# Riding across the USA



## Painted Horse

Check out Bernice
Long Rider Bernice Ende is riding her horse 5,000 miles around the western United States


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## Amymcree

What an awesome person! Thanks for posting the link Painted Horse.

Skylark, maybe for your first 'long' ride, you should contact local riding/endurance clubs and try and organize week long events for each club. Ride out with one trail group as you cross the state of Maine, then link up with the next group and ride for a week with them and so on. That way you have plenty of support along the way. You could link with each group as you go. One big long trail ride party! :lol:

Amy


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## Painted Horse

Also check out the Long Riders Guild
The Long Riders' Guild


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## Tazmanian Devil

Another link. Not sure if all the info is still there, but at one point there were several videos. This guy made a real interesting trip.

Uncovering America by Horseback | Sometimes people are going so fast in pursuit of happiness, that often times they pass it right by.


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## rosie9r

My husband's family owns a ranch in Dallas and their ranch foreman rode his horse from Wisconsin to Texas after his family was killed in a car wreck. He is the kindest man and is very quiet. Very sad story, but he says that ride really helped him from going crazy from grief. 

On a more positive note, if you end up in San Diego, CA I have a spare room and a great recommendation for a horse motel!


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## Whipple

This sounds great! I actually plan on riding across Canada someday. Likely further off then 3 yrs though. I'll be sure to follow your blog.


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## SkylarkandWinnie

thanks for all the links!


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## happygoose123

wow that sounds awesome!!!! that would be so much fun!! good luck with you planning!


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## orangetictac

I met a man that rode a horse from Alabama to Pennsylvania...His name was Jerry...er...can't remember his last name because we called him Mr. Jerry. He stayed in our area for a couple weeks while he was working with a mustang someone had given him to use as a pack horse. It was cool because it was my senior year (I only had to go half days that year) in high school...so after school I would go help Mr. Jerry and get to ride the horse he rode...which was his daughters barrel horse.


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## smrobs

I don't have any tips but do you want to swing by texas and pick me up. I would love to go with you. LOL. I'll even bring a pack horse or 2.


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## wanderlust

I just told my parents I want to do this! I bought a Prius to go cross country..but i put it on hold to save for a horse. Now when i get the horse I know i wont leave it for 3-4 months to see the country. So, i'll have to take him with me!


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## Hearts Up Ranch

Hey there. We are new to Horse Forum, but thought we would revive this conversation and share a bit. My husband and I are currently riding our horses across America to benefit Hearts Up Ranch. We are now in Milford, Utah (Aug 2010) and heading East. We'd love to hear from our horsey comrades. Encouragement helps us keep going! Those of you who have a similar dream might also benefit from reading our blogs. We have some pretty funny stories sometimes! The website is HeartsUpRanch.com Hope to hear from you there!


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## MissyMay

I had this urge to just ride to the hills but I was a mother of two boys in grade school with no horse...But I tell you I still have the urge to go for a cause....Great goal keep with it and find a younger horse... an older one may not be the right thing to go with...


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## RedTree

that would be amazing to ride across well Australia in my case 
just the open rode, my horse and me


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## Amlalriiee

Hey, I'm in a riding club here in Maine, called TROT...we do a lot of rides that could be possible conditioning...and fun because it's with a group! If you'd like a schedule just PM me...we do generally around 10 miles per ride, the difficulty varies, but it's usually not bad...so a good way to begin conditioning. Every now and then someone will do a long ride (more like 20 miles). As far as general conditioning goes, just get your miles in, do lots of hills(it's actually harder going uphill if you make your horse walk). I would learn some survival skills and plan carefully...definitely do your research!

One of the women I ride with is planning a trip from Maine to Cali...I'm not sure what year she's planning it for...hers may be 2013. One gadget she read about that I'd recommend to you is a tracking device you can wear so that people at home can find where you are at all times....good precaution if for some reason you needed to be rescued! Are you planning this alone, have you thought about taking a pack mule/horse?


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## grayshell38

There is a woman that is just about finished with her cross country ride that she started earlier this year in Cali. 
She is riding an older Arabian gelding by the way.  She has a blog and updates every few days or so. 
I am planning my own mini runaway with my horse in the future, I'd love to hear you guys' ideas about the logistics of it if you want to share.  

http://www.linnykenney.blogspot.com/


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## Heartland

grayshell38 said:


> There is a woman that is just about finished with her cross country ride that she started earlier this year in Cali.
> She is riding an older Arabian gelding by the way.  She has a blog and updates every few days or so.
> 
> Linny and Sojourner ride from coast to coast


Yes, I've been following her, too! She is on FB and has quite the fan following, me included. :wink:


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## JennKzoo

Gee that sounds like a lot of fun. And would be so much more of a road trip than driving a semi across country- been there done that to many times to count-LOL. You could meet so many awesome people and the best part would be the sight seeing. 
Go for it....


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## Kiki

RedTree said:


> that would be amazing to ride across well Australia in my case
> just the open rode, my horse and me



You and me Red Tree!!!! LOL Im in QLD so we could like meet in the middle or something LOL
I'd love to do something like this, even if it was just up the east coast of Australia....trouble is I have no horse and too many responsiblities so yeah, not happening


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## Gothic Melodies

I admire this choice of an adventure. It would be a good time to bond with your horse. Maybe I should think about this. I think it would be fun for both my horse and I. I hope all goes well and that this trip is successful.


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## Reiterin

I wish I were brave enough to attempt such a ride. I love the idea. Good luck.


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## armydogs

Once Dan gets out of the Army for good, he wants to disappear into the wilderness for a while. He is getting tired of being accountable all the time. LOL!!!! Anyway, we plan on doing some kind of cross country ride, but I have no idea where to even start planning it. I am really glad this link got revived, now i can keep up with everyone and get an idea on what to do. Thanks


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## Palomine

There was a woman in the 50's, who wrote a book called Saddle Tramp, about just such a trip. She was the only one left of her family, and was in her 60's, and had one horse, and bought another for a pack horse, and set out from Maine to California.

She appeared on the Art Linkletter show, he had heard about her, and about one of her horses dying due to bad feed I think, and bought her another one to continue her travels with.

She made it, and that was before cell phones.

And in 80's there was a woman I was friends with who came from CA to D.C. with a small mule and a covered wagon all by herself. Someone gave her a German Shepherd dog, and she was doing it for the vets.


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## mbender

rosie9r said:


> My husband's family owns a ranch in Dallas and their ranch foreman rode his horse from Wisconsin to Texas after his family was killed in a car wreck. He is the kindest man and is very quiet. Very sad story, but he says that ride really helped him from going crazy from grief.
> 
> On a more positive note, if you end up in San Diego, CA I have a spare room and a great recommendation for a horse motel!


Oh my! A horse motel. What a great idea. Are there a lot of these? If I had the guts I would love to do something like that.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Palomine

Type in Horse Motels, or Overnight Stabling for Horses and you will find tons of them.

Some are just stabling, some have bed and breakfasts, some are stalls that are rented for short stays, and some are at campgrounds with places you can stay too.

I used a couple of these when I moved from AL to MO, and needed to overnight horses.

I was well pleased, and the descriptions of the stables and facilities was right on as to what they said it was.


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## Belmont Jubilee

I just had the idea of riding across the United States and found this website and these posts as a result.


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## Belmont Jubilee

I'm new to this forum, but intrigued with the idea of riding across the U.S. Please keep the stories of folks who've done this coming. Very interesting.


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## Reiterin

Welcome Belmont. where are you from?

I was recently watching a short film made about riding the whole length of the Pacific Crest Trail (on PBS) It is believed that they were the first "through riders." In 1959 they rode from california (border of mexico) to washington state (border of canada) I can't remember.. I think they said it took 4 months (?)
Very cool. I would like to ride _parts_ of the PCT... but not the whole length! =)


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## Belmont Jubilee

Reiterin said:


> Welcome Belmont. where are you from?
> 
> I was recently watching a short film made about riding the whole length of the Pacific Crest Trail (on PBS) It is believed that they were the first "through riders." In 1959 they rode from california (border of mexico) to washington state (border of canada) I can't remember.. I think they said it took 4 months (?)
> Very cool. I would like to ride _parts_ of the PCT... but not the whole length! =)


"From" Chicago and Southern California. Living in Northern California. The Pacific Crest Trail would be great ride, hairy in places, though I'm not sure authorities would allow it these days. Thanks!


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