Books Like The Courage To Ride

Books Like The Courage To Ride

The domestication of wild horses dates back as early as 10,200 B.C., and many unbreakable bonds have been formed along the way. Horseback travel opened up new avenues for exploration and allowed humans to reach previously impossible destinations. This meant that horses were the most efficient and affordable way to travel for many years. While these days, there are much safer, fast, and more efficient ways to undertake long trips, many riders still take on epic journeys on horseback. For example, in The Courage To Ride by Ana Beker, the author chronicles her 17,000-mile odyssey on horseback from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Ottawa, Canada. For more true stories of people who made incredible journeys on horseback, check out the following books like The Courage to Ride.

Tschiffely’s Ride: Ten Thousand Miles in the Saddle from Southern Cross to Pole Star

by Aimé Tschiffely

Tschiffely's Ride by Aime Tschiffely

Tschiffely’s Ride by Aimé Tschiffely chronicles the 10,000-mile journey that the author made from the southeast coast of South America all the way to New York on horseback. It was a journey that many considered impossible, yet Tschiffely managed to complete it in two and a half years. What made the tale even more harrowing is that he started his journey in 1925 when many Central American countries were war-torn. In addition, Tschiffely had to endure hurricanes, hail storms, and natural obstacles such as mountains and rivers to complete his journey. Ana Beker, the author of The Courage to Ride, attended one of Tschiffely’s lectures during the 1940s, where she told him about her plans to surpass his feat. 

On the Hoof: A 3,800-Mile Adventure: Pacific to Atlantic

by McNeil Jesse Alexander

On the Hoof by McNeil Jesse Alexander 

On The Hoof is the story of McNeil Jesse Alexander, who decided at age 37 to buy an untrained horse and use it to cross America by riding all the way from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. Although Jesse had already done previous coast-to-coast trips using a moped, bicycle, and small airplane, his journey with a five-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse named Pepper was a first. Their trip began in Oregon and ended up eight months and fourteen states later on a beach in New Hampshire. 

Lady Long Rider: Alone Across America on Horseback

by Bernice Ende

Lady Long Rider by Bernice Ende

Lady Long Rider is the memoir of Bernice Ende, who, at the age of 50, decided to travel from Trego, Montana, to New Mexico in a single horseback ride. While she was highly experienced in the saddle, Bernice had never made an overnight trip on horseback, which made her 2,000-mile, four-month journey even more incredible. In Lady Long Rider, she explains her motivations for making the daunting journey and how much courage it took. Bernice also gives a fascinating account of the people and places she encountered during her trip. Since her first foray into long-distance exploration on horseback, Bernice has gone on many more solo horseback adventures, including an 8,000-mile ride from Montana to Maine and back. 

On The Trail of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey Through the Land of the Nomads

by Tim Cope

On The Trail of Genghis Khan by Tim Cope

On The Trail of Genghis Khan by Tim Cope is the epic story of how the author set out to complete a journey that hadn’t been done successfully since the thirteenth century. His goal was to travel on horseback across the entire length of the Eurasian steppe. It is a journey that would take him from the ancient capital of Mongolia, Karakorum, all the way through Kazakhstan, Crimea, and Ukraine before reaching the Danube River in Hungary. Tim started as a horse-riding novice, but during his months in the saddle had to deal with everything from fending off wolves and would-be horse thieves to sub-zero temperatures and scorching deserts. During his three-year journey, Cope was accompanied only by his steeds and trusty dog, Tigon.

Cameroon with Egbert

by Dervla Murphy

Cameroon With Egbert by Dervla Murphy

Cameroon with Egbert by Dervla Murphy chronicles the three-month trek in 1987 that the author undertook on a horse named Ebert while accompanied by her daughter, Rachel. Dervla set out on her journey in 1987, and their travels through the Republic of Cameroon lasted three months. While the journey is filled with astonishing natural beauty and friendliness, it is not without perils either. Dervla and Rachel had to contend with being drenched by tropical storms and burnt by the hot African sun and got arrested when they accidentally ended up in a restricted zone.

Before Winter Comes: A Journey on Horseback from Scotland to Cornwall

by Cathleen Leonard

Before Winter Comes by Cathleen Leonard

Before Winter Comes is the story of how Cathleen Leonard went on a 1,000-mile journey on horseback after spending years studying the journeys of others who accomplished similar feats. Cathleen set off on her adventure in the late summer of 2017 on her rescued draught horse, Taliesin, accompanied by her wolfdog, Spirit. Her journey took her from Durness in northwest Scotland back to her home in Cornwall. 

Long Ride Home: Guts and Guns and Grizzlies, 800 Days Through the Americas in a Saddle

by Filipe Masetti Leite

Long Ride Home by Filipe Masetti Leite 

Long Ride Home by Filipe Masetti Leite is the story of the epic two-year journey that the author undertook on horseback. Filipe rode 10,000 miles from Canada through the Americas to reach his home in Brazil, accompanied only by his three magnificent horses. The journey spanned ten countries and saw Filipe encountering everything from drug cartels and mass migration to the old cowboy ways and the kindness of strangers.