​Trail riding is life – the trail is life
I have been traveling for over 20 years in many different countries where horses are still used as a means of transport and people live a very simple but mostly very content life.
Trail riding has changed me. In many ways and that's why I come to the above statement.  

The trail rider's path is filled with surprises, with positive and negative situations, and, depending on where I am traveling, often demands my full attention, forcing me to be in the here and now. Every minute of the day is filled with adventures and challenges, be it the road, the weather, the body and the soul and the adrenaline rush, the magnificent scenery and views, the gentle splashing of the stream, or the contented munching of horses in the pasture at night, challenge me mentally and physically, so that after a long day of riding I usually fall asleep within a few minutes, tired, exhausted. Nevertheless, I always have one ear with the horses and wake up when it gets too quiet. Then I may lie there listening intently until I hear something again and fall back asleep immediately, feeling reassured.  

When I'm in the high mountains, the Rocky Mountains, the TienShan or the Alps,  I don't know where I'll be sleeping tonight. I just know that we'll descend into the valley to get food for the horses and we'll take whatever else comes our way. It's not always easy up there, and very often it's touch and go. Will I make it down this glacier valley with my horses? Can I cross this river? How do I get through this swamp? Will we reach the next hut/campsite before it gets dark?

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Why do I want to travel with a horse. Well, my horse is much better at navigating in nature than I am. It is dramatically more capable than me and opens up possibilities for me that I would never have, without a horse. As a team, we work towards a common goal. The goal is to successfully complete the journey.

 

I want to explore the world with my horse, and although I am thrilled by the beautiful lake, which shimmers turquoise in front of the snow-capped peaks and the green Alpine grass, I am more interested in what can be seen behind the next pass, the next summit, in the next valley. That is the reason why I have learned to do without and to be satisfied with little.

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Our normal middle-class life is so full of things, that we believe we need because we are promised that they will save us time. We don't even realize how the addiction to buying something new again and again keeps us from really living. Getting by with the bare necessities and enjoying the adventure of life in all its colorful splendor is real life.    

The space in my horse's saddlebags is limited.  And yet everything must be included,  that is needed, to be completely self-sufficient in the mountains. And he should not have to carry more weight than needed. And that's a good thing. If I pack according to the following principle: What do I need so that I don't die? Then I have 5-6 things that enable me to survive, and then I still have room for luxury. For example, a second pair of slacks, or an inflatable sleeping mat, and since I've been in my 70s, there's even a three-legged folding chair. The less I have with me, the less I lose and the easier it is for my horse to carry. Then I am efficient.  And in nature, only the efficient system survives. And that's why it's such an experience to take a refreshing dip in a mountain stream on a hot summer's day and put on a clean T-shirt. Or to listen to the crackling of the campfire in the evening, the fresh smell of wet earth, or the land rain, to watch the stars change, and to listen to the sounds of the animals at night.

When I'm on the road, there is one priority. The horses must have water and food tonight. This is essential and after almost 60,000 km, there was only one time when I was unable to organize enough food for the horses. No matter what happens, no matter what obstacle stands in the way, my horses will have food tonight.  
And this mentality, this determination, this stamina, and assertiveness, is what trail riding teaches you. Turning back is not an option. No is not an option. There is no such thing as can't. Only one thing is absolutely certain: you can plan as much as you want, take all circumstances into account, weigh up all eventualities, but in the end, things will turn out differently than planned.

 

And that's why you are forced to be happy and content with the present, no matter what it is. Flexibility is the norm and not the exception. Because it's like a law of nature: where a door is slammed shut for you, another one opens somewhere else. You just have to find it. Do your best and be patient. Everything will work out. Worrying and fretting get you nowhere. They're a waste of time. Que sera, sera.

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The Trail ist like Life. Life is a challenge and an adventure. The trail is real life, it's about something. It's about the life of my horse and my own life. I don't need to enjoy second-hand adventures. I can live it myself.

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