Pony Express - Whiskey Steps Out and Heads West

Greetings,

May 25, 2011 – Seneca Kansas – Whiskey Steps Out and Heads West on the Pony Express Trail – Today was another short day. I elected for twenty-five miles instead of the whole fifty. Cindy and I talked about the first two weeks on the trail during our drive from Idaho. We decided to focus on short days early on to give the horses a chance to learn the travel routine and to give us a chance to become familiar with the travel routine too.

Today was a big day for Whiskey. In January, Whiskey could not stand because his chronic laminitis had become severe. Steve Hardy, a local veterinarian, and Lee Pierce, an Oregon farrier, worked out a plan to restore Whiskey to soundness. Most horses take a whole year to recover fully and Whiskey will probably take a year as well. But, we all worked to bring Whiskey to soundness for the Pony Express. I remember talking with Lee in January and we discussed the May start. Lee thought it might be possible for Whiskey to run the XP and we crossed our fingers and consulted St Jude who is Whiskey's patron saint. The question has always been, "Is Whiskey an unlucky horse, or is he very lucky", and your answer depends on your perspective.

We had another magic electrical show last night and the roads were wet from the rain. The rain softened the surface and the day was cool with a nice breeze out of the north. We rode on muddy roads. The soft surface was perfect for Whiskey's feet. Whiskey stepped right back and he ran strong. My friends remarked how well he looked and also the relief that I must be feeling.

Along the trail today we passed by an old house and the farmer came out to greet us. We talked of horses, dogs, farming and Kansas. Like the farmer, the local residents have been very gracious. Tonight we are camped in an actual campground with electric and water. The campground hosts opened their facilities to us and I bet this campground has never seen so many horses.

Today I rode with my friends Tracy Blue, Max Merlich, and Dave Rabe. Tracy, Max, and Dave continued on for the fifty. There is a low pressure weather system just south of us and severe rain is rotating through like spokes on a pinwheel. Right now, it is raining very hard and Max, Tracy, Dave, and their horses are undoubtedly very wet.

Best Regards,

Tom N