Sun Sentinel Article
Palm Beach Post Article
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Monday was a rather difficult day navigating out of the Corbett Wildlife preserve. Scott was told that once he exited reserve he would find himself on the B-Line Highway going into Okeechobee. Then he would see a cut off in about three miles where there would be campsites. Possible he missed the turnoff which required him to walk ten miles into Indiantown where he camped overnight in their town park. This morning he began his journey on to Okeechobee. On his ride he had a few people stop by to ask what he was doing. One of those folks happen to be Davie Jones of the Monkeys. Seems he has thoroughbreds and was quite curious about this ride and the ride cross country. After they spoke Davie went home to tell his sister about this crazy cowboy he had met. She said she had read about him in the Post and showed him the article.

Davie promptly made his new friend a bacon and egg sandwich and brought Scott his breakfast. Davie then told him that it was good he was moving on since Indiantown is not that large and can only accommodate one famous person. This is a great message for us all to just follow our dream and the universe will provided.
Hope you enjoy these messages if not please send an e-mail and we will take you off the list.

What a trip Scott and Kirby are having. Currently, they are in St. Cloud and Scott is crossing a dry lake bed in hopes of reaching South Port this evening. He and Kirby and doing very well but not making more than 20 miles a day. He is trying to avoid the Orlando area because of the traffic, so he will travel from here on 27 north.

People have set up the most incredible accomodations by calling ahead to make the way smooth. He was referred to a man in Kenansville by the name of Manny. A cowboy from Okeechobee had recommended that he call him. Barbara looked at his name briefly and realized it was the same as a good friend that she had not spoken with in over a year. When she gave it more thought she realized that her friend Rita had told her about her brother being a cowboy. Turns out it was her brother and they had even spoken when Rita had visted here in Colorado. She had called Manny and recommended that he come out to Colorado and visit. She thought it would be his kind of place. Barbara had spoke with him briefly but never gave it anymore thought. Don't we land on his doorstep three years later! How is that for small world. Then last night he sets us up at a camp that was in the middle of 6000 acres. It was like staying in Wild Country Safari for the evening. We saw Deer, Cows, pigs, horses, Sand Cranes and Turkey. The bunk house looked like Ralph Lauren had decorated it just for us!

Really restores your confidence in human nature and trusting to just go where your heart leads you. This trip is turning out to be a gathering trip for many incredible stories about the beauty of human spirit and what can happen when you step out of your comfort zone and ride your horse into the sunset! More to follow.

The trip is going better than I had imagined in many regards. Getting such a warm reception and lots of questions about Alzheimer's. Did an interview with the Orlando Sentinel yesterday but haven't seen a paper and didn't ask when they might run the article. I am currently about 20 miles south of Kissimmee and took the day off as Kirby had worked five days straight and was pretty tired yesterday. Yesterday was a fantastic day riding through a couple private ranches (saw lots of eagles, river otters and small wildlife) and on to a dry lake bed that has been drawn down to do some maintainance work. Had to swim a channel between the locks and the lake and had just seen some BIG (these were the real thing, not those little 5 or 6 footers) gators about 200 yards from where Kirby and I swam the channel. The bad news is that my cell phone died. The good news is that Kirby and I are doing fine. Still had wet boots and wet saddle/pad this morning so it was a good day to rest. Keep me informed of any new developments.
Scott

Man sets sights on Alabama from back of horse
By John Murawski, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 3, 2004
BOCA RATON -- With all four corners of the world mapped and charted, the deep seas plumbed and the galaxy explored, modern-day adventurer Scott Huse is going back to the basics.
Huse plans to leave this morning on a solo horseback ride that will take him roughly 1,500 miles from Palm Beach County to Alabama and back.
The journey takes Huse back more than a century in time, when unpaved roads and trails linked small towns and farms dotted the countryside. But today the trip is fraught with logistical perils: Cars rule the asphalt, hitching posts are few and the general stores are nearly all gone. The 21st century horseman will have to dodge highways, strip malls and motels in his bid to reach Selma, Ala.
The 50-year-old livestock veterinarian and experienced rider is packing lightly: snacks, socks, underwear, gym shorts, cellphone, journal, canteen, horse brush, hoof knife, tent and sleeping bag.
He plans on taking back roads, eating one good meal a day and relying on the goodwill of farmers and horse lovers to provide grain for his steed, a patch of land to pitch his tent and a hot cup of coffee in the morning.
"Years ago I had a dream of taking off and riding out West without having any real agenda," Huse said. "Sometimes it'll be a matter of knocking on the door and seeing if there's some available grass to graze and rolling out a sleeping bag."
Huse, from Keystone, Colo., says he has a lust for life. He's been staying in Boca Raton since May on an extended visit, renovating houses and training horses.
The trip, which will take about seven weeks, is a dress rehearsal for a cross-country horse ride Huse would like to make next year to raise money for charities. On the warm-up trip he plans to cover at least 20 miles a day and is prepared to spend nights in open fields if he doesn't reach a friendly rancher before nightfall.
"It's a damned unusual event, and it's something of great merit," said Verne Albright, an equestrian writer and long-distance rider from Calgary, Alberta, who once rode a horse 2,500 miles from Latin America to California.
"He is going to be stunned by how nice people will be to him," Albright said. "People are attracted to an adventure like that."
Such treks are so challenging that many who attempt them never finish, said Garry Stauber, a human resources director and equestrian writer from San Jose who once rode the length of California, about 1,350 miles.
The greatest hardship is sometimes on the horse. The animal can be spooked by rushing traffic and forced to graze on grass when there's not enough feed en route.
Once Huse reaches a settlement, he will likely be embraced as a kindred spirit by the locals.
"Turning up on a horse brings out the best in people," said Basha O'Reilly, who lives in Kentucky and is planning to travel around the world by horse. "I think he'll make some great friends."
Huse's horse is stabled in Davie in Broward County. Because Broward is so developed, Huse will bring the horse by trailer to the intersection of Clint Moore Road and State Road 441 to start his journey north.
"When you get out in the less populated areas," Huse said, "the people are very genuine and very open and willing to share what they have, whether it's a little bit of hay or if it's bacon and eggs."
john_murawski@pbpost.com

Kirby is an unlikely celebrity and I am his biggest fan. The ride is going well, I just had to scale back my expectations on distance by about half. Kirby is young and starts the day with enthusiasm but is pretty well tuckered out by midday and doesn't have very good recovery for the rest of the day. I'm sure you can recall some very talented youngsters (maybe a 12-15 year old) in your karate schools that had a lot of skill but you can't expect them to compete with a toughened athlete in his mid-20's. There are days where I have walked more than I have ridden but that is all a part of getting him conditioned and adjusted to the rigors of the trail.
Today is a day of rest. I have had some short days in the 15 mile category and my longest day was last Sunday, I logged 30 miles. It was more than I wanted to travel but my map didn't give me a realistic picture of how much concrete is in the Kissimmee/Disney area. I kind of got trapped and had to travel longer than I wanted to just to get out of the congestion and find Kirby a place to spend the night. This is now into the third week, however, and I can see that he is toughening up and is finishing the day a little stronger all the time. With Sunday being a tough day (fortunately he had Saturday off) he had a hard time getting into the grove on Monday. But we had a good first half of the day and we were taking a lunch break in a Public parking lot when he just lay flat out and crashed for about 2 hours. Had one little shade tree and for a good portion of the afternoon people were driving through the parking lot to see the "dead horse". He caught a good snooze and got a second wind about 5 PM so all was well and while he was napping, a gal that does some horse training offered us a place to camp for the night. We were set!
I'm currently south of Leesburg and headed toward Ocala. Should be in Ocala on Friday night. We have met such great people the trip has been a real treat. Long sweaty days but no shortage of smiling faces and people willing to open their doors, their pasture, and their hearts to the veterinarian on his trek north. I should mention that I have had a lot of good press and people willing to network with friends and business associates to let them know we are on the road and headed their way. The Orlando Sentinel ran a story on us in Monday's paper, and a paper out of Clermont interviewed me yesterday. Due to the publicity I frequently have people driving down the road and stop to see if I am the guy they read about in the paper. They drop off sandwiches, water, carrots for Kirby, etc. The reception has been fantastic.
Thursday will find us back on the trail and I will most likely be traveling on or close to HWY 27 toward Tallahassee. I'm hoping to get some local input as I approach Tallahassee, however, as I don't want to get into the metro area like I did in Kissimmee. I have a couple contacts north of there in the Marianna area so that should be smooth sailing.
All is well on this front. Talk to you soon.
Scott
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This hose trip is beyond my imagination. As you may already know Scott is off on the preparatory trip for a cross country horse back ride in 2005 to raise funds for Alzheimer's. He said this trip could change my life and I believe he is right. The folks that have taken us in and offered hospitality have been given me strength. It has been a great time but there are a few moments that I want to ask him to turn around. But we encounter some hospitable people and I get excited again. We are now in the town of Okahumpka which is just south of Leesburg. I have been running ground support and driving ahead about 10 miles after our lunch break and trying to find a pasture for Kirby and hopefully a place for us to camp. I stopped by a feed store yesterday and found a young man working. When I asked if the owner was around he said they had gone to lunch but could he help me. I told him about Scott riding horseback and he said is he the guy that I read about? Fortunately the press releases have helped given us credibility and people are open to listening. The feed store allowed us to put Kirby in their pasture and we pitched our tent right there. Kirby is starting to act just like the dogs. We had about 10 acres of pasture and doesn't he want to stay right by the tent. He kept trying to poke his nose in and I think if we had invited him he would have tried to climb in. Kirby is not afraid to lay down. Monday we waited around for hours while he laid around and recuperated We were rescued that day by an adorable woman who came by and offered to horse trailer us. Scott was really funny because he declined while I was thinking yeah we are saved. It was divine intervention that Dawn came back to tell us something else after Scott had said we were okay. At this time he accepted her invitation for the ride. Her husband came back with a horse trailer and Kirby was whisked through the rolling hills of Claremont. Very pretty area that I would love to visit again.

This morning, Betty the woman who owned the feed store kept apologizing for not offering us their guest bedroom. She said she had too much on her mind last night and couldn't think this through. It was fine with us to have the tent space and luxury of the beautiful clean air. She offered us breakfast and showers and our day was made. The sunrise this morning was breathtaking and after feeding Kirby we got to visit with their pet Emu and baby donkey. They have quite an array of animals. Lots of cows and donkeys which really spook Kirby. Scott actually had to lead him to his water backwards because the donkey scared him so much! I am seeing a different part of life and really liking it. Last night, Scott sang me the song from Green Acres and it seemed to fit. Later in the evening the cowboy played the harmonica, he is quite good. One thing I can say he was right that this trip would be an eye opener. I am keeping a journal as is Scott. I think I should do one of the Chicken Soup books this one entitled Chicken Soup from the Saddle! I have tons of ideas and so little time. But, hopefully I will be able to get some of them creatively packaged. Hope all is well with you and you enjoy the update.

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There is so much to tell about the most recent days. I am attaching a picture of Kirby at his most tired. But, actually this is how he takes his siesta's. It does drawl a great deal of attention from folks. And, on Tuesday a very nice lady stopped by to ask if she could help. Scott thought we would be fine but she offered to go get her trailer and pick us up. Fortunately for us she came back later and said are you sure? I had already mentioned to Scott it might be a good to accept a gracious offer when it comes our way. So, when she returned he did accept. Later that day her husband Colby came and got us. It is always interesting to see how the other half of a couple reacts to the extended invitation when they were there to develop the plan. But, Colby arrived eager to help and very friendly. He and Scott got Kirby into the trailer and whisked him through the hills of Claremont. Dawn and Colby were an adorable couple with two darling kids. She has started a camp for kids to interact with horse and I believe she will be a big success. I am attaching a pictures of Kirby's trailer ride.

We had another great week of good luck. There were four interviews with local papers and I may send you today's Ocala Star Banner when I read it. We had the good fortune of meeting Frank and Phyllis Burnett who took us under their wing in Oxford. This is a great town. Think about what confidence one must have to invite stranger's into their home. But, these invitations have allowed us to make new long range friends. We stayed one night and Phyllis thought it might be a good introduction to get Scott and the local Vet to meet. She placed a call and told his wife we would be up to 10. Doesn't Tom Lane come knock on the door at 10 and kept us laughing till midnight. Turned out Scott remembered him for his early Veterinarian meetings. Tom offered so much advise and places that Scott could stop on his way north. I told him about all the good things that have happened and the heart warming stories. I mentioned that I wanted to do a Chicken Soup on the Trail or from the saddle. He said you will pass right by Peter's ranch. He told me the name and I saw it the next day. And, yes I did stop and gave the ranch manager a brief note with my idea. Say a prayer and maybe they will call.

We left Phyllis and Franklin's place thinking we could make it to the ranch that Tom had recommended. But, Kirby was not in the mood to push it in the heat. So, I dropped by a ranch and asked a young girl if we could park Kirby for the night. She was very gracious and said yes of course. At the time she was building a washing post for her horses. Three women using a stake shovel and in a hour had three post placed. When Scott arrived he promptly put Kirby in the wash area and initiated the first bath. We then called Franklin and Phyllis to see if we could intrude one more night and they said yes. So, here I sit on their computer sending out my message. They are great folks with lots of cattle, dogs and cats. Last night they introduced us to the local cat fish house and we enjoyed great food and laughter. More to come from the trail.

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We will leave Ocala tomorrow even though it will be difficult. We have made some great friends here. Franklin and Phyllis the couple that put us the first night in Oxford were gracious about inviting us to dinner last night. When they heard we had already made plans with the couple that put us up in Orlando they said heck invite them. So we had dinner with both our support families and Dr. Tom Lane, the Vet that Scott knew from 1980. We had a great time and the guys enjoyed helping Scott plan his northern route. It is always hard for me leave the support that we find to go off into the unknown. But, Scott embraces the adventure and since he is so cute I just follow along

We had a call last night from an adorable lady who put us up around Leesburg. She said Barbara don't tell Scott but if you need a ride from Alabama you call. Dick (her husband )would get his trailer and come up and get us. She was so cute to offer and so diplomatic trying to make sure she did not insult Scott. Got to go now my time is up at the Library . More later

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You might get a second e-mail from Scott is a day or so regarding this story. Some of you are on his list as well. But, this is too good to wait. Yesterday we were referred from Dr. Lane (Vet in Ocala) to stay with a student of his (Kenny) at a ranch on the north side of Ocala. It was the most scenic ride yet. Past many beautiful manicured ranches and open fields. When I arrived at Ironwood Farm, Scott was already there. It has many live oaks with moss falling from the trees. Two large barns with post and beam construction. We would have been happy in their recreation building and garage. When I arrived Kenny was talking with Scott and brushing down a beautiful Fox trotter. Kenny is a dear sweet soul and you could feel his gentle nature right off. Of course I was hungry so as Kenny explained the lay of the land I asked where we should go for lunch. After he described the hound and hunt restaurant, I suggested that he join us. We all got together and went over. Initially Kenny was suggesting that we could camp anywhere and as lunch progressed we could use the rec building. By the end of lunch we in his guest bedroom. After lunch Scott and I stopped by the Golden Ocala to find that one of their salespeople was someone that he had met at our last stopping point. Karen has a daughter going for her marketing degree and thought her class might like to look at Hoofin for a Cure as a project. I liked Ocala so much that I was considering the possibility of a real estate job. I had a good conversation with the Broker and will send him my resume. After lunch I went for a ride with Kenny and met the owner's of the ranch. They graciously invited us up to the house for a cocktail. And, doesn't Dr. Lane show up just before we went in for drinks. He is such a character and fun guy. We showed up with us, Tom Lane, Bob Walla (last host) and Kenny. They already had another couple at the house and we all enjoyed a very refreshing drink. As they got comfortable with us they invited us to dinner. I jumped in and helped Judith to get things together and cook the meat. During Dinner we got elevated to the guest apartment and just had a blast. Their company was exceptional and they knew quite a few people in the horse community. One lady Kay reminded me very much of Sandy, my old roommate from Colorado. This morning I was invited to join them with their personal trainer and ride another Fox trotter after that. Their home was a very special place and their hospitality was exception. Isn't this a great trip? Keeps getting better and better. Scott keeps laughing at me because I keep wanting to stay at the most recent place that we stay. Yet when we venture back out I get excited and surprised but what unfolds. Wish I had filmed this with a video. We could have a heck of a movie. Enjoy the photo's we are on way towards Gainsville tomorrow.

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I think this is Friday 4/30/04, and today starts in typical fashion. Up between 4:30 and 5 AM to feed Kirby, and then back to the house or tent for the only quiet time of the day. This morning I have access to a computer and will compose a short update while waiting for it to get light enough to saddle up. My hosts had hoped to have me in for breakfast (I’m staying in the guest apartment) but when I told them what my schedule was, they said that they would be sleeping comfortably and not to worry about having any breakfast!

Spent the night with Carl and Cleona George outside of High Springs, FL. They are an older couple and have been in the Arabian horse business for years and years. George is trying to cut way back and is down to just 7 horses. He is now of an age where life on the farm is difficult. I think he was hoping I would buy one or two and I was hoping that he would donate one or two! Enjoyed some good stories of some exceptional horses and got to relax a little before going to another farm down the road (David and Beverly), also to look at some horses. I’m meeting some great people and many of them want to call their friend or neighbor to talk about the ride and some of them are wanting to get involved in the big ride for 2005. There is a lot of enthusiasm for the fund-raiser and as I talk to people, I am continually picking up names of people that have had a family member that has been affected by Alzheimer’s and is interested in helping in some way. David and Beverly also had lots of good input and David has some contacts that may prove helpful. I’m having so much fun on this ride, I can’t wait till next year to get to the real thing.

I will be heading up Hwy 27 for the next several days toward Perry, FL. At Perry, Hwy 27 goes up to Tallahassee and I want to skirt around to the south so I will take Hwy 98. There have been some places to get off the main roads but that has been the exception and not the rule. Trying to choose roads that have a WIDE right-of-way so I don’t have to be right up next to the traffic. Kirby is excellent in traffic but it is that occasional dog or wild hog that comes out of the brush that spooks him and that is not a good mix when there is traffic close by. Riding through central Florida had been great. There is a good mix of pine trees, big oaks, and lots of board fence at some beautifully manicured horse farms. The area around Ocala is such a concentration of horses that it boggles the mind. What an unusual segment in this fantastic country we live in.

Speaking of this fantastic country, AND knowing that this trip is to work out logistical hurdles of traveling by horse in the 21st century, I had an unusual thing happen yesterday that I’ll have to share. It was mid-morning in Newberry (not to be confused with Mayberry and Barney Fife) and we had covered about 13 miles. K was tired and needed a break so I pulled into a school with a nice big open area (grass for K) surrounded on 2 sides with some nice shade trees. Gave him a little feed and he was glad to get the break. I even went into the school to use the restroom and brush my teeth as my accommodations the night before were Spartan and didn’t have ready access to a shower or good water. Hadn’t been back outside very long and a sheriff’s deputy came up to me and said “Are you the one with the horse?” Of course I said yes and I was expecting some sort interested party to want to talk about the trip. There have been several newspaper articles and lots of people stop and ask about what’s going on. Much to my surprise, he asks me if I have a child attending the school and when I say no he tells me that I am trespassing and that I’ll have to leave. (I did say this is Newberry and not Mayberry, didn’t I?) Well, deputy JC kept his head a little better than Barney and told me that there is a law stating only students and student’s parents are allowed on school property during the school day, but just the same, my rest break was cut short and I learned of one more logistical hurdle of traveling by horse in the 21st century. JC and I had a pleasant conversation and I told him that I was not criticizing him personally, but I thought it was a said statement for mankind that as a taxpaying American, I cannot rest my horse on school property during the school day.

Headed on through town (Newberry and not Mayberry) and took refuge for a couple hours out behind the fire station. There were a couple guys working on a fire engine and as I told them what had just happened, they promised not to call Barney.

So goes another day of “Life on the Trail”. Gotta go. The birds are chirping that “first light” song so need to head to the barn and grab the saddle.

Scott