50 States (and 12 Countries) By Saddle
- Achieving a 50-State Goal: What started as a healing pursuit turned into a milestone achievement as Susan successfully rode a horse in all 50 states and expanded her equestrian adventures across six continents.
- A Unique Perspective on History and Nature: Exploring the world from the saddle — whether retracing history at Gettysburg or taking in the grandeur of America's national parks — offers a uniquely immersive and serene way to connect with the landscape.
- The Power of the Equine Bond: An integral part of equestrian travel is the profound, unspoken trust and mutual understanding built between the rider and their horse.
We all chase something that sparks our sense of wonder — maybe it’s spotting your 300th bird, setting foot on every continent or exploring each of our national parks. For Susan H. of Longview, Washington, that spark involved a horse — actually more than 50 horses — to fulfill her dream of riding in all 50 states. With the help of Road Scholar adventures, along with journeys of her own, Susan followed the trail wherever it led — and in August 2025, she realized her goal in Maryland.
Born on a dairy farm in Washington State, Susan — one of six children — grew up in the easy rhythm of farm life, surrounded by cows, horses and wide-open space. She still remembers climbing onto a gentle Shetland pony at just four years old, riding alongside her brother with the kind of fearless joy only children know. Looking back, she laughs, “My father didn’t realize what he was setting in motion when he made sure all six of us had a horse to ride.”
The Trail Back to Joy
Fast forward, and in the midst of a heartbreaking time, Susan decided she needed to do something to bring joy back into her life. She found it in the saddle. “That's when I was inspired to ride a horse in every state,” she says. In 1993, she set out to follow a path that would carry her far beyond what she first imagined.
Along the way, her dream grew into something even bigger — rides in 14 countries and on every continent (except Antarctica, where, as she notes with a smile, there are no horses). “This journey deepened my appreciation for landscapes, history and people, across the U.S. and around the world,” Susan reflects.
Home Sweet Home
“One of my favorite locations in Washington State is Long Beach, where I’ve shared so many special moments on horseback with my children and grandchildren,” she explains. Just down the coast, Cannon Beach in Oregon holds its own kind of magic. “Every ride includes a photo with Haystack Rock — a towering basalt formation rising 235 feet above the sand. At low tide, we can walk right up to the enormous rock,” she says.
Hoofing it With Road Scholar
In 2019, Susan set out solo on Road Scholar’s Best of the Dakotas, where the landscape — and the memories — unfolded beautifully from the saddle. She has traveled solo on all of her Road Scholar journeys, with the exception of the Mackinac Island program that she did with her granddaughter. “I really enjoy meeting diverse people and making new friends,” she says. “In North Dakota, I rode Doc, a cranky old boy, up to the top of a mesa,” she recalls. “From there, we had a panoramic view of the Badlands, looking out over the tiny town of Medora. “In South Dakota, I rode a blue roan through a Ponderosa pine forest and along the way, caught sight of the Chief Crazy Horse carving.”
For Susan, it wasn’t just about the places — it was the horses, the quiet moments and the ever-changing views that made each ride unforgettable.
Susan’s panoramic view of the Badlands, atop Doc, in 2019.
A Grandmother-Granddaughter Adventure to Remember
Susan shared her love of learning with her granddaughter, Alexa, in 2023 on Road Scholar’s Mackinac Island: The Jewel of Michigan.
“We felt transported back to the mid-1800s,” says Susan. With cars left behind on the mainland, the pair embraced the island’s historic rhythm, getting around only by bicycle, horseback and horse-drawn carriage.
One unforgettable highlight was pulling up to the iconic Grand Hotel in a carriage for an elegant afternoon high tea. The next day, they saddled up and rode together through the quaint town streets and out onto peaceful forest trails. It was more than just a step back in time — it was a chance to connect, learn and share a completely new perspective. “We’ll cherish those memories for a lifetime,” Susan says.
Susan riding Satin on Mackinac Island, 2023.
Hoofbeats in Her Heart (and Her Journal)
To Susan, every ride is a story worth saving. Whenever she wants to relive the magic of a past trip, she needs only to open her lovingly crafted journal — a deeply personal chronicle of every single ride she’s taken over the years. Brimming with photos and heartfelt notes, the pages function as a passport right back to her favorite learning adventures.
Reading through, she can almost feel the rhythmic, elegant stride of Gurbe, a towering 17.2-hand Friesian she rode during a Vermont dressage lesson. Another entry transports her to a quiet Massachusetts meadow, where she trotted through wildflowers on an Arabian named Caspian. And in Connecticut, a profoundly special memory lives on — exploring a serene trail astride Spirit Dancer, a beautiful paint from the Lakota Indian Nation. Through her notes, Susan ensures that the spirit of these magnificent animals — and the joy of the journey — stays with her forever.
Her journal also captures profound moments where history and nature beautifully intertwine. In Pennsylvania, Susan didn't just visit Gettysburg — she experienced it from the saddle. “To see the battlefield in person on horseback and ride the trail that General Robert E. Lee and the Confederates used to position themselves for battle on July 1, 1863, was incredible,” she shares. Farther west, the pages turn to Oklahoma, where a stately, gray-speckled Percheron cross carried her along the rugged, peaceful wilderness trails of Sequoyah State Park.
Then, there are the postcard-perfect memories. In Maui, Susan remembers the steady rhythm of her horse climbing a lush mountain path, passing a rushing waterfall before opening to a breathtaking view of the shimmering coast. Looking back at her beautifully chronicled journeys, Susan’s heart is full. “My rides have been far more than I ever dreamed they would be,” she reflects.
Susan shares her love of learning with granddaughter, Alexa.
Discovering America’s Parks from the Saddle
There is no better vantage point for taking in the grandeur of the American landscape than from the back of a horse. Between the ears of a trusted equine companion, Susan has witnessed some of the country’s most breathtaking and treasured parks in a profoundly personal way.
Her adventures have carried her across a magnificent cross-section of the nation. She has explored the quiet serenity of Arkansas’ Lake Sequoyah Park and the lush beauty of Missouri’s Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. Out West, she marveled at the untamed wilderness, riding through the meadows of Idaho’s Harriman State Park, the iconic wonders of Yellowstone, the dramatic red rock spires of Bryce Canyon and the sweeping desert expanses of Big Bend. Her frontier explorations have even reached the majestic, awe-inspiring peaks of Alaska’s Denali National Park.
Yet, the magic of her rides isn’t limited to deep wilderness. From retracing profound moments in history at Gettysburg to enjoying an ambling, peaceful trot through the iconic, tree-lined paths of New York’s Central Park, every destination has offered its own unique rhythm. For Susan, each park has been an opportunity to slow down, connect deeply with her surroundings and experience the world exactly as she loves it most.
Globetrotting
Susan’s equestrian passport extends far beyond American borders, carrying her on a magnificent trot across six continents. Some of her international rides have felt like stepping straight into a storybook. In London, she enjoyed an unforgettable ride through the iconic paths of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. “I had to pinch myself to believe I was actually riding in Kensington Park where the Queen has ridden,” she marvels. In Europe, her travels have also taken her through the emerald landscapes of Killarney, Ireland, allowed her to experience the thrill of riding an Andalusian in a historic bull ring and out onto the trails of La Carlotta, Spain.
Other journeys have been deeply intertwined with profound history and human connection. Susan has ridden through the ancient, rose-red city of Petra in Jordan, and traveled to Cambodia — twice — to ride near the majestic temples of Angkor Wat while volunteering on mission trips. Her thirst for global discovery is boundless; she has explored the pine-scented trails of Camp John Hay in the Philippines, the rugged mountains of Pemberton, British Columbia, the diverse terrains of Sydney and Port Douglas in Australia and the sweeping, vibrant landscapes of Africa.
Whether she’s discovering a national park along Argentina’s Rio de la Plata, experiencing the famously smooth, rhythmic gait of a Paso Fino horse on Honduras’s Roatan Island or taking in the sunny shores of Aruba, Susan fully immerses herself in the local culture and environment. She even witnessed the breathtaking contrast of Mexico’s landscape during a desert-to-beach ride in Cabo San Lucas, perfectly framed by the towering rocks of the iconic Arch. For Susan, the world is vast and wonderfully diverse, but from the back of a horse, it always feels like home.
Susan riding an Andalusian in Spain.
Horsing Around
No matter where in the world her travels take her, the true heart of Susan’s adventures lies in the profound, unspoken bond she builds with her equine companions. “Horses respond to you,” Susan explains. “If you love them, they return that love.”
This beautiful reciprocity was especially clear to her during a memorable ride in Lake Tahoe with her late husband and great traveling companion, Ken. “When Ken and I arrived at the stables, the horse he ended up riding was in the corral,” explains Susan. “I walked up to him and began to scratch his ears and tell him how beautiful he was. He was just drinking it all in and looking at me with those beautiful eyes.” While Susan didn’t get to ride this horse — Ken did —she still had a special experience. “When we rounded that big boulder, I just gasped at the beauty there before me,” says Susan. Their guide told them that this was where they took the photo shoots and directed Susan to position herself and her horse with the beautiful mountains and Lake Tahoe in the background. Then Ken was instructed to bring his horse beside Susan for the pictures. “As Ken was bringing his horse up beside me, his horse leaned his head on my thigh as he got next to me. It was so sweet, and the other couple we were riding with exclaimed, ‘Look at that. Did you see that?’ Needless to say I couldn't resist continuing to pet him.”
Susan Explores Egypt
In February 2026, Susan experienced Beyond the Pharaohs: Egypt Past and Present with Road Scholar. “Sarah Tarek, our Group Leader, was deemed the best Road Scholar instructor any of us had ever had, and I’ve had some really good ones,” she says. Susan rode her horse, Mona Lisa, in front of the three great pyramids, the Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure as well as the great Sphinx. “It was an incredible experience to ride among the last remaining seven ancient wonders of the world.”
Susan riding in Rwanda.
An Ever-Expanding Horizon
Even with so many miles in the saddle, Susan’s passion for discovery shows no signs of slowing down. She recently returned from a deeply meaningful journey to Rwanda, where she visited a young woman she has sponsored for eight years through Africa New Life — and, true to form, she made sure to find time for a ride through the lush landscapes of Kigali.
But for a lifelong learner like Susan, the end of one journey is simply the inspiration for the next. “My bucket list will never be empty,” she says with a smile. “As I fulfill one or two things, I seem to add two or three more.”
Looking ahead, her travel dreams are as wonderfully diverse as the pages of her riding journal. She hopes to dive into American history on Road Scholar’s Boston learning adventure, explore the mist-shrouded ruins of Machu Picchu and feel the thunderous beauty of Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. She even has her sights set on experiencing the frozen wonder of Antarctica — fully accepting that, since there are no wild or native horses there, she might have to trade her riding boots for snow boots.
A Legacy of Shared Adventures
Beyond her own travel dreams, Susan’s greatest joy is instilling a lifelong love of discovery in her grandchildren. She is always looking for meaningful adventures they can share, especially ones that involve her favorite four-legged friends. Next up on her grandparent-grandchild wish list? She’s hoping to hit the trails on Road Scholar’s Rope & Ride at the White Stallion Ranch With Your Grandchild and Misty of Chincoteague: An Island Adventure With Your Grandchild.
Always a New Trail to Discover
Susan’s story is a beautiful testament to the power of lifelong learning and the magic of seeing the world from a different perspective. Whether she’s exploring a faraway landscape, reflecting on a quiet moment of trust with a horse or watching her grandchildren light up on the trail alongside her, her adventures remind us that the journey never truly ends. For Susan — and for all of us in the Road Scholar community — there’s always a new path to explore, a new connection to make and a new story to write.
