Rocky Mtn. Backcountry Horsemanship & Packing Class

Instructor: Outfitter Dave Hettinger
Dave Hettinger has 35 plus years of backcountry packing and stock handling experience in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Dave's mentor was Howard Copenhaver, famous Bob Marshall Wilderness outfitter and author of "Tracks", "More Tracks", and "Copenhaver Country".

Our mission throughout these classes is to show participants how to safely and humanely use stock in the backcountry on overnight trips. It will give the novice a good foundation to build on and an individual with limited experience the opportunity to advance their skills. Below are listed the classes and insruction offered by Dave Hettinger.



2 Day Spring Class. Location: 4 miles west of Dillon, Montana. Regardless of which direction you travel from, it is always a beautiful drive to Dillon.

Dates: May 1st through May 26th. (Saturdays and/or Sundays)

Cost: $160.00 per person and includes 2 full days of instuction plus an all you can eat hot lunch.


Learn Horsemanship & Horse Packing while on a "Camping Horse Tour". Dave Hettinger owns and operates a Wyoming outfitting business and offers backcountry horsemanship and packing instruction in the Teton Wilderness.

Location: The Teton Wilderness between Jackson, Wyoming and Yellowstone Park.

Dates: June 18th through July 27th. (5 day trips Monday through Friday)

Cost: $1250.00 per person and includes daily instruction, great meals and comfortable tent camp accomodations.



The following is a list of things class participants will be exposed to:

• Basic knots and hitches: square knot, bowlin, half-hitch, latigo tie for saddling, and a few of Dave's eleven ways to safely tie up your horse.
• Equine first aid and needed vet supplies.
• Introduction to the gear: Hard and soft panniers, pack boxes, mantie tarps, Decker pack saddles, picket rope and stakes, highlines, hobbles, cargoing scale.
• Equipment and techniques for grazing or containing stock. Includes hobbling, picketing by a foot, highlines, and portable hot wire corrals.
• Making loads out of that mountain of gear and supplies.
• Loading the loads on horses and mules. Besides strap on panniers you will be shown the basket hitch, barrel hitch and Dave's top pack basket hitch. For those interested we can also show you Wyoming style packing using the box or diamond hitch.

Dave's passions are good saddle horses, an alert pack mule and everything pertaining to those awesome and spectacular Rocky Mountains. It would be our privilege to share with you what we have learned during 35 plus years of backcountry outfitting. We wish you Blue Skies & Happy Trails!