RE: Carrying a bow on horseback?
 

That sling looks fine to me. If I were in your shoes, I would use a fancy homemade sling made out of rope. My buddy uses an old lead rope. A thicker rope is nice bc/ it doesn't dig into your shoulder as much as a smaller diameter rope. A couple problems w/ a scabbard;
You have to be pretty agile when getting on your horse bc/ you have to lift your leg higher. It is very difficult to get on the right side of your horse if you want to. Your bow takes some licks. You can put it in a soft case and still get it into the scabbard if you want to. Brad

RE: Carrying a bow on horseback?
 

As others have said find something that is comfortable for you i do not know how long your base camp ride will be but anything over 20 minutes and good trail is enough for me with one handing it or a sling. whatever you decide make sure you try it out b4 you get up there and then are stuck using it. I certainly understand the outfitters point most people show up with these heavy rigid cases or even worse the cordura scabbards wich will gall a horse raw in no time. we take leather scabbards made for bows on our trips i would be surprised if you spoke with the oufitter and asked if one of his local saddlemakers designed scabbards would they be allowed. Just because you are paying a price does not mean he is going to tear up his stock so your arm won't be sore. Spend a little more time speaking with him about what TYPES of scabbards are not allowed. Good luck on your hunt and if ya don't get a scabbard make sure you figure something out thast is very comfortable and will not get hung up in the trees and if it does i would recommend a weak link so that you don't end up with your bow in the creek.

Get an Eberlestock X1A1 or the X2 day pack with their bowbucket..

I expect a sling will be your best bet. You could easily make one that is adjustable to set the tension and adjust as needed. I would make a cover for it as well, to protect it while on your back, that allows the use of the sling.

I've been on four lengthy horseback trips in rugged mountain country, and there's no way a scabbard would've worked, much less a hard case. (Too much brush.)

A sling works OK, but my shoulder got sore after a few days. What I finally learned was to let half the weight bear on my shoulder and half of it be supported by my cupped hand on a long stabilizer. To make it easier to hold the stabilizer I duct taped a tennis ball over the end; this fit well in my hand (and made it easier to maneuver the bow around branches and other obstacles). It may have looked a little goofy, but it worked very well!

I have used a sling and it was HORRIBLE...as an outfitter he should have bow scabbards already...we use them every year with great success. If you get into a place where the horse needs to jump off or over something your going to want the use of both your hands.

http://ri.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LE...nzsazlluPLgIU-

This is the best bow sling I've ever used.A back pack that you can put your bow in also works as long as it doesn't hang too low.You also have to be careful about going under branches.

If you're not an experienced rider,a scabbard is the best way to smash your bow.Horses have little regard to how close they walk to trees and if you can't control them with leg pressure before they walk by a tree,your bow will get crushed.Use a comfortable sling and adjust it so it doesn't hang too low.

Bow scabbord
 

Ladies hunt by horseback too, even older gals like me. Sling is a bit dangerous and doesn't protect my bow. Outfitter Supply sells an excellent saddle scabbard which I just ordered. Will let you know how that works. Glad to have found this site.

I've been on a couple horseback elk hunts and a bow sling is easily the best way to go. you can go simple with loops that slip over the limb tips or a better option is to get one like the Dead Ringer that encases the limb tips, string and cables from tangles with brush