The Horsemanship Journey is proud to present Sean Covey in our Premiere Episode. Sean shares insights from his father, Stephen R. Covey’s book - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Dr. Stephen R. Covey was quoted as saying, “Communication is the most important skill in life. We spend most of our waking hours communicating.” Because communication is so important, an organization called the Pony Express was established back in 1860. The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders.

Plans for the Pony Express were spurred by the threat of the Civil War and the need for faster communication with the West. The Pony Express consisted of relays of men riding horses carrying saddlebags of mail across a 2000-mile trail. The service opened officially on April 3, 1860, when riders left simultaneously from St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. The first westbound trip was made in 9 days and 23 hours and the eastbound journey in 11 days and 12 hours. The pony riders covered 250 miles in a 24-hour day.

Eventually, the Pony Express had more than 100 stations, 80 riders, and between 400 and 500 horses. The express route was extremely hazardous, but only one mail delivery was ever lost. A total of about 157 Pony Express stations were placed at intervals of about 10 miles (16 km) along the approximately 2,000 miles (3,200 km) route. This was roughly the maximum distance a horse could travel quickly, either at a trot, a canter, or a gallop, depending on the need. The rider changed to a fresh horse at each station, taking only the mail pouch called a mochila (from the Spanish for pouch or backpack) with him. The employers stressed the importance of the pouch. They often said that, if it came to be, the horse and rider should perish before the mochila did.

The service lasted only 19 months until October 24, 1861, when the completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for its existence. However, the romance surrounding the Pony Express has made it a part of the legend of the American West.”

The comparison from then to now is quite remarkable. We pick up our phone and talk to practically anyone practically anywhere, practically immediately. We use video calls, share letters, pictures, videos, and transfer practically any type of information practically effortlessly. Because of the ease of communication, opportunities for horse people are practically limitless.

If you want to be a part of the romance of the American West, if you are a horse enthusiast, horse owner, horse trainer, horse lover, competitor, horse rider, rancher, rodeo fan, or contestant, if you want to be a cowboy or cowgirl, or you are interested in horses at any level, we recommend participating in the communication available through membership in The Horsemanship Journey.

For less than $4.00 per month, The Horsemanship Journey provides information from the top horse trainers, best horsemen and women, horse veterinarians, horse health professionals, motivational speakers and authors, and more. In addition to the horse videos or monthly episodes, The Horsemanship Journey now offers virtual Personal Training from some of the best horse trainers and personal coaches in the world. The Personal Training program is called “Real Progress” and was developed by Al Dunning who is part of the Personal Training Team.

If your American Dream includes horses or simply a love of horses, The Horsemanship Journey provides the information for you to be as good as you can be and take your dream as far as you desire. It’s much safer and faster than the Pony Express and the mochila is optional.