logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2023
30m 17s

A Wild Ride on the Pony Express

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
About this episode

In 1860 the fastest way to get a message to a family member, partner, or colleague wasn’t by text but by hoof…specifically, a pony’s. In just ten short days the Pony Express delivered mail between St. Louis and Sacramento. To find out what it was like to travel this legendary trail, there’s only one way: get on a horse and follow all 2,000 miles of it. That’s what writer Will Grant did, retracing the route from Missouri to California over four and half months. This guest episode of the Outside podcast brings you an epic camping tale in the name of history.

 

We’ll be back with new episodes of Sidedoor in September! If you enjoyed this episode, find more stories from Outside at https://www.outsideonline.com/podcast

Up next
Aug 20
Back to School: Origins of the Pledge
Children say it every day in school, but have you ever wondered why we recite the pledge of allegiance? We journey back to the late 1800s to understand how a massive wave of immigration and sagging magazine subscriptions gave rise to this vow of patriotism. From the Civil War to ... Show More
31m 30s
Aug 6
Bear Trouble
When a black bear in Minnesota woke up from hibernation in the middle of winter and attacked three people and a dog, researchers were left with one question: Why?***This episode of the Points North podcast is part of our summer playlist to keep you entertained while Sidedoor is o ... Show More
17m 20s
Jul 23
Shellshocked II: Turtle Thieves
Turtles are built like tiny tanks—ancient, armored, and famously tough. But in the modern world, that toughness may be their greatest vulnerability. In part two of our turtle two-parter, we dive into the shadowy world of turtle trafficking, where backyard collectors, internationa ... Show More
30m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
Selects: How the Pony Express Worked
For as long a shadow as it casts across the history of the Old West, the Pony Express was a failed business venture, doomed from the start, that only lasted 18 months. But since the last rider headed out with his bag of mail, its legend has only grown. Learn all about it in this ... Show More
45m 1s
Oct 2017
The Big Lick
The Tennessee Walking Horse has a natural gait that's famously smooth. And, if trained in a certain way, it can perform a walk that's even more spectacular, called the Big Lick. But, there's a secret behind how, exactly, these horses are trained to do the crowd-pleasing step they ... Show More
26m 35s
Jul 2023
47. Listen To The Horses
Courntey Maum is not only a talented writer, but an experienced Horse Girl. Today she shares some of the important life lessons she’s learned from riding horses. Her latest book is all about her relationship with horses and is called The Year Of The Horses. This is an excerpt of ... Show More
6m 15s
May 2021
The Sleepy History of the Pony Express (Premium)
This is a preview episode. Get the full episode, and many more, ad free, on our supporter's feed: https://getsleepy.com/support. The Sleepy History of the Pony ExpressTonight, we go back in time once again for another Sleepy History story. This time, we'll trace the short, yet ex ... Show More
6m 6s
Nov 2020
Tinkle the Trick Pony 🐎
👋 Hello friends! This part 1 of a series of adventures featuring Tinkle the Trick Pony, we hope you enjoy. Oh, and Sheryl would like to apologize that she caught a bit of a cold recently and her voice doesn't sound quite as nice. Tinkle is a pony who lives in a nice green meadow ... Show More
21m 39s
Oct 2023
Bonus EP61 — Échappée entre l'Espagne et l'Italie, avec Isabel Del Real
Pour clôturer la saison 6 des Baladeurs en beauté, et vous donner envie d’écouter ou de réécouter ses aventures et mésaventures en pleine nature, voici une sélection de 4 nouvelles histoires coupées au montage à la sortie de nos derniers récits.  Dans ce bonus de l’épisode 61, Is ... Show More
7m 48s
Mar 2022
La ruée vers l'or
Dans cet épisode de Crousti-History, on vous parle de la ruée vers l’or ! Pas étonnant qu’on se rue dessus…En 1848, dans les environs de Coloma en Californie, des fragments d’or sont découverts près de la scierie d’un certain M. Sutter… Cette histoire (qui devait restée un secret ... Show More
2m 37s
Feb 2022
Even Hikers Get The Blues
When Jocelyn Smith was growing up, she told her friends and family she didn’t want to go to college. Instead, her goal was to hike all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail, a rugged journey spanning from northern Georgia to central Maine. Last year, she finally realized that drea ... Show More
35m 24s
Feb 2022
Tiger Roll, The People's Horse: Ep1 - A Star Is Born
A new 7-part series from RTÉ Documentary On One. To listen to all episodes, please subscribe to Tiger Roll, The People's Horse from wherever you get your podcasts. This series tells the remarkable story of Tiger Roll, a racehorse who has won two Aintree Grand Nationals (back-to-b ... Show More
30m 57s
Jul 2022
Introducing “The Sum of Us”
In a new series from Higher Ground, author Heather McGhee embarks on a road trip across Covid-era America, unearthing stories of American hope and solidarity in a time of great division and peril for our democracy.  In the first episode of the podcast, we’ll meet Heather and lear ... Show More
23m 3s