Melissa A. Priblo Chapman - Distant Skies: An American Journey on Horseback

DISTANT
SKIES

DISTANT
SKIES

An American Journey on Horseback

Melissa A. Priblo Chapman

First published in 2020 by
Trafalgar Square Books
North Pomfret, Vermont 05053

Copyright 2020 Melissa A. Priblo Chapman

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, by any means, without written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer quoting brief excerpts for a review in a magazine, newspaper, or website.

Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Disclaimer of Liability
The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. While the book is as accurate as the author can make it, there may be errors, omissions, and inaccuracies.

The author and publisher have made every effort to obtain a release from photographers whose images appear in this book. In some cases, however, the photographers were not known or could not be contacted. Should additional photographers be identified, they will be credited in future editions of this book.

Trafalgar Square Books encourages the use of approved safety helmets in all equestrian sports and activities.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Chapman, Melissa A. Priblo, author.

Title: Distant skies : an American journey on horseback / Melissa A. Priblo Chapman.

Description: North Pomfret, Vermont : Trafalgar Square Books, 2020. | Summary: Melissa Chapman was 23 years old and part of a happy, healthy, loving family. She had a decent job, a boyfriend she cared about, and friends she enjoyed. Yet on the first of May in 1982, she said good-bye to all of it. Carrying a puppy named Gypsy, she climbed aboard a horse and rode away from everything, heading west. With no cell phone, no GPS, no support team or truck following with supplies, Chapman quickly learned that the reality of a cross-country horseback journey was quite different from the fantasy. Her solo adventure would immediately test her mental, physical, and emotional resources as she and her four-legged companions were forced to adapt to the dangers and loneliness of a trek that would span over 2600 miles, beginning in New York State and reaching its end on the other side of the country, in California-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020001560 (print) | LCCN 2020001561 (ebook) | ISBN 9781570769603 (paperback) | ISBN 9781646010240 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Chapman, Melissa A. Priblo--Travel. | Horsemen and horsewomen--United States--Biography. | Endurance riding (Horsemanship)--United States--Biography. | Overland journeys to the Pacific. | Human-animal relationships.

Classification: LCC SF284.52 .C43 2020 (print) | LCC SF284.52 (ebook) | DDC 798.092 [B]--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020001560

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020001561

Photos courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.

Book design by Tim Holtz
Cover design by RM Didier
Typefaces: Sabon, Orpheus

Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Rainy, Gypsy, and Amanda.
Every road is a story.

I cant tell you exactly how the dream of riding a horse across the country started. I can tell you how it flourished.

As a young child, I was known in my family as spacey. Id sit in school, and instead of paying attention, Id be lost in my own fantasy world, looking out the window, imagining riding through some distant town on a trustworthy horse.

From the back seat of the family car, no dirt road or shady trail escaped my notice. They beckoned to me, making me wish I could follow as they led me somewhere green and wild. I could almost feel the swing of a horses stride beneath me and the breeze at my back as my horse and I discovered where those roads and trails might take us.

Time passes and daydreamy kids grow up. But as a young adult, every time I stood in line for too long at the department of motor vehicles or struggled to pay bills, the fantasies reemerged. I still dreamed of living like a gypsy on the road, spending every day riding and free.

I had my own horsea lovely older gelding my dad helped me buyand as I was nearing the end of my teens I acquired a second mount: a four-year-old Quarter Horse I called Rainy. This horse proved to be remarkable, and by the time I was twenty-three and Rainy was seven, I knew I had the right horse for the journey Id dreamed of. Rainy and I were in good health and good shape. I couldnt think of a reason not to try to make it happen.

I wasnt trying to escape a troubled life. Just the opposite was true. I was part of a happy family. I had a job, a boyfriend, and friends I cared about. Yet in the spring of my twenty-third year, I said goodbye to all of that. Carrying a puppy named Gypsy, I climbed up on Rainy, the horse I loved so dearly, and we walked away from everything, heading west.

This is the story of our journey.

BEFORE

RAINY

A secret quest brought me to a winding country road, a folded newspaper with one small, circled classified ad on the seat beside me. I knew when I found the place I was looking for: a barn, and down the hill, horses grazing in a grassy field. The owner of the farm came out as I pulled in, and together, we walked toward the pasture.

I noticed a buckskin horse standing out amongst the sorrels and bays. He looked up from his grazing, walked up to us, and stopped in front of me. His coat was a light golden color, his mane and tail, midnight black. His muzzle and ears were a soft charcoal, like shadows. I took in every detail of this horse with deep clarityhis velvety coat and deep brown eyes. I held out my hand and the young horse met it with his muzzle, blowing a soft puff of air onto my palm. Right then, I knew he was my horse.

I asked my veterinarian to visit the buckskin and check him over, make sure he was healthy and sound. My vet took a liking to him, too, confirming my belief that Id found an exceptional horse. This was important, because I was keeping something to myself: I was searching for a horse that could carry me a long distance. A very long distancelike across the whole United States.

Some might have said I shouldve been looking for an older and more experienced horse. An older and wiser person would not have succumbed to love at first sight. But I was nineteen years old. I wasnt listening to common sense the day I met the buckskin. I was listening to an impulse deep inside me.

The young horse I named Raindance came home to live with me and my old gelding, Bo. The first sight of the buckskin across that green field, how he walked over and stood with me, felt like fate. We were never apart again.