Expert Horse Tips and Essential Gear for Trail Riding with Jodie Morton of Green, Gold and Blues

Standlee Forage podcast - Listen

New Beyond the Barn Podcast Episode

Episode 78: Expert Horse Tips and Essential Gear for Trail Riding with Jodie Morton of Green, Gold and Blues On this part two episode, co-host Katy Starr continues her conversation with long distance trail rider, Jodie Morton of Green, Gold and Blues about:

• One item that she will never, EVER leave home without for a trail ride
• Her process for planning a safe and successful trail ride on big trails
• A brilliant strategy she uses with her horse Thelma, to make elevation gains the most efficient

Riding horses cross country has taught her she can do things she never thought were possible and just how much goodness exists in the world when you ride in a saddle. Join us for some vital trail riding tips before you hit the trail for your next horseback adventure.

Listen:
https://www.standleeforage.com/podcast/episodes/ep-078-expert-horse-tips-and-essential-gear-for-trail-riding-with-jodie-morton-of-green-gold-and-blues/

Long Rider Gillian Larson’s Spirit of Adventure

Horse-canada.com - Full Story

By: Kim Izzo | March 12, 2024

If you’ve ever dismounted after a long day in the saddle and cracked open a cold one, maybe a certain iconic ad campaign came to mind. In the advertising world it’s all about creating a memorable moment to associate with a product and when it comes to beer and horses one brand has turned the combo into event television – Budweiser Clydesdales we’re looking at you.

A bottle and a can of beer.Now there’s a new draft in town: 805 Beer from Firestone Walker Brewing Company. The brand is also seeking must-watch status with its latest campaign released on International Women’s Day featuring a diverse cast of women athletes and creators, which Firestone Walker has dubbed “Authenticos.”

One of the women is American thru-rider Gillian Larson, who became the first solo thru-rider of the Pacific Crest Trail, as well as the youngest and only woman, when she completed it in 2014...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/magazine/profiles/gillian-larsons-spirit-adventure/?vgo_ee=3y1b5t%2BQVxVR1TbQprB%2FQHY1wRusFwBxYaipWIbOZUf0bkn14vVE%3A84U56dVqAUq6dc8iuZO7mqiOO2Mp7uhh

Expeditions team retraces steps of Snowshoe Thompson's mail route in 1856

GoldCountryMedia.com - Full Story

Expeditions team retraces steps of pioneer mailman's route in 1856

Lia Carotta
Mar 09, 2024

The Auburn State Theatre invites the public to come meet the History Expeditions Team – comprised of local endurance athletes – as they share stories and video of their newest adventure and participate in a Q&A at 7 p.m. Friday, March 15, at the Odd Fellows Lodge #7 in Auburn, 1226-1/2 Lincoln Way.
To honor John “Snowshoe” Thompson, pioneering mailman of the Sierra, the History Expeditions Team was scheduled to set out March 6 on a never-before-attempted 100-mile trek across the Sierra Nevada mountains from Placerville to Genoa, Nevada. This route retraces Thompson’s inaugural 1856 mail route, where the legendary mailman weathered huge snowdrifts on massive 25-pound skis, carrying his 100-pound load of mail and ore.

This event is a fundraiser for the History Expedition's publication of TEVIS - The Places We Ride - Celebrating Seven Decades of American Endurance Riding History.

History Expeditions co-founders Bob Crowley and Tim Twietmeyer, veteran ultra-distance trail runners and amateur historians, accompanied by Jennifer Hemmen, a versatile ultra-distance and adventure athlete; Elke Reimer, a veteran ultra-distance runner, backpacker and trail steward; and Hal Hall, an accomplished endurance equestrian rider and historian, will trek and ski the rugged Sierra terrain, following Thompson’s mail route...

Read more here:
https://goldcountrymedia.com/news/298496/expeditions-team-retraces-steps-of-snowshoe-thompsons-mail-route-in-1856/

On the Road: Walking Coast to Coast With 3 Mustangs

LancasterFarming.com - Full Article

Stan Hough, shough@lancasterfarming.com
Feb 22, 2024

When I caught up with Jake Harvath on a cold February night, he was in Bentonville, Arkansas, having just spent a long day navigating about 20 miles in the saddle on unfamiliar county roads, bike trails, highways and main streets far from his Utah home.

And he had just finished with what is essentially the golden rule for horsemen: Horse care comes first; his needs second. It’s likely that credo will never be more important given Harvath’s present circumstances.

In September, he gathered his small string of three adopted mustangs, filled his pack saddles and set out on a 7,200-mile, 30-state journey that will take him from Utah to New Jersey to California and then back to his home in Heber City, Utah.

He’s named it the “Year of the Mustang” and he has using YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook to chronicle the journey, posting updates and videos once a week.

Harvath’s improbable attempt to traverse the country on horseback was designed to raise awareness of the plight of America’s wild horses, mustangs who are struggling to keep their place and relevance in the West, while some 60,000-plus sit in federal holding pens as part of a flaring controversy that has no end in sight...

Read more here:
https://www.lancasterfarming.com/country-life/mid-atlantic-horse/on-the-road-walking-coast-to-coast-with-3-mustangs/article_52f1c59c-fe6b-53d1-966f-7576383672ae.html

The Forgotten Story Of The Horse That Conquered A 20,000 Mile Trek

CowgirlMagazine.com - Full Article

by Stacey Lorton | Mar 27, 2018

In a story that has been lost to history, a group of horseback riders embarked on a 20,000 mile trip across the United States in 1912, searching for fame and money. A horse named Pinto would turn this “ride of the century” into a reality.

George Beck, a part-time Washington logger, and his three closest companions decided to embark on this huge trek after Beck convinced the others that there was more money to be earned in the saddle than at the jobs they possessed at the time. Taking the group name of Overland Westerners, the foursome began their adventure… but it did not go as planned.

“With five horses and a 60-pound, one-year old Gordon Setter and Newfoundland named Nip, the enthusiastic quartet began their journey on May 1, 1912 from Shelton. Their first stop was Olympia, Washington 18 miles away where Governor Marion E. Hay awaited. For the next three years averaging 22 miles a day, these travelers would stop at each of the 48 state capitals in the United States, rendezvous with the state’s governor or his surrogate, and endure numerous disappointments and hardships including hunger, theft, weather extremes, and rugged trails. Moreover, financial woes came when The Westerner folded before the trip was half completed leaving them bereft of corporate sponsorship.” – Chuck Rand...

Read more here:
https://www.cowgirlmagazine.com/horse-20000-mile-trek/

How to Overcome Your Fear of Trail Riding Alone: Part 1

TheSweatyEquestrian.com - Full Article

January 30, 2024
by Tamara Baysinger

Reader Sara asks: Can you talk more about getting over fear? I want to try endurance riding but I work weekends, so I’d have to do most of my training rides by myself during the week. The problem is that I’m terrified of trail riding alone!

I hear you, Sara. As you know, I had quite a journey through fear myself after a bad wreck. Riding horses is inherently risky, and being alone does make it harder to get out of a sticky situation. Respecting your fear is prudent, but it needn’t be paralyzing.

As I gathered my thoughts about dealing with fear, I found myself putting possible solutions into two buckets: practical strategies and psychological strategies. Step one is to identify which of these should be your focus.

This article will help you step back to better understand your experience of fear. Additional posts in this series cover practical and psychological strategies for overcoming your fear of riding alone. Finally, we’ll consider some safety gear that goes way beyond helmets...

Read more here:
https://thesweatyequestrian.com/how-to-overcome-your-fear-of-trail-riding-alone-part-1/

Horsemanship Around the World: Exploration with the Argentinian Gauchos

EventingNation.com - Full Story

By Gillian Warner on Jan 26, 2024

As I stood on top of the cliff, overlooking the Gatorade blue water of Lago San Martín, it felt like my horse and I had truly found the end of the world. And it wasn’t far off, with Patagonia edging its way close to that title.

As my horse caught his breath, I took a moment to soak in the postcard beauty of the landscape before turning back to the terrain so intensely unique to the Andes to continue on our exploration.

Pursuing this trip wasn’t for the faint of heart, consisting of 15 hours of flying to get to Buenos Aires, another 3 hours to arrive in El Calafate, and then a 5 hour drive to the beautiful Estancia El Condor, where our ride began. While daunting, I was surrounded by a group of explorers who were well equipped to handle anything that came our way — adventurer extraordinaire Erik Cooper, Argentinian gauchos Andy and Morita, and a diverse group of incredibly capable and skilled horsemen and women from around the world as crazy as I am to pursue something this wild...

Read more here:
https://eventingnation.com/horsemanship-around-the-world-exploration-with-the-argentinian-gauchos/

From 0 to 160km: Training Horses for Endurance

FEI.org - Full Article

24 January 2024
Words by Stacey Stearns

Get your horse ready for long-distance competition...

Picture a ribbon of trail unfolding in front of your horse’s perked ears. You are rhythmically trotting down the trail, around the bend, and then cresting the next hill. This is Endurance riding, an equestrian discipline that covers long distances on trails while emphasizing horse welfare. Horses enjoy the trails and sport as much as the riders.

Endurance athletes have unparalleled bonds with their horses. Countless hours together in training and competition forge strong bonds. Years of work lead to that moment on the trail, and horses’ fitness and nutrition are carefully managed to achieve and maintain peak condition.

FEI offers multiple levels of Endurance competitions with distances ranging from 100km to 160km. A gradual qualification process over many years leads to each successive distance, helping the horse go from zero to 160km...

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/sport/endurance/0-160km-training-horses-endurance

The Hardy Horse: How Horses Handle Winter

Thehorse.com - Full Article

December 21, 2021
Posted by Heather Smith Thomas

From growing a thick winter coat to producing heat as they digest forage, here’s how horses are inherently designed to cope with cold weather.

How horses are inherently designed to cope with cold weather.

After a ride across the mountain to check my horses on winter pasture, the sun had set and the temperature was dropping toward zero. I didn’t want to leave my mare wet and chilling; she needed her coat dry and fluffy for it to be effective insulation. My fingers were stiff with cold, but I had to rub her sweaty long hair dry with towels and turn her out in her pen before I could go indoors and soak up the welcome heat of a wood stove.

Our horses handle winter much better than we do, and my ranch horses in Idaho have managed nicely outdoors, even at 40 below zero. They have several unique ways to stay comfortable in severe weather and do well if allowed to adapt to colder temperatures gradually.

Winter Hair Coat

As days get shorter and nights become cooler, horses grow a new, longer hair coat. These winter hairs stand up, trapping tiny air pockets between them. The effect is like that of a thick, down-filled comforter, with tremendous insulating quality...

Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/150475/the-hardy-horse-how-horses-handle-winter/?lid=tziljmzm8zz0&uuid=647121ac133695000110b830

Ride of Passage Podcast

NPR Podcast Ride of Passage - Listen

From Michigan radio, it's a podcast about a true American adventure story about one young man's solo ride across the country on horseback.

Twenty years ago, a young man from Michigan set out to do something no one had done before. Matt Parker rode across the country on a horse. The horse was named Smokey, and the two of them used a system of trails known as the American Discovery Trail. That journey is the subject of the Michigan Radio podcast Ride Of Passage.

Listen to the podcast:
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1187550873/ride-of-passage

The Best Next Step

TheSweatyEquestrian.com - Full Story

January 2 2024
by Tamara Baysinger

I think I’ve finally figured it out. How to approach 2024, I mean.

My usual proclivity for outcome-based goal-setting just didn’t sit right this New Year.

Get to 12 endurance rides, enter a 100 late in the season, blah blah blah.

Of course, I’d love to do those things…but I’d have loved to do them last year, and the year before that, and all the years going back to 2015, which was the last time it actually happened.

Interestingly, all these years of not getting far in endurance haven’t kept me from going places with the horses. I’ve trained and learned, hacked and explored, and it was pleasant. It was fun. It meant something.

Very slowly, as I learned to look past what should have been and rest in what is, it dawned on me that I enjoy those things, too — in and of themselves, completely disconnected from the endurance trail.

Perhaps I have finally arrived at a place where I can let go of endurance as the primary goal...

Read more here:
https://thesweatyequestrian.com/the-best-next-step/