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by CuChullaine O'Reilly (Author), Robin Hanbury-Tenison (Preface by), Jeremy James (Foreword by)
For thousands of years we have travelled on horseback but until now no one has shown us the way.
The three-volume Encyclopaedia of Equestrian Exploration is the most extensive study of equestrian travel ever created.
Former generations of horse travellers took the basis of their equestrian knowledge for granted. For centuries they passed on wisdom in an oral tradition, never foreseeing the day when horses would be replaced as the primary mode of transportation.
The result was the loss of humanity's collective equestrian travel wisdom. A treasure trove representing more than 6,000 years of cumulative human-horse travel experience was lost in less than 100 years due to global apathy. Thus as the 20th century came to a conclusion mankind knew more about the surface of the moon than it did about the once vital topic of horse travel.
The Encyclopaedia of Equestrian Exploration offers every conceivable type of advice about equestrian travel such as how to plan a route, how to choose a travelling companion, how to find a road horse, how to load a pack saddle, how many miles to travel per day, how to feed and shoe your horse, how to cross rivers, how to negotiate borders, how to survive in traffic, how to deter horse thieves, etc.
Enriched by nearly a thousand images, the books contain the wisdom of more than 400 Long Riders. The Bibliography includes knowledge gained from more than 200 titles dating back hundreds of years.
This volume consists of The Preparation, The Horses and The Equipment. It counsels travellers on how to overcome hostility aimed by critics, plan a route and choose a companion. Finances and insurance are examined. Extensive chapters teach travellers how to locate, inspect and purchase suitable horses. The role of the pack horse is documented. A special study of Long Rider horsemanship provides surprising historical revelations. Feeding, watering, grooming and shoeing are carefully explained. Other chapters examine riding saddles, pack saddles, personal equipment and the use of support vehicles.
Created after decades of study by CuChullaine O'Reilly, the Founder of the Long Riders' Guild, this comprehensive series of books is filled with the indispensable knowledge needed to resolve problems, overcome hardships and avoid dangers while travelling. Just as importantly, it empowers readers to turn their dream into a life-changing equestrian journey.
