Yeah Chris, the horse stuck around and got me back to camp. So I didn't eat him. You make some good points I never thought about: I have been wearing a fanny pack with a small custom sheath knife and Kydex sheath attached. That's because I had another horse-rider separation several years ago and he took my gear, rifle, etc. with him for a day. So I started carrying the fanny pack with survival kit, water, and knife. But I can re-think that. I have several "vest" options. I do also wear a neck knife.<br>Yep, I use split reins. And yep, I've kicked out of the stirrups before. Just in time, once!<br><br>The bigest survival and horse problem I have now is my wife. I'm going back into the same area in Oct. on an elk hunt (if I get over my injuries and my scare of horses in time). My wife guarantees I won't survive the trip. She's going to kill me if I try to do this. But I'm trying to get my outfitter to get me a burro to ride so both of my feet stay close to the ground.<br><br>Thanks for your input and posts. They're always helpful.<br><br>