Ollie's philosophy - "It's a bad day if you don't learn something new."

There is a lot to learn about horse packing in the high country. One-day schools are offered with hands-on opportunities, working with horses and or mules, the basics of saddling and un-saddling, adjusting equipment, loading the panniers and covering the load with a mantie are taught. Practicing six to eight hitches and lots of knots, studying wilderness survival and first aid for horses, as well as people, are included in the curriculum. Call to find out about the next packing school in your area or about sponsoring a school.

Ollie Hill’s first high country experience was a high school graduation fishing trip in the Colorado mountains near Grand Lake with his brother, George. At that time his will to take a horse into the high country was greater than his knowledge to do so. Since then, Hill has earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Colorado State University (CSU) and lived in Canon City and Alamosa, Colorado. For the last 34 years he has held a variety of management positions in the Cooperative Extension Service in the College of Agriculture at the University of Wyoming (UW) in Laramie and at Colorado State University. During graduate work at CSU, Hill took Al Richardson’s noted Packing and Outfitting course. He became inspired to teach others how to enjoy riding, packing, cooking and learning survival skills for high country adventures. Hill’s fishing, hunting and trail rides multiplied over the years; he initiated courses in Colorado in 1970 and in Wyoming in 1975. Nearly 2,300 CSU, UW and Laramie County Community College students; 4-H club horse leaders and the National Youth Horse Council; the National Rifle Association; outfitters; and the Brighton (Colorado) Feed and Tack Store have benefited from the courses Hill has taught or organized with others. About 25,000 copies of his Packing and Outfitting Field Manual have been sold in 44 states and 17 foreign countries. This fifth edition is a major update.

Are you interested in an outfitted hunt in Wyoming’s big country?
For a complete list of all professional outfitters and guides in Wyoming, contact: 1-800-264-0981 or outfitters.state.wy.us