Mongolia: The Wild, Wild Steppe - Kelsey Riley

Thoroughbreddailynews.com - Full Story

November 26, 2018 at 12:51 pm
By Kelsey Riley

The Mongol Derby wants to kill you.

I had been warned of it. I had started to suspect it. Now, as a pair of snarling dogs came lurching at me as I hung off the side of my bolting horse, I knew it to be true.

We had been galloping for 10 kilometers down a desolate dirt road through what appeared to be an equine cemetery, with horse skulls and bits of bone scattered across the green knolls. Rounding a bend, we found ourselves face-to-face with a fully intact horse skeleton. As my horse spooked, launching me half out of the saddle, two dogs blasted out of a ger, biting at his ankles as I struggled to hang on.

Really? This is how I’m going to die? A year of preparation to ride 620 miles across the Mongolian steppe and I’m going to be ripped to pieces just four days in by two angry, potentially rabid dogs?

“Not today, boys!” I shouted as I hauled myself back up onto the saddle. As we reached the edges of their territory, the dogs backed off and slowly disappeared into the distance.

Welcome to the Mongol Derby. That was pretty much a typical moment in the world’s longest and toughest horse race, where riders have 10 days to navigate 1,000 kilometers of the Mongolian steppe on the backs of semi-wild horses...

Read more here:
http://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/from-the-tdn-weekend-the-wild-wild-steppe/

Horseback Riding in Egypt: Valley of the Kings New Year Celebration with Ride Egypt

Equitrekking.com - Full Article

March 1 2018
by Felicia Quon

Equestrian adventurer Felicia Quon shares her personal experience of horseback riding through the land of the pharaohs with Ride Egypt.

“Are you mad?” “Is it safe?” These were just a few of the comments I received when I booked a solo riding holiday to Egypt. I’ll be candid, there were times when I had some reservations. But I needn’t have worried.

The nine-day Valley of the Kings New Year ride in Luxor with Ride Egypt was hands down, one of the most unforgettable, magical riding holidays I’ve experienced.

I flew into Cairo from Canada where I spent a few days exploring the bustling city. I never felt threatened. I never felt unsafe. From there, it was an easy flight to Luxor, and the moment I stepped into the warm, golden air, everything felt different. I had a sneaking suspicion that I was in for an experience. I wasn't wrong...

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https://equitrekking.com/articles/entry/horseback-riding-in-egypt-valley-of-the-kings-new-year-celebration/?mc_cid=2ed446304a&mc_eid=290b655fe3

The Magic of the West Virginia Highlands

Liz-Stout Blog - Full Story

by Liz Stout
November 16 2018

Alternate titles: Recognizing Childhood Dreams; Griffin and Q Drive Cattle; The West Virginia Tundra

A new girlfriend, Emma, asked a week or so ago if I'd be interested in riding the horses in the Sinks of Gandy in the near future. Her family owns quite a bit of land up there, and she'd always dreamed of traversing it on horseback. Familiar with the area because my family has held a lease nearby her family's land for decades and I have visited the area she wanted to ride for various conservation efforts as a part of my current and past jobs, I didn't have to think about my response, "YES!"

The Sinks aren't far from Canaan Valley where I live. The area harbors a lot of similar climate to Canaan and has always been a favorite place of mine as a result. Something about these high elevation areas with red spruce forests and completely bizarre plant life compared to what you'd expect at this latitude just makes my soul happy. Both Canaan and the Sinks area a sanctuary for plant life more akin to what one may find in the tundra and the Arctic Circle, not the temperate Appalachian forests found between 38-39°N latitude!

Part of the land Emma's family owns is one of the most unique ecotypes in the world. So unique that only a handful of places like it exist anywhere on the planet. Balsam fir and red spruce litter the landscape surrounding a high elevation swamp that harbors plant life known to the Arctic circle. Karst (limestone) outcroppings litter the hillsides of the knobs, and the headwaters of several rivers begin right on the property!...

Read more here:
http://liz-stout.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-magic-of-west-virginia-highlands.html

Enjoying New Hampshire on Horseback - Susan St. Amand

Equitrekking.com - Full Article

October 26, 2018

Equitrekking contributor and trail riding expert Susan St. Amand visits some New Hampshire's best trail riding destinations.

While traveling with my horse through the Northeast recently, I spent a few days in New Hampshire exploring Bear Brook State Park and riding on Hampton Beach.

Bear Brook State Park contains 10,000 acres of recreational space and is the largest of New Hampshire's state parks. Besides horseback riding, other activities available are hiking, biking, fishing, boating, swimming, and two archery ranges. Overnight recreational camping is also available. Bear Brook State Park and its affiliated supporters are currently in the process of planning for overnight horse camping facilities in the future. Forty miles of multi-use trails traverse through the area's marshes, ponds, and brooks. Trail maps are available and trails are well marked. Park staff were very helpful during my visit.

My favorite trail was riding along Bear Brook. The trail followed the brook very closely and on the opposite side of the trail was a steep hillside so that you had no place to travel but forward. Luckily my horse did not misstep – otherwise, I would have been swimming!...

Read more here:
https://equitrekking.com/articles/entry/enjoying-new-hampshire-on-horseback?mc_cid=9430346522&mc_eid=290b655fe3