The Long Riders: 1,000+ miles on horseback with Tom Fairbank and Katie Russell

[@chrisg4161]

Applause!!!!! Envy!!! AWE!!!!!! Awesome!!!!! Maybe one day, I hope to also do the same. Always daydreamed about doing something like this, maybe it will happen one day. Thanks for giving me the idea it's possible. My bucket list begins....... Thank you. Wish you well, be safe and much happiness along the way!!

[@marckempf2765]

wonderful journey!i did mine for 4.5 years ,19000kls+coast to coast canada,coast to coast usa,32 states,same 2 horses,and as you mentioned the folks were just wonderful ,never had any problems.a journey to recommend to anyone with a sens of adventure

[@thomasjelpel]

Marc - That sounds like an epic journey! Here's another journey you might enjoy, five months on the Missouri River by dugout canoe: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3Xcq6GvgNVjecU

[@bmphil3400]

My Dad rode with Best of America as a trail boss on one of these rides and rode from El Paso to South Dakota......It was a highlight of his life.

[@thomasjelpel]

That sounds like an epic journey! Here's another journey you might enjoy, five months on the Missouri River by dugout canoe: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3Xcq6GvgNVjecU

[@bmphil3400]

@@thomasjelpel I paddled 8 days on the Alegash a few years back and a couple of weeks is about my limit for paddling. I rode out of the Panamanian jungle (Darien Province) on the Tuira river by dugout once....that was an adventure.

[@thomasjelpel]

@@bmphil3400 That does sound like an adventure!

[@thomasjelpel]

Tom saved up for the journey for a long time, and Katie lives a simple life and doesn't have too many bills to begin with.

[@darksoul4961]

I rode horses from WY to AZ. It was a lot of fun, great times. However, it is difficult to find a partner who wants to ride with you.... Lucky you!

[@ColonelKlink100]

I've dreamed about doing something like this for years. Thanks for a video that's short on fluff and long on details.

[@tetrachtys]

Well done you two, it takes more than guts to do this stuff I know, being an LRG member myself. God speed. Best love, JJ.

[@BrettVaughnB100]

You made a long ride?

[@clawgrip5]

This is great Katie! We are proud of you!

[@MeowStationOrignal]

I wonder if that old horse rider is still alive, I liked his positive attitude on life.

[@thomasjelpel]

"Thomas "Tom" Fairbank, died peacefully on January 29th, 2021 in Chewelah WA, after a 3 ½ year battle with pancreatic cancer...During all of Tom's life horses and mules played a major part in his life and ministry. He loved riding, not just trail riding but extended pack rides and he traveled thousands of miles through the northwest mountains. It became one of his goals to become a member of the Long Riders Guild, by completing a thousand mile horseback ride in one continuous ride. In his sixties he did just that riding a thousand miles, through the Cascades, across Washington, Idaho and though Montana, over a summer and early fall. It was the fulfillment of a dream to complete this ride."

[@BrettVaughnB100]

@@thomasjelpel Glad he got to live his dream

[@cazyhorseworld]

two of the smartest people out there. figured out how to live life instead of watching it go by. were considering doing a trip andI was curiouse how many miles you averaged in a day? I understand terrain and other factors make each day different but an average would give me a base to make rough estimates with.

[@HitsOutdoors]

Yall are amazing undertaking this trek. Congrats.

[@chrisg4161]

Amazing..... I hadn't realized I had watched this till I noticed the thumbs up I left u last time I was here. Bless the both of you my two legged friends and ahh my four legged friends, bless you also!! What A wonderful journey. Thanks so much for sharing. What A perfect life!!

[@MegF142857]

Love it! Great interview with them. I am not likely to do such a ride, but still find them inspiring. I just want to get back to riding locally on my trails and hopefully have a few more years to make that happen.

[@OnTheScout]

Always wanted to do this journey on the CDT or something similar.

[@thomasjelpel]

Go for it. Live your Dreams! Here's another adventure you might enjoy seeing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hF6tmIqKebqnl5I

[@PlanetKarma]

That is so cool!! I've had a vision I was traveling from Northern Ontario in Canada to Guatemala on a horse so I'm waiting for a wild one to show up that wants to take the adventure! :) Started an amazing journey alone on my bicycle across Canada last year, it's been amazing.

[@thomasjelpel]

Peddling across Canada would be incredible. So would riding a horse from Ontario to Guatemala! Here's a video about our five-month canoe trip down the Missouri River: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3Xcq6GvgNVjecU

[@PlanetKarma]

@@thomasjelpel I'm so excited to take the journey! I will have a look, that is quite the adventure brother!! :)

[@sarahwonders434]

I've been planning a long ride for 8 years. 4-5 months away from getting gone. 😉

[@OverOnTheWildSide]

Sarah wonders it’s been 10 months, did you go?

[@BrettVaughnB100]

Did you go?

[@kriskabin]

Bernice Ende is briefly mentioned in this vid. She & her amazing story of solo riding 30,000 miles should be of prime interest for anyone needing courage & inspiration to tackle any big dream. She STARTED her long riding career when she was 50yrs old!...

[@thomasjelpel]

Thanks for the great comments Huckleberry! Here's another adventure story you might enjoy, this one by water: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hF6tmIqKebqnl5I

[@BrettVaughnB100]

I got to meet her .. always dreamed of making a long ride myself .. one of these days maybe

[@EquestrianAdventuresses]

Just finished my own long ride across Ireland

[@thomasjelpel]

Looks like you've had some amazing adventures, thanks for sharing!

[@sidilicious11]

I love your videos!

[@EquestrianAdventuresses]

@@sidilicious11

[@SStupendous]

@@thomasjelpel Do LRG still exist?

[@BrettVaughnB100]

@@SStupendous the web site does

[@cazyhorseworld]

and I thought we had more laws here in Canada. we are planning a ride and there is no restrictions or requirements for crossing provincial borders. not for horses anyway. were looking at following the TransCanada trail. just a thought if your looking for a different ride, it can be pretty sparsely populated though.

[@BrettVaughnB100]

Did you ever do it?

[@ineffablejourney]

I am in North Texas. I would like to meet up with the two of You and Your Companions..hmmm. You Guys made my day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@thomasjelpel]

@cazyhorseworld They only traveled about 12 to 15 miles a day... typically not starting until 11 a.m. or noon, ending between 4 and 6 p.m., with an extended break in between. A person could easily ride twice as far in a day, but might have to take more rest days along the way.

[@jonathanmallard5650]

If the originators of this video stiil see these, how do you sign up, i rode from florida to missouri on a 2 yr old, some 1200-1500 miles

[@tomfairbank8032]

Contact Long Riders Guild. They can get you all the information you need. They were great.

[@jonathanmallard5650]

@tahoemist98 thank you

[@jonathanmallard5650]

@@tomfairbank8032 thank you

[@mikestone9129]

Awesome trip.

[@tullysika]

I'd love to be there!!!

[@dannywatson1914]

if i rode that far it would have to be a saddle horse with a good smooth ride

[@jktarheel]

I would love to do this but how do you pay your bills while your gone?

[@LSpiker1964]

I am seriously planning on being a Long Rider. I have a 15H mammoth donkey that I just bred for another mammoth, I like to raise my own pack/riding animal. My question is how do folks afford this? You have to have money for supplies. I know Bernice Ende has some sponsors and have sold her book and DVD's but those were after her rides, so how do folks afford this? So please tell me where the dollars come from. When my mammith foal is old enough I will go but want some advice first. Thanks in advance. Lori

[@thomasjelpel]

Lori - I'm not a long rider, but did spend five months last year paddling the Missouri River. Supplies are cheap. The expensive part is paying rent, a mortgage, and other monthly bills. If you can get those under control, then adventuring is easy: www.hopspress.com/Books/Green_Prosperity.htm

[@BrettVaughnB100]

@@thomasjelpel True ... its breaking free of all the things you think you have to have thats hard

[@BrettVaughnB100]

Do you think you will get a long ride done?

[@manudevsharma]

100 miles in how many days its without breaking the joureny with same horses

[@cazyhorseworld]

tomorow never comes. best to do it today. now lets see if I can follow my own advice and do it. that is a little tuffer. hope you achieve your dream.

[@BrettVaughnB100]

You ever do it?

[@BrettVaughnB100]

One day soon.. and I will video it

[@privacymatters5204]

One minute in and I thought he was going to whack his fingers off with that hatchet! Dang dude!

[@thomasjelpel]

Notice that his fingers were hanging down beside the wood and moved away when he swung the hatchet. He was never rigidly holding his fingers on top of the wood. My grandmother chopped kindling in much the same way.

[@jerrydavis5934]

I have found info on the long riders but no current contact info. Does this org still exist ?

[@thomasjelpel]

Look for the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right of this page: www.thelongridersguild.com/lrg.htm

[@angelmatagi7776]

Love the lifestyle for sure, but your horses/mules look very THIN, what do you feed them

[@tomfairbank8032]

They were lean in working shape. We let them graze for 10 minutes every hour along the ride they were let graze very seldom on a highline at night but picketed and hobbled so the could eat they also was given about a gal of sweet feed mixed with alfalfa pellets

[@SilkeJuppenlatz]

My hat (helmet) off to you two. :) Having done about 800 miles way back when...it's hard, but I wouldn't have missed the experience for the world.

[@teaandcakeordeath]

looks like an amazing adventure. would like to see the horses with about 400 more pounds each though...

[@vivaloriflamme]

Sensible helmets, for a change. I'm ready to do this but my 2 pensioner horses aren't. I have the time, darn it.

[@dylanmartin7559]

I’m getting heavy red dead redemption vibes

[@thomasjelpel]

Here's another adventure you might enjoy Dylan: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hF6tmIqKebqnl5I

[@crybabyclassic]

shouldn't cross a river on a horse when their ribs show unless your a child or slender person. and when your horse gets a saddle sore you gotta take it off and leave it off to breathe for at least a week, and use a pillow with foam pad slipped in the pillowcase with pillow instead, until YOU almost get a sore/headache/buttcheeks drenched in sweat - that's when it's time to take a break and recover then proceed again or call it a night/or may even have to let the pillow dry. By the time horses saddle sore is gone it will actually be more resilient like a callous kind of, unless it got damaged a bit then just normal again... but ya you probably will have adapted and prefer this maybe not. Not faulting her/them, I was raised on a reservation and seen terrible things done to horses - also learned great things from good people.

[@norseman7088]

While cat hunting one year I saw this guy riding up around Pierre Lake in the Kettle River country. I pack mules myself.

[@BrettVaughnB100]

Me too

[@dannywatson1914]

i think if did this i would ride a saddle gaited horse

[@twonatives5193]

I always wanna ride a long ride, but I’m Native American & it’s very difficult to ride far cuz most people are racist, even if I say I’m passing by they just call the cops

[@thomasjelpel]

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm surprised anyone would bother you on a horse! I think most people understand and respect long riders. I'd say go for it!

[@twonatives5193]

Thomas J Elpel thanks maybe I will, thinking of going to the Grand Canyon it’s not a 1000 miles I wish it was

[@thomasjelpel]

@@twonatives5193 Go for it. You can do it!

[@thebarefootadventurer8467]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZqnpp2epNCEqNU that's how I nearly cut my finger off!

[@thomasjelpel]

Yeah, you definitely need to be careful with the hatchets! Here's another finger-chopping good video you might enjoy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZrTqKmfh7yYebc

[@Hannahcode1]

Hard to watch city slickers riding with helmets! To each his own I guess!

[@tomfairbank8032]

I am not a city slicker I have ridden all my life. However, while legging up my horse and mule for this trip my animals were spooked by a cougar I got dumped ended up with a skull fracture and a concussion so I choose to trade my stetson in for a helmet.

[@jessepitt]

That’s a good reason.