Author Topic: How about the dogs, horses and mules?  (Read 5823 times)

Offline brokeplex

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How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« on: February 09, 2008, 09:36:12 pm »
Say, who fed the dogs, the horses and the mules while the boys were up on the mountain?

I never saw any dog food, or horse and mule feed. The dogs would have to be fed regularly or they would forget about babysitting the sheep and start hunting, and horses can eat you out of campsite and trailer.

I saw Jack hoisting a slab of bacon early in the movie, which could be useful in feeding the dogs, but nothing else other than the slaughtered elk that also might suffice.

The horses and mules could graze a bit, but I am not convinced that those heavy eaters could survive like the sheep on the pasture grass alone.

It seems to me that the boys would have had to have an extra mule train loaded with animal food for the animals to survive and remain healthy thru the summer. 

injest

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Re: How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2008, 09:47:16 pm »
actually the horses could very well have lived off the rich grass available remember wild horses live off grass only.

the dogs are a puzzle though...

Offline brokeplex

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Re: How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2008, 09:52:18 pm »
I know that you have horses so I really want your opinion. DL says that he doubts the horses and mules could remain healthy for long without extra feed because they are being used as transport and pack animals. Ranging free in the summer maybe, but they weren't free.

Is there really enough grass on the slopes for the horses and mules, and enough time for them to graze and then transport the boys and their supplies?

Yes, the dogs are a feeding problem! 

Offline forsythia12

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Re: How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2008, 09:53:27 pm »
well, like any movie, they're bound to forget a thing or two.  bet ya they didn't count on us brokies watching and re-watching it a thousand times, picking up on everyhing huh?
lol ;D

injest

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Re: How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2008, 09:59:58 pm »
I know that you have horses so I really want your opinion. DL says that he doubts the horses and mules could remain healthy for long without extra feed because they are being used as transport and pack animals. Ranging free in the summer maybe, but they weren't free.

Is there really enough grass on the slopes for the horses and mules, and enough time for them to graze and then transport the boys and their supplies?

Yes, the dogs are a feeding problem! 

we have horses that are ridden every day that dont get feed....the grass up on the mountain is very rich (it has to be because of the growing seasons up there) the boys weren't riding the horses that hard (just to the sheep and back twice a day) and the mules only had to work one day every week or so...plenty of time for them to graze their fill.


injest

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Re: How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2008, 10:00:55 pm »
I have more of a problem seeing them tied up all the time...they should have been hobbled and released with the sheep (the mules I mean) and the horses near the campsite

Offline brokeplex

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Re: How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2008, 04:59:16 pm »
I have more of a problem seeing them tied up all the time...they should have been hobbled and released with the sheep (the mules I mean) and the horses near the campsite

exactly, that is the point I was going to make. the horses and mules could only graze so much tied up, they would have to range free to take full advantage of the mountain pastures. I sure do think that in the real world, they would have hauled some hay up to the mountain for the horses.

and what about the dogs? lots of bacon? elk? ALPO!

injest

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Re: How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2008, 05:02:10 pm »
exactly, that is the point I was going to make. the horses and mules could only graze so much tied up, they would have to range free to take full advantage of the mountain pastures. I sure do think that in the real world, they would have hauled some hay up to the mountain for the horses.

and what about the dogs? lots of bacon? elk? ALPO!

only if they really kept them tied up all the time..and that would not be smart....hay is just dried grass...why haul dried grass when you have plenty of rich fresh grass?

Offline delalluvia

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Re: How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2008, 05:19:37 pm »
Well, if they're truly country type dogs, raised in the back country, aside from bacon, leftovers from our guys' dinners, they would probably supplement their diet with catching ground squirrels and mice and frogs.

Offline brokeplex

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Re: How about the dogs, horses and mules?
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2008, 09:03:09 pm »
trained sheep dogs tend to stay at their posts guarding the sheep, they usually do not leave the scene to go hunting unless they are very hungry.