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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.

The first Photo of the Day. This is my buddy Ronald Hudson. I bought my mule Polly from him almost twenty years ago. I’ve since learned that when he says,… Continue reading

The Hoof Boot Review: 3 Hoof Boots, 32 Days on the Trail

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Consumer Reports just won’t report on some things. These are the boots we’re reviewing. Here’s how they looked during our month-long mule ramble.We reviewed Cavallo, Renegade and Easy Boot hoof boots. Here’s how they held up after 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

Queen Valley Mule Ranch Saddle Review

This is a review of how my Queen Valley Mule Ranch (QVM) Trail Lite saddle performed after I rode it 7 months and 2,300 miles from North Carolina to Idaho.

My Queen Valley Mule Ranch saddle on Cracker after traveling 1,400 miles from Lenoir, North Carolina to Hyannis, Nebraska. It would travel another 900 miles to Idaho for a total of 2,300 miles on the road.
Trek of the QVM (Lenoir, North Carolina to Hailey, Idaho)

I may be calling… Continue reading

Filipe Masetti Leiti Rode a Horse 16,000 Miles. This is What he Learned.

“I’d never ridden more than 3 kilometers.” That’s what author, filmmaker, and Long Rider Filipe Masetti told me after riding 16,000 miles across North and South America. That quote will give you hope you can do whatever you’re dreaming of doing.

Long Rider Filipe Masetti Leite
Filipe on the trail
A boot to navigate by: Filipe’s route for the first leg of his trip, from Calgary, Canada to Barretos, Brazil, spelled out on one of his boots

Interview With Filipe… Continue reading

Dogged: How Adeline Hallot Crossed the Pyrenees With Two Dogs, a Cart and a Cat: Part 1/2

Adeline Hallot lives in France. She owned two dogs, a cat, an old van and had always wanted to go to Spain. Then her van broke down. “I could have fixed my van but it was going to be too expensive,” she said. “So I sold everything I had, loaded my cart and started walking. I only got two kilometers the first day and couldn’t walk any farther.”

Adeline Hallot
Adeline begins her journey. Her dog Aiyana is walking beside… Continue reading

How I Broke my Vow to Never Feed Bees Sugar Water

This June, I caught a swarm of wild bees in a swarm box, put them into a horizontal hive that I built in my shed, and they settled into their new lives behind our cabin. I never imagined they might not get enough honey stored away before winter. Click on the video below to hear them buzz (more on what they’re drinking shortly).

A close-up of the bees after I installed them in the hive. The queen’s in there… Continue reading

Happy New Year 2024!

The early stages of Hoppin John: cooking black-eyed peas on our wood stove.

Are the wars, political unrest, and climate change making you nervous about what’s to come in 2024? This year, instead of paying attention to the bad news, you need to focus on improving your luck. For me, that means starting January 1 with Hoppin’ John.

Getting to Know Hoppin’ John

I first came across Hoppin’ John in Oriental, North Carolina, while writing for TownDock.net. A neighbor of… Continue reading

Adjusting Pie’s Hoof Boots (Part 3 of the 3 Part Series on Transitioning to Hoof Boots)

How do you adjust a pair of new hoof boots?

Nice new hoof boots. But how do you get them to fit?

In today’s post, I’ll show you how I’m adjusting a pair of hoof boots to fit my wife’s pony Pie. To get you up to speed, here are the first two parts in this three part series.

Continue reading

Off With Her Shoes (Part 1 of the 3 Part Series on Transitioning to Hoof Boots)

A while back my wife Julia and I pulled the steel horseshoes on her pony Pie’s front feet. I thought you’d be interested how we’re transitioning her (Pie, not Julia) to bare feet. From here on out, she’ll go barefoot. For extra protection Pie might need on rocky trails or abrasive surfaces like asphalt, we’ll slap on a pair of hoof boots.

Julia removing the nails from one of the horse shoes she’s taking off Pie. Pie looks pretty chill… Continue reading

Knocking on Doors

When my mules Brick and Cracker and I set out on our latest journey from North Carolina to Idaho, we did so with minimal planning. We had no chase crew, sponsor or person lining up places for us to stay. We just went.

The Uninvited Guests. A painting my wife Julia did of how mules Cracker, Brick and I found lodgings on our journey from North Carolina to Idaho. (Julia Carpenter painting)
A long way to go: Brick and Cracker… Continue reading
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