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What is The Long Riders' Guild? |
The Long Riders' Guild is the world's first international association of equestrian explorers, and is an invitation-only organisation. It was formed in 1994 to represent men and women of all nations who have ridden more than 1,000 continuous miles on a single equestrian journey.
It marks the first time in modern equestrian history that like-minded men and women are combining efforts to preserve a hitherto unmarked heritage and provide an international forum to discuss our mutual love of horses and travel.
With Members in more than forty countries, every major equestrian explorer alive today belongs to The Guild, including Hadji Shamsuddin of Afghanistan, who rode a thousand miles through that war-zone, Jean-Louis Gouraud of France, who rode 3,000 miles from Paris to Moscow, Claudia Gottet of Switzerland, who rode 8,000 miles from Arabia to the Alps, Adnan Azzam of Syria, who rode 10,000 miles from Madrid to Mecca, and Vladimir Fissenko of Russia, who rode 19,000 miles from the bottom of Patagonia to the top of Alaska.
Because the records of mankind are imperfect and the memory of humanity unstable, this century we ride in a new direction, searching not only for adventure but also knowledge.
At three-thousand plus pages, and still growing, and having been visited by millions of people world-wide, the Long Riders' Guild website is an open-source gift to the world. Because the Guild accepts no advertising of any kind, the website is a trusted resource for thousands of regular visitors.
Our organization seeks to ensure that our lost inheritance of equestrian travel knowledge will be available for future generations to claim and enjoy.
The Guild's publishing arm, Horse Travel Books is the world’s premier source of equestrian exploration wisdom. Offering more than a hundred titles in six languages, the collection recounts the adventures of equestrian explorers on every continent including Antarctica.
The Guild was formed to put an end to the manners and methods of the last century. Its goal is to search together for collective freedom and individual wisdom.
The Guild also oversees the Long Riders' Guild Academic Foundation. Its mission is to provide an academic forum where scientists, poets, authors, historians, soldiers and equestrian experts can share their wisdom with the public. Every type of horse related knowledge is being investigated and published at this exciting new website, whose motto is "Science not Superstition."
Thus the history, stories, legends, and knowledge stored on this website represents the largest repository of equestrian travel information assembled in human history!
In the midst of space-age, high speed technology, a band of humans has slowed down the earth and sky sweeping past them by seeing the world from the back of a horse. They are called Long Riders. To learn more about an international meeting of some of these ardent equestrian travelers, adventurers, passionate explorers, and their documented journeys, click here. |
If we do not share one language, one disposition, one set of physical or financial conditions, or even the love of one breed of horse, our diversity accentuates not only our differences but the need for international equestrian unity.
Therefore though the Long Riders' Guild is by its very definition many things to many people, it holds the following laws of equestrian exploration and long distance travel to be inviolate.
As Long Riders we categorically believe equestrian travel has no frontiers, political or otherwise. It is the heritage of every nation. Though we individually originate in every imaginable country, we as a group represent no specific nation.
We will not be simplified by categories into sex, creed, allegiance to one horse breed, or lines drawn on a map. We are comrades of the saddle whose agreed upon international language is "horse." We believe the only valid definition of a Long Rider should be courage in the face of danger, resolve in the presence of hardship, and continual compassion for our horses.
Further, we acknowledge the inherent bodily perils involved in equestrian travel to both horse and rider. Yet we in no way condone or sponsor any expedition that knowingly subjects its mounts to needless suffering. The Long Riders' Guild has no obsession with mileage. Though our members have set an assortment of world records during the course of their equestrian travels, we do not encourage a needless quest for kilometres, nor the lightning flash crossing of continents. We encourage our Members instead to undertake a life-changing equestrian journey that explores not only the unknown portions of the world, but their own souls as well. Indeed, being a Long Rider is more than just a matter of miles. It is a question of honour, dignity and behaviour.
Knowing that our collective equestrian past nearly disappeared through neglect, we are determined to record those deeds of saddle-borne bravery and mounted daring which mark the passing of Long Riders throughout world history. An attention to the deeds of all equestrian travellers, though they be widely different in time, race, language, surroundings, and history, is now under way. We are resolved thereby to provide a clear and accurate historical record of all equestrian travel accomplishments. Any claims to having been "the first" or "the longest" on horseback will henceforth be rigorously investigated, and verified, by a panel of qualified Senior Long Riders.
However exclusion is not what The Long Riders' Guild is about. It exists to further equestrian exploration and travel worldwide. There must also be a place for people who are passionate about equestrian travel but for reasons of economy, responsibility, age, or geographical restrictions are unable to ride the mandatory 1,000 miles. For these special exceptions we offer the distinction of being an Associate Member. These cases will be decided individually based on an applicant's equestrian history.
In closing, we invite other voices to join us happily and proudly as we work collectively to preserve an ancient global equestrian inheritance for future generations.
If you, or anyone you know, qualifies as a Long Rider, please contact us
The Long Riders' Guild -
On the road .... again and again .... always!