The Prairie Star: Montana Ag Newspaper

Trego, Mont., native Bernice Ende rides her throughbred, Honor, and leads her Norwegian Fjord packhorse, Essie Pearle, who also packs Ende’s dog, Claire, on their Long Rider adventures. Photos used in this story are courtesy of Bernice Ende.

TREGO, Mont. - The wild stallion reared up at her, screaming and kicking. It wanted to take the mare. But, Bernice Ende beat the angry animal off with an iron attached to a long rope.

Then Ende, her dog and their two horses made their way through the dark night out of that range in New Mexico.

She refers to this night as “The Night of the Black Stallion.” It has been the most dangerous encounter she has experienced in her journey along the back roads of America.

Determined to meet people, share stories with them and even inspire them, Trego, Mont., native Ende has spent the past few years on horseback, riding through real life. So far, this Lady Long Rider has logged more than 10,000 miles, and she is not stopping anytime soon.

The Long Riders Guild is an international association of equestrian explorers. Formed in 1994, it represents men and women who have ridden more than 1,000 continuous miles on a single equestrian journey.

With a determination to put the horse's welfare above their own, members search for collective freedom and individual wisdom, ensuring equestrian travel knowledge will be available for future generations to enjoy.

Ende said she believes the image of a horse and rider is a powerful symbol of freedom and independence. Throughout her rides, Ende said she is finding that everyone can relate to those on some level.

Ende's first ride in 2005 was just 2,000 miles - from her home in the mountains of northwestern Montana to Albuquerque, N.M. In 2006 and 2007, she traveled from Montana to Minnesota, New Mexico, Southern California, up the east side of the Sierra Nevada's to the west coast of Oregon, across eastern Washington and the panhandle of Idaho and home again. That was 5,000 miles.

Each February, armed with an enormous amount of trust and faith, Ende and her four-legged companions hit the road. For the most part the journey consists of just this strong, independent woman alone with Honor, the Thoroughbred, Essie Pearl, the Norwegian Fjord and traveling companion, Claire the dog.

Throughout the ride, Ende speaks to a variety of groups and schools explaining the legacy of the Long Rider and the importance of carrying on such traditions.

“It represents who we once were and where we came from,” she explained. “The horse and rider is an iconic image of the most fundamental thing our country has to offer - freedom.”

This is a romantic image that continues to fill the heart of millions, Ende said she has learned.

In 2008, Ende did not want to wait until spring to get started, but there was too much snow in Montana to just take off on horseback in the middle of winter. So, she accepted a ride south to the warmth and sunshine of sandy Needles, Calif.

From there she and her four-legged companions traveled into Arizona, stopping in Yuma, Phoenix, Prescott and Sedona. Then, it was on to central New Mexico and Colorado, followed by a trip to central Kansas and the community of Nicodemus.

An historical black community that was settled by former slaves fleeing the south in 1877, Nicodemus is the only remaining all-black town west of the Mississippi River settled in such a way.

Five historic buildings represent this community. Ende wanted to know what freedom means to the direct descendants of slaves.

She then rode on to Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and came into Montana, crossing the state en route to her final speaking engagements in Kalispell, Mont.

From her journeys along the back roads of this country, Ende has confirmed what she, as a small-town Montanan, has always known: small town America is the heart of America. And, it is a voice we do not always hear, she said.

“There is nothing but goodness in our small towns,” said Ende. “Life is not on television. It is the sharing of stories, neighbors taking care of each other, 4-H, fairgrounds.

“I ride town after town and it is like this. The small towns have a quality of life that cannot be duplicated in the big cities,” she said.

The Long Rider travelers log 25 miles a day, utilizing power line roads, ditch roads, county roads, state roads, railroad track roads and sometimes even embarking cross country.

Honor and Essie Pearl are in very good shape. Ende said she does her own horse shoeing and prides herself on the condition of her horses and her canine companion.

In fact, when a brand inspector stopped her recently in Kalispell, he gave her the thumbs up because her horses were papered and after 10 months on the road were still in excellent condition.

As is their rider. A retired ballet teacher, Ende walks many of the miles they travel each day, loading 60 saddle packs onto the horses by herself. Ende said she needs to stay in shape for they “never, never, never” are indoors.

Ende said she and her animals have “spent many a night sleeping in ditches along the road or in local fairground horse barns, many without heat.”

On her most recent ride, Ende camped in the Mohave Desert and in Death Valley. She has come across grizzly bears, rattlesnakes, mountain goats and mountain lions.

And the only real threat she has felt was the wild mustang in New Mexico.

“You make campsites wherever you can,” said Ende.

For the most part the horses eat wild grasses that they find along the route. But, Ende said she and Claire eat jerky, nuts, seeds, tortillas, apples, carrots, cucumbers - healthy things everyone needs to survive.

Ende and her four-legged companions have been blessed to be welcomed into homes along the way.

Ende said she has taken showers in hundreds of homes and shared meals with many different families.

“I certainly don't feel a sense of fear,” she said of her encounters.

Yet, Ende said she always uses skill, attentiveness and caution when traveling.

“And to have done it alone, and as a woman,” said Ende, proudly.

In order to help the students at her school presentations understand the legacy of the Long Rider, Ende said the ride can also be metaphorical for each stage of life.

For now their “ride” is school. Then it may be college, parenting or a profession.

Regardless of what the journey is, “we must overcome the fear of asking for help, wonder if we will survive and in many cases not know where we are going to sleep at night,” she said.

Ende struggles with these fears nearly every day of her travels.

“It's a powerful image,” she said. “It plants a seed in their brains.”

When she finally arrives back in Montana each fall, Ende stays for a few short months in her cabin in the mountains.

As for the future, she said she would like to head further east and go way down south to Texas to see what they have to offer. “It seems like in each region there are different customs,” she said.

In addition, each area of the country brings a new challenge for a rider on horseback. In Oregon she experienced a lot of rain while in the Southwest she found there was no water in the long distances between houses.

“I feel like I have a lot left to learn,” she said. “Unlike most Long Riders who do one ride, this my life.”

To follow along with Ende's horseback adventure, check out her Web site at www.endeofthetrail.