The Long Riders – Equestrian Adventurers
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If your dreams include spending your days in the saddle and being a world traveler, you might want to join the ranks of the long riders. A Long Rider as defined by the Long Riders' Guild is a person who has ridden more than 1000 miles in a single journey. Historically, there have been many long riders. Some were adventurers who had no choice but to ride horseback to reach the distance places they wished to explore or conquer. During the Crusades legions of knights, kings and their ladies, including Eleanor of Aqutian and Louis VII rode to the holy lands, a journey that would have covered about 2500 miles on horseback. Illness and death, for both horse and human was rampant as they undertook this arduous trek.
Long riders have explored the world on horseback, and many of them were women who made solo journeys. In 1910, Nan Jane Aspinwal rode from the Pacific to the Atlantic alone and in 1939, Mary Bosanquet rode her horses Jonty and Timothy from Vancouver, Canada to New York. Famous couples have become long riders too. In 1867, Isabel Burton rode across Brazil with her husband and explorer, Sir Richard Burton. The Blounts, who contributed greatly to the development of the Arabian breed in England and beyond, rode into northern Arabia in search of pure-bred Arabian horses.
One of the more controversial characters has been stripped of his claim of being a long rider by many. Frank Hopkins claimed to have raced across the desert of Arabia on a horse named Hidalgo in the 3000-mile Ocean of Fire race. Hidalgo, a Mustang, was pitted against the finest Arabian horses. It was the type of story that movies are made from. And, it was all fiction, right from the beginning.
But spirit of exploration still exists, even if it seems that every corner of the world has been opened. Currently, Sam Southey and Tim Mullen are traveling through Mongolia while studying how local herders feed their horses and the prevalence of laminitis and colic. Bernice Enid who has racked up an impressive 18,000 miles since 2005, has ridden throughout North America and just completed a ride through the western States.
What does it take to become a long rider? You must be willing to rough it — you might find a warm bed for the night, or you might be sleeping under the stars. You might find a host to give you a warm meal, or you might be eating granola bars and drinking river water for supper. Long riding isn't necessarily a race, so you need to be patient and willing to adapt your plan depending on the weather, your horse's health and your own health, and understand that depending on where you ride, you could face challenges like difficult terrain, criminals, wars or other frightening situations.
You'll need lots of time and money to spend. So you'll need some sort of funding, either sponsors or savings. Long riders don't seem to favor any particular breed, and one rider is currently traversing South America on a mule. So, any healthy trail-wise horse would probably be suitable. You'll need a good plan, a map, a GPS and compass. There are lots of people and books to provide you with information and advice. There are many details you have to look after, and things you must plan for before saddling up. However, once you've looked after the details, your adventure can begin. |
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