OMG! I just now looked closely at the photo after someone pointed out
the number of pads!! Might as well tie a mattress on the horse's back and lay
down. Almost reminds me of when we were in Morocco and rode mules through the
atlas mountains. First you put the pad on which is like a small woven straw
mattress stuffed with straw...that is tied on under the belly with a piece of
rope. Then on top of the pad goes paniers which were two very large woven straw
baskets connected in the middle so they went on as one piece. These also were
secured under the belly with a rope. Then you put all your "stuff", food,
tents, sleeping bag etc in the baskets, then climbed up on the mule and sat
sideways with both legs draped over and in front of one of the paniers. And you
steered with a stick, tapping the mule on the neck. If your legs, on that
particular day, were draped over the left side, and your mule jumped or shied
off to the left then you just promptly rolled off backwards onto the
ground. (at least I did!)
