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or soreness in your buocks may be normal—and requires that the rider be
physically t and not overweight. Riders must be able to mount unassisted
and must be mentally and physically prepared to sustain eight hours in the
saddle alert and balanced. It is highly recommended that everyone on a
Philmont Cavalcade fulll the requirements for the Horsemanship Merit
Badge.
You and your crew will be on horseback for six of the eight days that you are
at Philmont. Each rider will be assigned a horse at the beginning and will ride
that horse throughout the trek. Each horse will be expected to carry the rider
plus loaded saddle bags. FOR THESE REASONS, IT IS REQUIRED THAT EACH
RIDER WEIGH NO MORE THAN 200 POUNDS. Regardless of height to weight
rao, no Cavalcade parcipant (youth or adult) can exceed 200 pounds. If
you weigh 201 lbs, you will not be allowed to parcipate in a Cavalcade.
Furthermore, regardless of height and weight, all parcipants must be able
to mount unassisted from the ground. PARTICIPANTS WHO FAIL TO MOUNT
UNASSISTED FROM THE GROUND WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE.
Sta physicians at Philmont reserve the right to deny access to the
backcountry to any adult or youth on the basis of the medical recheck
process at Philmont. All medical evaluaon forms will be checked by Philmont
medical sta. Areas of concern include, but are not limited to: heart disease,
seizure disorder, sickle cell anemia, and hemophilia. Blood pressure without
medicaon must be less than 140/90 for a parcipant to be permied
to hike at Philmont. If there are any doubts aer the individual has had
a physical examinaon, contact the Philmont medical sta. A Philmont
Cavalcade is just as challenging and strenuous as a regular trek.
On Cavalcade layover days, side hikes by the crew and parcipaon in
various programs can be expected. A program of regular aerobic exercise
is highly recommended to become physically condioned for Philmont.
Plan to exercise for 30 to 60 minutes at a me, three to ve days a week.
Jogging, running uphill or up long ights of stairs, and hiking with a full pack
are excellent ways to prepare physically. How fast you run or how far you go
is not nearly as important as regular exercise. Other aerobic exercises such
as swimming, bicycling, staonary cycling, and aerobic exercise classes can
supplement your training. Start slowly and gradually increase the duraon
and intensity of your exercises. A sample condioning program is included
in the
Council and Unit Planning Guide
to be used as a guide for your own
program. Please refer to the “Recommendaons Regarding Chronic Illnesses”
that was included in that same guide. If anyone has further quesons
regarding their health, they should contact their family physician.
Crew Equipment Issued at Philmont
Each Cavalcade will have two or three pack horses. The packhorses plus
your personal horse will carry all of your personal and crew gear.
Philmont will also provide all necessary horse gear including saddles,
bridles, halters, saddle bags, and helmets. Philmont will provide a stu sack
for packing personal belongings and clothing. These stu sacks are NOT
waterproof. If parcipants desire a waterproof stu sack, they must bring