# Across the U.S. on a horse



## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

I don't think you are crazy, heck if you come my way I might join you for a bit! It is always good to have a dream and even better to have the drive to follow that dream! I wish you good luck and happy trails!


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## ShutUpJoe (Nov 10, 2009)

My husband and I were talking about this. I'd love to do this : )


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## Sophie19 (Apr 13, 2009)

I've always wanted to ride coast to coast. I want to get me a little hardy Arabian or Barb or something and go for it.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

I think distance riding has always been my passion. Since I was a teenager with horses at my grandpa's farm, the nearest cowboys were 10 miles away, so it was nothing to find me miles upon miles from home, seeking out new riding partners on my handy little unexhaustable 14hh Arabian mare.

I've always thought about riding from coast to coast across Canada, hopefully for a worthy cause I believe in to raise money. I don't know if it will ever happen, but I tip my hat to anyone with the guts and determination to try it!


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## SmoothTrails (Oct 1, 2009)

I would ride with you. I'll take one of my walkers and have a good time of it. It sounds lile a wonderful time, and I would love to do something like that one day. It would be really cool to have a long ride like that for a cause.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Road Warrior said:


> I'd just like to know how many of you out there think I'm crazy?


I think you're crazy - and a good thing, too. I don't have much use for normal people


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

Me thinks we need to gather a group, and just all head across America. Someones done this already (guy from Best of America by Horseback), took him four months 8| They had over 200 riders I think?

I'd do it in a heartbeat!


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## Road Warrior (Jan 4, 2010)

Well, I'm sure glad I'm not the only one to have this desire. It would be great to get a big group together and ride across the country. Heck, why not drive a few cattle and horses too!!


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Road Warrior, you're welcome to camp at my place when you get to Maine. That is if you were planning to go to Maine.

I think it would be a hoot if HF members rode with you in their state. I would definitely love to do that and gather my club members to join the journey!

Good luck to you and keep us posted on the developments of your plan!

_PS: I think most horse people are a little crazy each in their own way. Who would spend the money we do and work as hard as we do? But it's a good crazy! :wink:_


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## horseluver2435 (May 27, 2009)

Sounds like a great time to me! If you pass through Michigan, you're welcome to camp out at my place for a bit, and then I can join you!


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## Road Warrior (Jan 4, 2010)

Thanks to everyone who has responded here. It sure is fun to dream about things such as this! Life would be really sad if we didn't have anything to dream about.


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## thunderhooves (Aug 9, 2009)

I would be hard going through highways and such, but hey, if you ever pass by CA on your way, I'll go for a while,too! We should have a rally on here and get people to do it! Seriously!


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

I would seriously consider it.  Hmmm, but I'm curious about cost and such. Anyone got any ideas about how feed and such would be taken care of?


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## Mingiz (Jan 29, 2009)

I would love to be able to do something like that...Your not crazy at all. :wink: I have always wanted to do a cattle drive.....


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## HalfPass (Jun 12, 2009)

Road Warrior.
As a person who has done some packing in the Sierra's I have to say...your not crazy at all for wanting to go for it.
There is just nothing like being way out in the back country where there is no noise other than you your horse and the wilderness...
I think it is a wonderful idea, and truly hope you will fulfill your dream!
I've always wondered what it would be like to just kinda live off the land and drift....where there is no modernalities....
If I hear your passing through the sierra's....I will join up! 
Halfpass


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## HalfPass (Jun 12, 2009)

PS.....
Two weeks is just not near long enough! Six months....that would be great!
Fishing, hunting and enjoying the back country!


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## kklenk (Jun 2, 2009)

You aren't crazy at all! I heard of one guy who rode and ponyied a second horse. I think he was doing it for a charity, he raised money to donate once his expenses were taken care of. I think he rode to the capital buildings of cities he went through to prove a point. I don't remember now. Anyway, maybe if you do it for a charity it would help with expenses. He had a website and someone would put up his whereabouts almost daily. Fairgrounds are a cheap place to spend the night and of course there are books on places to stay with your horse while going across country. I would wonder about how to plot out the trail so you don't have to cross highways, I would think that would be the tough part. No books on that.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

You need to check out the Long Riders Guild The Long Riders' Guild There are some great stories and its a good place to start your journey. 
I did watch an episode of Rick Lambs Horse Show on RFDTV. Its been a few years ago, but the fellow said one of the hardest things was finding water. You can't just cut someones fence to get to a pond or lake :lol:
That's always been one of my problems, too many fences. You would have to do the "blue highways" route.

Check th "missing in action" section on that web site too, kinda scary


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## kklenk (Jun 2, 2009)

Too Cool Vidaloco!! Thanks so much for the website.


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## Kay (Dec 9, 2009)

In Michigan we have a group called The Michigan Trail Riders. We ride from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan with several camps and marked trails. It is an organized ride approx. 240 miles total. It's a blast, we take our rigs and move them each morning to the next camp, while leaving our horse n saddle back at the previous camp. Our blue bus picks up the rig drivers to bring them all back to previous camp. Then we saddle up and ride. It takes 10 days riding each day or a 2 wk ride with a couple of off days. 
So you can even go under I-75 main interstate hwy. So if you go this way the trail is ready until you reach the water.
Don't give up on your dreams, sometimes that all we have.

Happy Trails
Go Gaited...


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## HorsePride (Aug 29, 2009)

I'll join ya! Your not crazy!


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

Hehe, I'm starting to think that we should actually set something up.  I'm free this summer, anyone?:wink:


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## jules083 (Jan 19, 2010)

I'm not in on this one, but have some advise. I've gone cross country on a motorcycle before and have dealt with a few of the problems you will be having. For one I didn't have enough money to get hotels so I brought my tent. I hooked up with people I met on a motorcycle forum and whenever possible I crashed on their couch, washed a few clothes, thanked them and left. I'm sure people here would help you with that, it seems like a good group of people here. You will need at the very least to have contact info with horse people the whole way in case you or your horse needs medical attention. I can't remember the site but there's a GPS designed for hikers that you push a button and it calls 911 for you.

Also, you and your horse need to be conditioned for the trip. The way I conditioned myself for a motorcycle trip would be similer to what you will need to do. I packed the bike like I would be gone for a month, then rode to the lake about 2 hours away and camped. I brought a notebook and wrote what I brought and didn't use, brought and used, and what I wish I would have brought. Also logged how the load sat on the bike as far as weight and bulkyness. The next few trips varied from 2 days to 5 days out, logging the same way. I purposely rode in all types of weather to make sure I was bringing the right clothing for it. By the time I actually left there were no suprises and I brought just what I needed. I used a sport bike BTW, I didn't have any more storage than you will. The hardest thing I had was keeping the maintence up on the bike, much like you will have to keep up on your horse. 

Sorry for the book, hope this helps though. If you make it through Ohio I have a 5 bedroom house and room for at least 5 or 6 more horses, you're welcome to it.


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## CecilliaB (Jan 21, 2010)

I love camping and horses so that sounds like a wonderful vacation to me!


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## FireFlies (Jul 26, 2009)

You can count me in! I've always wanted to try something like this. I think if we all pitch in with our resources and together plot out the way we could make this happen! We may even set a record for the most horse crazy people riding together across the country.


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## snoggle (Jun 13, 2009)

But I have to ask: What does the new wife think of this idea? Would she be joining you? My husband has similar plans with a sailboat when we retire (in like 40 years LOL), but I could probably talk him into a coast to coast horsie trip someday instead. 

If you go through Kentucky we would join you as well. See how many partners in crime you have already? Definitely not crazy.


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## RhondaLynn (Jan 26, 2010)

This has ALWAYS been a dream of mine, not particularly going coast to coast, but go for a few weeks in one direction. I would love to "ride" the Applachian trial but most of it is closed to horses. There is a trail going from Alabama thru Georgia that is a hundred miles or more called the "Pinhoti". Maybe us SouthEastern folks could get together and do something like that??? 
If you are in N. Georgia, I have extra bedrooms and stalls. 

Rhonda


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## CecilliaB (Jan 21, 2010)

RhondaLynn said:


> This has ALWAYS been a dream of mine, not particularly going coast to coast, but go for a few weeks in one direction. I would love to "ride" the Applachian trial but most of it is closed to horses. There is a trail going from Alabama thru Georgia that is a hundred miles or more called the "Pinhoti". Maybe us SouthEastern folks could get together and do something like that???
> If you are in N. Georgia, I have extra bedrooms and stalls.
> 
> Rhonda


You make me wish I didn't have kids! That 100 mile trail sounds awwwwesome.


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

Well, I'm in northern Il. on the border with wisconsin, so if any one wants to do something like this for real maybe sometime soon, I'm in. I think it would be an experience of a lifetime. I wonder how long it would take to make it from illinois to california....?  *goes off calculating*
I think that if anyone of us actually did start this they would be joined quickly, but untill someone does, it will only be a nice fantasy. So someone should start this thing. I don't want to go alone. I have no sense of direction...:lol:


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## FireFlies (Jul 26, 2009)

I was in the car yesterday and I drove over the missouri river and had a awesome idea that could make this work.

people were saying how it would be kind of difficult to seeing as there is a whole lot of fencing to get through and that it would be hard to find water. 
What if we did a whole Lewis and Clark trail? Follow the rivers to the ocean? we would have water and we could detor through the cities along the rivers? I think if we really stressed the LEWIS AND CLARK we could get through the cities pretty easy  Just throwing it out there!


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

oooooo!! OOOO!! I like that idea! ^^^^^^^^


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## JessicaGDA (Dec 21, 2009)

You aren't crazy!
I want to do the same! How amazing would that be to see the sites with the greatest companion! 

I hope to do the same when I get out of school. Good luck! Hopefully you can do this!


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## twh (Feb 1, 2010)

Sounds like a fun idea! I have a feeling my TWH and I would have a ball.


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