Have Horse Will Travel

Sleep is for the weak. Apollo and I ride all day and all night.

Just kidding. After riding for ten or fifteen miles each day, Apollo and I both need somewhere safe (and hopefully comfortable too) where we can rest at night.  Every night. For all three years and 8,200 miles we’ve traveled so far.  We’ve stayed with a lot of strangers, and in some pretty strange places. This week’s guest Amy talks about (the not so strange time) when we stayed with her in West Virginia, and about why you should put French fries on your salad.

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey (The Centauride), talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse. 

What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode

01:07 The minimum requirements for overnight: a fence, grass (or hay), and water

02:19 The kinds of places we stay (spoiler: it’s not always horse property!)

03:47 Strange but true problems from places we’ve stayed

06:09 Why I don’t camp or “just stop” on the side of the road

07:28 How I find places to stay

09:21 That awkward moment when a horse and rider ring your doorbell

10:53 What happens when I can’t find somewhere to stay?

11:44 The difficult lesson of learning to trust 

13:30 How does Apollo the adventure horse feel about this?

15:46 The key elements to finding safe stops for 8,200 miles (so far…)

16:25 Guest Amy VanHorn

28:06 Closing statements 

28:46 End of episode

About our Guest: Amy VanHorn

We (Meredith and Apollo) stayed with Amy and her family when we rode through West Virginia in July 2019.  Due to a dangerous heat wave, we were forced to take shelter there for a week.  Amy was a wonderful host, and kindly agreed to share on Have Horse Will Travel what it was like to have us as guests.

Resources:

How to be a hosting helper 

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Sponsor inquires welcome!

Support the show

Roads are not a safe place to ride a horse, but sometimes doing so is necessary. With a little preparation, though, road riding can be a (relatively) safe and enjoyable way to expand your riding horizons… without getting squished by a bad driver! 

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey (The Centauride), talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse. 

What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode

01:20 Why would anyone ride a horse on the road?

04:51 How do you choose a good road for riding?

06:20 Preparing with safety gear

09:48 Be able to call for help

10:34 Hoof safety for road riding

13:46 Training your horse to think and to trust

16:04 “Scary things are going to happen.”

16:51 A list of scary things Apollo and I have encountered

18:02 That one mailbox…

19:37 The time we were buzzed by a helicopter

22:21 The (first) time we rode next to a train

25:46 Scary dogs and scary people

31:18 “It’s a big game of chicken, and I’m stuck in the middle”: dealing with bad drivers

34:14 Closing statements 

35:16 End of episode

Resources:

Yellow/reflective safety vest

Colorful quarter sheet

Colorful helmet cover

EquestriSafe: reflective tape and other safety gear 

Clip-on red flashing lights 

Helmet (Meredith’s favorite) 

Mirror for helmet (Meredith’s favorite)

Leg holster for phone 

Cavallo ELB hoof boots (Apollo’s favorite) 

*all product links are affiliate or sponsor, and help support the podcast

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Sponsor inquires welcome!

Support the show

One woman, one horse, and all the stuff we both need to journey on, day after day, in every kind of weather, through 48 states... What do we carry and how does it all fit?!

From pack weight and how to attach it all to the saddle, to what exactly is in each saddle bag and why, this episode will give you the answers to all your questions about our travel supplies. 

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey (The Centauride), talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse. 

 
What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode

00:25 Intro

00:35 It all has to fit on Apollo

01:26 How much weight can one horse carry?

03:47 How much volume can one horse carry?

04:51 Why don’t I use a pack horse?

10:05 An overview of my saddle bags and supplies

10:52 Bag #1 - emergency and daily ride supplies

14:25 Water for me, water for Apollo

15:48 Bag #2 - Apollo’s feed supplements

17:55 Bag #3 - my layers bag

19:04 Bag #4 - camping and horse supplies

23:17 Bag #5 - my personal supplies including maps

29:19 My riding vest - all the stuff I can fit in my pockets

33:52 My PSA about carrying phones when riding

34:39 How do I keep my phone charged?

35:46 Closing statements

36:36 End of episode

Resources:

YouTube: What Apollo wears
YouTube: The Road Horse's Guide to Saddling

Some of our tack and gear:
The  following affiliate links help to support this podcast:
Bridle
Saddle pad
Cinch
Bug sheet
Hobbles
Bell boots
Dry bags
Saddle bags
Riding gloves
Ultralight tent
Air pad
Down sleeping bag
Portable phone charger
Electrolytes (for humans)
Equine Weight Supplement

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Sponsor inquires welcome!

Support the show

It’s the episode you’ve been waiting for… where I answer all your biggest questions! From what Apollo and I like to eat to how we pick the route, it’s all in here.  Plus, learn about my favorite hobby – mermaiding! – with special guest Mermaid Liberty.

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey (The Centauride), talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse. 

What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode

01:08 Diane asks: How is Apollo?

02:13 Pam asks: How do you pick your exact route?

04:31 Shelley asks: Where will you go this year, approximately? Do you need places to stay?

06:43 Laurie asks: How much trouble or ease have you had making contacts for places to stay?

08:07 Anonymous asks: What do you do in the winter? 

09:58 Interview with Mermaid Liberty

11:26 What does it mean to be a mermaid?

12:53 How mermaiding can help with riding horses

16:13 When Mermaid Liberty swam with alligators

18:50 Mermaids help the environment

21:23 Mermaiding is for everybody!

23:44 How to become a mermaid

28:51 Casey asks: What has been your favorite local food you've tried on the ride?

32:55 Destiny asks: I know you have been able to attend a few fairs during your travels. Which has been your favorite and why?

35:36 Anonymous asks: Are you rich? How can you afford to do this?

36:59 Closing statements 

37:50 End of episode

About our Guest, Mermaid Liberty:

My name is Davina Liberty and I am a professional Mermaid and founder of the school Mermaid Magick, as well as the Non-profit beach cleanup ground, Mendocino Mermaids. We enjoy the opportunity to allow artistic expression and imaginative play, while also promoting exercise and community involvement.

Mermaid Resources:

Mermaid Magick website

Mermaid Magick on Facebook  

Mermaid Liberty on YouTube 

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Sponsor inquires welcome!

Support the show

Step One: Ask Apollo!

Riding over 10,000 miles through all the lower 48 states is not a simple matter of hopping in the saddle and riding off into the sunset(s).  It took years of planning, daily flexibility, and a bit of magic to make it work.  Oh, and of course a horse with excellent map reading skills.

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey (The Centauride), talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse. 

 
What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode

01:23 Pre-ride planning with maps 

02:28 Why roads and not trails?

03:36 Looking at previous 48 state ride maps

07:00 Throwing out all my maps

08:14 Geographical distribution of resources 

11:05 Finding places to stay each night, and how it has changed since I started

14:00 Step one: the big picture 

15:03 Step two: mapping the end point for each day 

17:09 Step three: choosing the roads to get there

20:35 The types of maps I use

22:56 Local advice

23:39 That time I rode Apollo on an interstate

28:21 Guest Peggy with the Bridge Network

31:14 Human trafficking victims - who are they and why?

36:17 What can be done to end human trafficking?

38:30 Where does trafficking happen?

38:42 How do you recognize a trafficking victim?

39:38 What can YOU can do to help end trafficking?

42:29 Closing statements

43:07 End of episode

About our Guest: Peggy Delgado Fava

I am the founder and Executive Director for Bridge Network Corporation, a nonprofit organization established in 2011 to provide resources for at-risk and Commercially Sexually Exploited Children/Teens (CSECT) out of the Sacramento County Juvenile Detention Facility and in the greater Sacramento region. 

Bridge Network’s vision is to be a connecting conduit “or the bridge” between mentors, advocates, other service provider agencies and local community organizations. Our organization's key programs are centered around fostering positive and healthy relationships. Our goal is to motivate and inspire by offering hope and an optimistic approach to sexually exploited children and teens.

Bridge Network website 

Facebook 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Resources:

Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888  

What is Human Trafficking? 

YouTube video: How I plan our route 

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Sponsor inquires welcome!

Support the show

Riding a horse around the country is pretty weird, I have to admit, but believe it or not,  I’m not the first weirdo to attempt such a journey.  Learn about the previous 48 state rides, and a few other “trailblazers” in long distance horse travel that inspired and informed me when I was preparing to do my ride. 

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey (The Centauride), talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse. 

What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode: What is a trailblazer?

1:07 LD endurance riding and backcountry outfitting, and why they’re different than long distance horse travel

2:22 What is long distance horse travel?

3:25 When horses were the only way to travel

4:40 The Oregon trail

10:10 The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck

13:34 The US Cavalry handbook 

16:56 The Overland Westerners

20:40 Frank Heath

25:15 Messanie Wilkins

30:58 The Three Mules

31:53 Unbranded 

34:52 Closing statements 

36:19 End of episode

Resources:

Bainbridge Island Historical Museum - The Overland Westerners 

The Three Mules 

The following are affiliate links, which help support this podcast :

The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck 

The U.S. Cavalry Horse 

40 Million Hoofbeats by Frank Heath 

The Last of the Saddle Tramps by Messanie Wilkins 

Unbranded film 

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Sponsor inquires welcome!

Support the show

Thomas Edison once said “genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”

I don’t know if our ride would be categorized as genius, but these two factors are the same.  The idea to do this journey was quick and easy; the preparations to make it happen, however, took three years of hard work.  The 3 keys to making my idea happen were research, maps, and training Apollo.  

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey (The Centauride), talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse. 

What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode

00:57 A recap of the idea for the ride

01:20 Step One: Research. Is this ride possible, and how?

01:55 Who has done this sort of thing before?

04:22 The decision to ride on roads 

05:30 Step Two: Mapping the 10,000 mile route

10:48 Arriving in Seattle: Time to reassess

11:37 Some things I learned on the way to Seattle

13:36 Backpacker lessons

15:09 Step Three: Training Apollo

15:53 Preparing Apollo for the unknown: shopping carts, strollers, school buses, and more!

18:52 Specificity and desensitization training

20:21 Trust training 

21:18 The “touch it” game

23:21 The “look at it” game

25:04 Guest Melissa Ellis about Harmony Horsemanship

43:13 Apollo’s bonus verbal cues

46:18 Reflections: did the preparations pay off?

47:50 Closing statements

48:21 End of episode 

About our Guest:

Melissa Ellis

I am a Level 3 Harmony Horsemanship Instructor and enjoy helping people develop an enriching partnership with their horses based on trust and communication. I own a farm in Southern Vermont and am the USA base for Lindsey Partridge’s Harmony Horsemanship. I enjoy every aspect of my relationship with horses but my heart is in Liberty and Bridleless work. I also enjoy Trick Training and Extreme Trail. I was Equine Affaires 2019 Reserve Champion in Versatile Horse and Rider Massachusetts and am looking forward to competing in the Trail Competition at Pennsylvania’s World Horse Expo and Equine Affaire Ohio’s International Liberty Horse Association ‘s competition. I absolutely love what our horses teach us on a daily basis and look forward to each and every moment I spend with them. 

Harmony Horsemanship 

Find events and clinics

Resources:

Unbranded film 

Frank Heath’s book “40 Million Hoofbeats” 

Mesannie Wilkins’ book “The Last of the Saddle Tramps”

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Sponsor inquires welcome!

Support the show

What kind of weirdo would think it’s a good idea to ride a horse all over the country?  

And what kind of horse would be willing and able to go along with that idea?

This episode seeks to answer these two frequently asked questions. Learn about Meredith’s horse life that prepared her for the journey, and her domestic violence story that motivated the journey. We’ll also discuss Apollo’s origin story, and how he found his way to Meredith. 

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey (The Centauride), talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse.

What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode

01:27 My childhood as a horse-crazy city kid

04:21 My parents finally admit that horses aren’t a phase

05:43 I go to college to study horses

09:35 I fall in love, and the early red flags

10:46 Why I gave up horses for 9 years

12:21 Teen dating violence, an interview with Nicole Rouhselang 

23:24 My escape from abuse, and the decision to do this ride

26:11 Horse shopping, and how NOT to do it

31:29 Apollo’s parents and the story of his birth

32:25 Apollo’s second home

33:20 Apollo’s third home

34:34 Apollo’s fourth home… with me!

34:53 Initial training problems

35:39 Celebrating the podcast launch with a giveaway 

36:38 Closing statements 

37:22 End of episode

About our guest:

In December of 2018, Nicole Rouhselang’s stepdaughter Breana was sexually assaulted and then murdered by a classmate, in a tragic case of teen dating violence. She was only 17.  Since then, Nicole has been speaking out about this all-too-common but little-discussed aspect of domestic violence.      

Resources:

Breana’s story 

Teen Dating Violence 

Follow Breana’s Voice to Stop Teen Dating Violence:

Facebook 

Twitter 

Instagram 

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Sponsor inquires welcome!

Support the show

You heard that right; this episode is all about the best (real-life!) stories from our adventures on the road.  Starting from Day 1, I’ve selected 14 of my favorite stories from the last three years of traveling with Apollo. All of the stories featured in this episode can also be found in my four collections of short stories, also titled Have Horse Will Travel.

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey (The Centauride), talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse. 

What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode

01:23 Adventure Awaits 

02:49 Tall Horse, Short Rider 

04:25 Hail!

05:59 Ready for Anything

09:25 The Oregon Trail

11:54 Apollo’s Taste in Art

14:52 The Smallest Town

16:24 From Fright to Friend

18:51 Police Escort

21:36 Apollo Makes Himself at Home

22:55 Murshums

25:05 Sailor Apollo

27:26 Would You Sleep Here?

28:52 The Most Beautiful Ride

32:17 Celebrating the podcast launch with a giveaway

33:20 Closing statements 

33:57 End of episode

Books mentioned in this episode:

Have Horse Will Travel 1: Pacific 

Have Horse Will Travel 1: Mountains 

Have Horse Will Travel 1: Heartland 

Have Horse Will Travel 1: Great Lakes

Apollo’s Alphabet 

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Support the show

Welcome to Meredith and Apollo’s brand new podcast! Let’s get this adventure started with some introductions.  Where are we riding, and why? And what the heck is a Centauride? 

Listen weekly as Meredith and Apollo share about their multi-year 48-state journey, talk with interesting guests, and discuss the realities of domestic abuse. 

What to Listen For:

00:25 Introduction to the episode

00:31 The 101 on Apollo and Meredith’s ride so far

02:07 What to expect from this podcast

03:12 What is a Centauride?

04:09 Where have we traveled and where are we going next?

05:03 Why we are doing the ride: domestic violence, my experience, and some FAQs about abuse

07:57 Guest Tammy Coates

14:37 How to get help if you’re in an abusive relationship

15:32 About Apollo’s breed and origin story

19:09 Apollo’s diva quirks

19:45 Apollo’s friends 

21:25 Apollo’s favorite treats

22:00 FAQ: What’s with the bells?

23:30 FAQ: Where do we ride?

25:00 FAQ: How far do we go in a day, and what is our schedule?

25:50 FAQ: Where do we sleep at night?

26:48 FAQ: How you can help us find safe stops

27:56 FAQ: How fast do we travel, and what is a typical day’s ride like?

29:09 FAQ: How do we stay safe in traffic?

30:07 How to ask us your FAQs

30:55 Podcast launch giveaway challenge details

31:55 About the next three episodes

32:47 Thank you to our Kickstarter backers 

33:06 Closing statements

33:30 End of episode

About our Guest:

Our mission at the Kammy Mae Foundation is to not only assist in the fight against Domestic Violence, but also to provide resources and support to those who find themselves in a similar situation. We are here for the Survivors, the Fallen, families, and anyone else affected by Domestic Violence.

Facebook  

Website 

Resources:

National Domestic Violence Hotline or call 1−800−799−7233  

What to say to 9-1-1 if your abuser might overhear 

Follow Our Adventure:

Blog 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Twitter 

YouTube 

Support This Podcast:

Books 

Store 

Patreon 

Sponsor inquires welcome! 

Support the show