1. Where are you going? Across Australia, East to West, starting down near the mouth of the Snowy River and heading to Margaret River, a journey of about 4000km and 9 months.

2. Where are you from? I'm from Tasmania, Australia. GO TASSIE! 💗

3. Why are you doing this? Many reasons, but the main one is why not?! Have horse, will travel! I've always wanted to cross a continent on horseback. Plus Mr Richard isn't getting any younger, so it's now or never.

4. Do you feel safe? Hmm, this is a question that bothers me and I will address it at greater length at some point, but the short answer is yes, I feel safe. Obviously there's risk in travelling and doing anything with horses, but you gotta consider the real risk vs the perceived risk.

5. Do you get bored? Not really. There's a lot of repetition involved, but there's a lot of repetition involved in life anyway, and I guess there's not much difference between setting up and packing down camp everyday and the daily commute to work.

6. Do you get lonely? Nope. The horses are excellent company, ranging from mildly irritating to downright hilarious, and I feel more myself when I'm by myself, so this kind of trip is perfect.

7. How can you afford this? Ha ha, well, I'm pretty well practised at dirt-bag travelling. I usually only work over the summer (as an outdoor guide in Tassie), and travel over the winter, so I just save up every year and then make that budget work.

8. Is it expensive? Well, I guess expense is kinda relevant to means. If you're living on the minimum wage, a $2000 saddle is gonna look a hell of a lot more expensive than if you're on a six figure salary. The initial outlay is pretty large, but costs on the road are pretty minimal. No rent, no fuel, mostly free camping, just feed for humans and horses. That being said, getting set up IS pricey, and if I could give one piece of advice it would be, don't skimp on gear! You get what you pay for, and investing in good gear is an investment in your future success 👍

9. Are you following a route? Nope, I'm just winging it! I spend a lot of time looking at satellites, to work out where has feed and where to avoid. I've found satellites to be much more helpful than maps once we were out of the high country (although obviously I use maps as well!).

10. How do you feed the horses? This is a question I answer in more detail on the Insights into Long Distance Horse Travel page, but suffice to say, with some difficulty and much creativity! Horses eat a lot. If we are in areas with lots of grass, I just give them a few oats with about 400ml of vegetable oil over it for extra calories. If there's no feed, then we gotta carry everything and I'll admit that's a bit of a drag, so if you can avoid this by staying in grassy areas, I'd highly recommend it!

11. How many days of supplies do you carry? Depends on how much grass there is for the GGs. Lots of grazing every night, then we could easily carry 3 to 4 weeks. Having to carry all feed for the boys and I, then only about 4 days.

12. How much weight does the pack horse carry? Again, depends on how long between supply points and how much horse feed we need, but fully stocked, probably around 60kg. My base kit on the pack horse is 25kg, without food. Add in feed, and the panniers, when maxed out with supplies, weigh about 20kg each, then throw on a bale of hay, and there's your 60kg!

13. Are your horses shod? No, they are barefoot and I use Renegade Viper hoof boots. Can't rave enough about them 👍👍👍

14. How do you secure the horses at night? I usually high line them (a line tied above head height between two trees with a running swivel lead attached so the horse can graze but not get tangled). Sometimes I picket (tie one front leg to a fence post on a long rope), which works best tying to a fence so they don't wrap themselves up. I have hobbles, but let’s be honest, they do sweet F all. I think I'll get a solar electric fence for the desert - I'll let you know how that works out!

15. How old are the horses? Mr Richard is 17, and Micky is only a baby at 4.

16. What breed are the horses? Mr Richard is an Egyptian Arab, with very fancy bloodlines. I got him for free when he was a colt because he has a wonky shaped back and was considered to be a stain on his bloodline, so the breeder was going to shoot him if we didn't agree to take him without his papers. Micky is an Australian Stock Horse, with proud Omeo mountain bloodlines, although I kinda feel a bit like that's calling a mongrel dog a Bitzer. From memory, some of the Connley family I bought him off mentioned that he had some brumby ancestry...

17. How long do you travel in a day? Anywhere between 20-45km. 20km if we're stopping to graze a lot, 45km if we have vehicle support ie no pack saddle and I have Mr Richard setting the pace 😁 We can do 45km, but it's not fun.

18. Did you grow up with horses? Yes, my mum was horse mad and so we always had a small herd of ponies growing up. Mr Richard was my first horse (not a pony), and I got him when he was 2 and I was 12. I broke him in with the help of my riding instructor, and no one else has really ridden him.

19. Are you sponsored? No. So far, nobody has given me anything more than a free hoofpick! So if I ever rave about a particular brand or product, it's because it works for me, not because someone paid me to endorse it.

20. You don't use a bridle? Nope. I grew up learning Natural Horsemanship, so Richard has never had a bridle, and Micky has only had one a handful of times before I got him. Horses learn what they are taught (obviously!), so if they are taught to respond to being ridden in a halter, a bridle isn't necessary. Plus, with no bit in the way, they are free to graze whenever they can - very important when on the road!

21. Where can I get more info on horse travel? It is hard to find varied info. Hopefully this website proves helpful. I would highly recommend checking out The Long Riders Guild website, and also reading their book, The Horse Travel Handbook. These two sources are the most comprehensive I have found.... If anyone else knows of good sources, please let me know!