On April
7th, 1996, Manfred Schulze of Geisenheim, Germany embarked on a trip
around the world -- on horseback. And even after being held at gun
point by Russian robbers, having to deal with drunken locals, being
hassled by border officials everywhere and the unexpected pregnancy
of his horse, Manfred is still going strong over three years later.
He travels with his two Hucul breed horses, a gelding named
Puschkin and a mare named Panca. After only three months of preparation,
they started in Germany and progressed through Poland, the Ukraine,
South Russia, Kasakstan, Siberia, Mongolia, China and South Korea.
Trailing closely behind is his supply van that doubles as his sleeping
quarters. Manfred depends on local volunteers to drive his van as
he rides along, many of whom turned out to be drunkards. "It was very
scary," Manfred said. So what inspired a man in his fifties to leave
his wife and children to engage in such a tremendous feat? "I want
to promote a world without borders," Manfred says. "This is my first
mission. When we have a world without borders, we have a world without
wars." Borders have certainly been the source of many problems and
delays during his trip. Officials at the Russian-Mongolian border
said that the border was for "Russians and Mongolians only," and he'd
have to enter from the north. You mean go around? To Manfred, this
was unthinkable. So instead, he hung out with a group of guards who
were camping in the nearby mountain range, drank vodka with them every
night and made friends with the generals. After ten days, they let
Manfred and his horses pass. Mission accomplished. But it wasn't that
easy at the Chinese border. There, it took eight months to approve
his passage, and for strict security reasons, Manfred was escorted
and forced to haul his horses through the country in just three days.
What Manfred finds most difficult about riding around the world is
the bureaucracy at the borders, and being granted permission to ride
through certain countries. To him, the long-distances and severe leg
cramps are nothing. After all, trotting the globe has been his dream
since he was a young boy. It's only when he gets to the borders, that
he finds himself harassed by officials. "Everyone demands money from
me. And I have to tell them, I don't have any money." And it's not
only the border officials who want money. He was held up twice in
Russia by bands of street robbers. Again, Manfred used his negotiating
skills. "I speak to these guys and I say, 'I can understand you, you
have big problems here in this country, and you're a poor man, maybe.
But you have to understand me. I want to finish my journey and I cannot
give you my money until my journey is finished.' And so they let me
go. I have luck with these things every time." Manfred's financial
woes are no joke. False claims that Puschkin carried a contagious
disease, trips back to Germany to extend his visa, and unexpected
quarantine costs have forced Manfred to put a second mortgage on his
home. "My wife and I used to have a house," Manfred laughs, "but now
it belongs to the bank."
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Manfred
and the new foal Timujin.
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Last spring, when Manfred was in California, he was hit with another
surprise. Panca, impregnated in Mongolia by a Mongolian Stallion,
gave birth to a foal now staying on a Nevada Ranch. The foal was
named Timujin, a tribute to the friends Manfred made in Mongolia,
"In Mongolia, it's amazing to see that the people live just as they
did during the days of Ghingis Khan. Timujin was the name of Ghingis
Khan before he was Khan." Healthy, in great spirits, and just as
motivated today as he was on day one, Manfred attributes his unprecedented
drive to Puschkin, Panca, and now Timujin. "I love my horses and
they love me. Whenever I'm away and I return to them, they are so
excited to see me. We're all best friends." In return, Manfred takes
very special care of them. In love with horses since he was a small
child, Manfred feeds them only the best foods. And he only travels
across the northern hemisphere, as continents below the equator
"won't do for my horses." He also insists on flying his horses from
continent to continent, rather than putting them on a ship. This
is because horses need to move, and on a plane, horses are in a
container for less then a day. It would be much longer on a ship.
And why bring along two horses? Because horses are herd animals.
Without a companion, the health and well-being of a horse is jeopardized.
Does this sound like fun? Well, to help defray the costs of traveling,
Manfred is offering one-week excursions to join him on his United
States tour. For a fee, you can join Manfred, Puschkin and Panca
complete with "room and board," (that would be the van of course),
as they travel across the states. And if you're a woman, "It's okay,"Manfred
says, "I will sleep outside." Reflecting on his trip, Manfred hopes
to complete his United States tour in New York sometime next year.
And in spite of the setbacks, (Manfred originally planned a three
year trip, but now it looks like it will take five) this is no doubt
his greatest life experience. "The people in all of these countries
are good people. Everyone has a warm heart. People everywhere help
me all the time. The only problem is the borders." And what about
his wife who's waiting for him at home? "My wife understands me,
and my children support me. My wife is working for me so that I
can go on this trip," he laughs. "Maybe when I get back we won't
have a house. I don't mind sleeping in my van, but maybe that won't
do for my wife." Smiling, he says, "When I began my journey I was
not a poor man, but now, I'm a poor man." Manfred may be poor in
terms of money, but certainly he is enriched in his life.
If you want to help Manfred or join him on his globetrotting journey,
visit his website at www.ridearoundtheworld.com.
Additional Sources:
Pavia, Audrey with Janice Posnikoff, DVM. Horses for Dummies.
(IDG Books, 1999).
Siegal, Mordecai, ed.. Book of Horses. (Harper Collins, Publishers,
1996) |
"I want
to promote a world without borders," Manfred says. "This is my first
mission. When we have a world without borders, we have a world without
wars."
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