Photo of the Day – Mule Wagon on the Beach
A few years ago, my friends Ronald Hudson and Kenny Tyndall and I drove our mules from Raeford, North Carolina, to Sunset Beach, on the coast. When we got there, we took the mules for a spin on the beach only to find out that equines weren't allowed on the beach. By then, it was too late, and we'd already driven our teams a few miles along the ocean. Law enforcement finally showed up and escorted us off, but only… Continue reading
Which Swarm Box Will Catch the First Swarm of Bees?
I put up four swarm traps this week in the hope of catching a swarm of wild bees. Of the four traps I put out – Walnut, Oak, Wisteria and Willow – which one do you think will catch the first swarm of bees?
How to Catch a Swarm of Bees
Last year, I built a swarm box, caught a swarm of wild bees, and installed them in a horizontal bee… Continue reading
What’s it Like to Float Alone in the Doldrums
This week, I had a great chat with Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras about what it’s like to be stuck in the Doldrums. When I say the Doldrums, I don’t mean depression, a funk or a case of the mid-winter blues. I’m talking about the capital D Doldrums, the windless stretch of the Atlantic Ocean on either side of the equator that’s known for trapping sailors for weeks at a time.
How to Move Beyond the Pressure Box With Trust Technique Practitioner Julia Carpenter
My wife Julia recently became the first Trust Technique practitioner certified to work with horses on the East Coast. That’s a big deal and I’m so proud of Julia, especially since she’s already such an accomplished horsewoman.
A Half a Century With Horses
Julia and I grew up with horses, have traveled together with them (like the time we spent a month and a half riding them to Virginia and… Continue reading
Introducing Photo of the Day
I’m excited to add a new feature to RiverEarth.com. It’s called Photo of the Day and features a semi-random photo of my mules, friends, travels, and the life my wife Julia and I live in the mountains of western North Carolina – posted every few days to the home page.
List of Podcasts, Interviews and Reviews Featuring “Two Mules to Triumph”
It’s an exciting time for my new book Two Mules to Triumph. Word is getting out, buzz is picking up and seven podcasts have invited me onto their shows to talk about the book.… Continue reading
19 Million Mule Steps Wins WINNIE Award
19 Million Mule Steps won the WINNIE for the Literary Nonfiction Adventure category
Two pieces of exciting news. 1) My new photo book 19 Million Mule Steps was awarded a WINNIE award at the most recent EQUUS Film & Art Fest. 2) You can download a free copy.
19 Million Mule Step contains 103 pages of photos, sketches and musings that didn’t fit into my upcoming memoir Two Mules to Triumph. Both books are about my 2,300-mile Long Ride… Continue reading
The Hoof Boot Review: 3 Hoof Boots, 32 Days on the Trail
What’s the best kind of hoof boot for your horse or mule? My wife Julia and I rode from North Carolina to Virginia and back with three brands of hoof boots. This hoof boot review is what we… Continue reading
Lessons from Bogging Hodge the Horse in New Zealand
Allan Crawford on one of his horses, Rangi.
Many years ago (2001) I was helping Allan Crawford muster cattle on the North Island of New Zealand. The cattle were scattered through a low range of mountains covered in tea tree scrub and crisscrossed by murky creeks. Allan and I split up to circle a mob of cattle scattered across a mountainside a half an hour’s ride away. Allan was riding his horse Dancer and I was riding Hodge, a fleabitten… Continue reading
How Adeline Hallot Went From Cart Traveler to Horse Traveler: Part 2/2
What’s it like to spend three years traveling from France to Spain with two dogs, two horses, a mule, a cat and a chicken? You should ask Adeline Hallot, because that’s exactly what she did. My wife Julia and I visited with Adeline this summer and got her story. This is Part 2 of the two-part series I’m writing about her. You can read Part 1 here.
What it’s Like to Ride a Mule Through Casper, Wyoming
I’d been riding my mule Cracker and leading my pack mule Brick across Wyoming for days, heading from North Carolina to Idaho, where my wife Julia’s brother Nick and his wife Carolyn live.
Some days, I stuck to the gravel roads and went for hours without seeing any cars.
Others, I led the mules through wind-swept plains that stretched for miles in all directions.
Casper
One morning, I crested a hill. The valley on the other… Continue reading
