. However, given that you probably have to fight for fuel, why there's probably not really a shootout over a bit of grass, you might be better off with a horse in the issue of fuel I ride horses myself for years, and I think it'd be really cool to do that in the post-apocalypse as well (until we all die). You already mentioned it looking "cooler", I'd rather call it looking more imposing - unless you ride a shetty
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King of the Wastes
Wasteland King
GTFO MY PORCH [F4:PA_Earth][F4:KingoftheWaste]
Posts: 1,910
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Post by King of the Wastes on Aug 19, 2013 19:44:09 GMT -5
Currently Mustangs are having a pop. boom. This means there is a possibility of mass starvation among the herds. Because of this the BLM is currently selling pre-trained horses for as low as $125. Also it should be noted that mustangs tend to bond quickly and essentially you become part of their herd. So I would say if your looking at getting some horse's go to a BLM auction.
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Duane
Scavenger
Posts: 199
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Post by Duane on Aug 19, 2013 21:16:12 GMT -5
I had a horse growing up...it was a serious pain in the arse to care for it....I'd go with a motorcycle.
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Post by KevinTheCynic on Aug 29, 2013 9:59:29 GMT -5
To get the best performance from a horse requires a lot of maintenance (as mentioned by plenty of people before me) but one aspect that hasn't been mentioned is that most horses need a lot of water - up to 30 litres/8 gallons in a day. That's a hell of a lot of water to carry if you don't have a local water source. For those of you with minor experience with horses, this page has a decent write-up about horse nutrition evrp.lsu.edu/healthtips/EquineNutrition.htmEdit: Apologies to Pupnik, she did mention the water problem.
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Post by mountedantman on Sept 10, 2013 10:15:43 GMT -5
I see. Its hard to imagine how those Arabian horses are so robust in the deserts tho.
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Post by KevinTheCynic on Sept 14, 2013 19:49:00 GMT -5
Those horses are well looked after though. The don't roam wild like you see in North America, Australia or Europe. Arabian horses are not wild horses, they are domestic animals and in the past in that part of the world, the horse was sometimes considered more valuable than people so as animals they were well cared for. The Arabian Horse Association has a good (but sometimes high-falutin) write-up of the history of the animal starting here www.arabianhorses.org/education/education_history_intro.asp
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