Stories from the Road

The Long Riders' Guild

Philosophy

Neptune’s Horses (above) are one of the many examples of equine mythology which reoccur throughout history.

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	Embrace the Change! by Lucy Leaf "In my last email I mentioned the memory of elation I felt when a Long Rider finally sets off on the journey. There is some relevance about these moments of elation that relate to today's [Covid-19] situation. It's about 'cutting the ties'. It's likely something that we Long Riders might take for granted. We can do this. We savor the moment, for it's the moment we realize we really are following our path, though it could well be a lone one. To others, it feels like a disaster. To us, it's part of the journey"
	A Journey to Simplify Life Not only had DC Vision never made an equestrian journey, he had never even mounted a horse! Yet that didn't stop the young man from Maine from completing a 14,000 mile spiritual odyssey through the United States. DC's story, "A Journey to Simplify Life," is an enduring classic.
	Why Make an Equestrian Journey? “Why are you doing this?” pedestrians have asked Long Riders in a multitude of tongues in countries scattered around the globe. Though the answer to this ancient question is as complex as the wide variety of equestrian explorers represented by the Guild, American Long Rider Andi Mills has expressed what may be the perfect answer to “Why?”
	Ask Plenty of Yourself - During a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis warned “Some stars may be bright, but do not point the way.” His Holiness urged people not to be led astray by an addiction to “success, money, career, honours and pleasures.” American Long Rider Trent Peterson heeded that message by following a different constellation. With Orion showing him the way north, Trent made his way along the Pacific Crest Trail. In a moving story about self-discovery, Trent explains how his equestrian journey helped him to understand loss, love and life.
	Finding Happiness on the Trail Some Long Riders set off in search of adventure. Others might be looking for an escape from a motorized world. A few are seeking to understand the secrets of their own souls. Hetty Dutra is such a seeker. Her ride along the historic Nez Perce Trail ignited a message buried deep within her DNA and revealed how it is never a matter of mere miles that justify the journey. Hetty was deeply touched when she read what Nelson Mandela said. "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." Twenty years after completing her life-changing journey along the Nez Perce Trail, she set off again – to find more inner secrets of her own soul.
	A Notion of Youth Fulfilled Some of life’s most poignant lessons come in small, unobtrusive packages. This remarkable story is one such tiny treasure. Without any fanfare, Robert Schweiger set off in 1976 to make a 1,200 mile ride across the United States. At the conclusion of his trip, he made an important observation which applies to Long Riders throughout history. “Financially the trip netted nothing. Measured in dollars and cents it could be termed a failure, but a dreamer doesn’t sum up success by the coins in his purse.” This is a timeless bit of writing by one of the tribal elders who kept equestrian travel alive in the days before the formation of The Guild.
	The End of the Journey How does a Long Rider feel after returning to civilization? Triumph? Disorientation? Emotional loss? Mourning for the horses? English Long Rider Louisa Jebb, rode across Iraq and Syria at the beginning of the twentieth century, encountered all those and more. In the final chapter of her wonderful book, she warns Long Riders what to expect. "Last night we were dirty, isolated, and free; tonight we are clean, sociable, and trammelled."
	The Mystic Mantle of the Horse Renowned Long Rider author Jeremy James understands that to travel on horseback connects us to our surroundings in a way no other form of travel can. In his remarkable article, “The Mystic Mantle of the Horse,” Jeremy investigates how the horse becomes far more than a form of transport. Our fellow voyager becomes not only our physical ally but our spiritual mentor, our touchstone with the elusive agents of nature.
	In Search of the Long Quiet All brave souls who venture deep into the unknown sooner or later make this discovery: there are two worlds; the physical world which can be mapped and that other world which lies just beyond the edge of everyday events. DC Vision, a Founding Member of the Long Riders Guild, made a 14,000 mile ride in the USA. This mounted philosopher knew there was more to a journey than mere miles. He wisely said, “They either get it in ten miles or they never get it at all.” "It" is the Long Quiet.
	The Brotherhood of the Saddle The Long Riders' Guild is the most important international association for equestrian explorers. Founded in 1994, it gathers together men and women of all nationalities who have made a journey on horseback of more than 1,000 continuous miles. The equestrian explorers who are already Members come from 43 countries and have travelled on all continents except Antarctica.

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