Gritty Bits by Travel Grit

Sea G Ryhdr is planning something that keeps her up at night — driving a covered wagon across America with two spicy ponies, a corgi named Thick, and a whole lot of questions. In this Q&A, Bernie Harberts answers the ones that matter most before she takes off.Sea G is an experienced long rider who has covered thousands of miles on horseback. Now she's stepping up to a nine-and-a-half foot covered wagon pulled by a team of Welsh ponies — and she wants to know what she doesn't know.Bernie covers the real-world wagon travel skills that don't show up in books — from navigating cattle guards with no gate to teaching ponies to hold a wagon back going downhill, managing a corgi on the road, and if (or if not) a traveling horse needs to wear a diaper in town.In this episode:How to get a wagon through a gate when the reins aren't long enoughGetting across a cattle guard uphill — with and without a gateWhat to do when the gate is padlockedTying up at a grocery store — and what can go wrongCheck reins — why Bernie doesn't use themHow long to work with horses before departureBreastplate versus collar — friction, calluses, and show sheenShort first days — why two miles is enoughTrotting versus walking — the pre-flight routineVoice commands for drivingWalking next to a team versus riding in the wagonTeaching ponies to hold a wagon back going downhillBacking a wagon without teaching your horse to rearManure management on the roadTraveling with a corgi — harnesses, safety, and Angela Wood's adviceWant the full Travel Grit conversation with Sea G Ryhdr? https://travelgrit.com/how-to-drive-a-wagon-through-america-what-you-need-to-know-before-you-go/Follow Sea's upcoming wagon voyage at https://freerangerodeo.com/.For more stories of long riders, sailors, ramblers, adventurers, and dreamers finding their way, visit TravelGrit.com.Click here to view the episode transcript.  Creators & Guests Sea G Rhydr - Guest

Show NotesGin Szagola and her Snowy Mountain Brumby, Fable, are one month from the finish line — 2,400 miles into their historic crossing of southern Australia. In this Where Are They Now check-in, Gin calls in from the small town of Ravensthorpe, Western Australia, with one month and 300 miles left to go.Gin shares what it's really like in the final stretch — how Fable has transformed from a scrawny, spooky rescue into a confident, muscled trail horse, how the dreaded Nullarbor Desert turned out to be her favorite part of the journey, and why finishing a voyage this big is becoming bittersweet.She also talks about the hardest part of it all — having to give up Fable when it's over.In this episode:Fable's origin — one of a thousand Brumbies to survive the culling of 8,000 horses in three yearsTraining a wild horse in 90 days with 10 to 20 rides before departureThe Nullarbor crossing — 800 miles of desert, no support vehicle, supply caches dropped by gray nomads every 20 milesBrown snakes, dingoes, road trains, and camping on the side of the highway alone as a womanThe coworker-to-roommate dynamic of living with your horse 24/7 for eight monthsWhat happens to Fable when the journey endsWant the full story? Listen to Gin's complete Travel Grit podcast episode at: https://travelgrit.com/gin-szagola-riding-a-horse-across-australia-travel-grit-podcast/Follow Gin and Fable: Facebook: Gin and Fable Website: ginandfable.comDescriptionGin Szagola is one month from finishing her historic crossing of southern Australia — 2,400 miles on horseback with a wild Brumby she trained in just 90 days. In this Where Are They Now check-in, Gin calls in from Western Australia with 300 miles left to go. She talks about the Nullarbor Desert, life on the road with Fable, and the bittersweet reality of nearly being done.For more stories of long riders, sailors, ramblers, adventurers, and dreamers finding their way, visit TravelGrit.com.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Click here to view the episode transcript. Creators & Guests Gin Szagola - Guest