Home   Mule Bridles  Mule Training Books   Mule Blog   Mule Talk! Podcast   ContactUs

The Lone Horseman & The Lone Horseman Book II by Larry Sarver published by Every Cowgirl's Dream

Click here for price. Click here for price.

Introduction by Cindy K Roberts       I met Larry Sarver at Elkhaven Horse Camp in Keystone, South Dakota; it was July of 2016. I was hosting an all ladies, mule trail ride; where mules were hauled from several states to join up and ride with the group called, The Petticoat Mule Riders.      Larry made his way into camp on and introduced himself; Larry got wind that the group wanted to saddle up and ride the trails from camp to Mount Rushmore. And, Larry offered his guide services to our female riding party; now mind you, we just met this guy that calls himself the Lone Horseman, and he is a big man. However, most of us carried a sidearm and we outnumbered him; so we were confident we could deal with the situation.      I’m not sure how Larry came up with a horse, but if you do get to know Larry, you will find out, he has an unconventional influence on people and he has acquaintances all over. If Larry needed a horse, someone would provide a horse, never mind the truck and trailer, Larry would sort out the details later.      So, here we are riding with a complete stranger out of camp, taking charge, leading us into the Black Hills Wilderness in South Dakota. Our saddlebags were filled with trail mix bars and canteens of water; our hearts were filled with laughter.      Larry took us on an all day adventure, crossing water twenty-two times that day along the Centennial Trail that was originally established in 1889. The ride itself would take four hours to get to our destination. There was no mozie-down-the-trail kind of a pace; we pushed hard.      We stepped down to have lunch in the shaded area near the monument as Larry entertained us with his stories. And there were stories.       What an obscure trail riding day, just because Larry made up his mind that we needed him for our tour guide. You see, Larry doesn’t take kindly to the word no. No, to Larry the Lone Horseman, means to cowboy up.      The next day, several of us, took off for the town of Deadwood, South Dakota; Larry was at the wheel in a broken down jalopy. This was another side of Larry that we got to know.     It was a wild ride into Deadwood, Larry was hauling ass on Iron Mountain Road, speeding through tunnels; our knuckles were turning white from hanging onto our seats. Relieved that we made it into Deadwood without having wrecked the only transportation we had, I offered to buy Larry lunch (Mineral Palace Hotel & Casino) for being our wilderness tour guide the day before. I also bought him this silly looking t-shirt. (left)     By the end of the week, the Petticoat Mule Riders are packing up and ready to haul back to their home town. Of course, Larry wanted to keep in touch; me being an author and publisher was interesting to Larry.     I really didn’t think I would run into Larry again, I have met so many drifters over the years; I knew it would be by mere chance if I ever saw him again. Surprisingly, I saw Larry in the Black Hills, South Dakota several times; and next, he popped up on Facebook. I wasn’t sure how to classify Larry; is he an ankle biter? Yes. A free spirit? Yes. Larry is The Lone Horseman; and he needed a publisher.     Larry being insistent, contacted me several times while working on typing his manuscript. Adapting to PC skills was out of the question. Larry moved around, taking a job at a stable up in Vermont where he worked with horses and clients. Then I get the announcement that Larry bought a new typewriter to finish writing his manuscript. He sunk his heart and soul into typing page after page about his journey; then to retype the page after his memories were coming back. Yes, Larry had a story and it was going to be told.     A couple of years later, the second manuscript was mailed to me; I knew then I had to publish his book. Even though Larry is rough around the edges, and he doesn’t have an ounce of corporate qualities in his blood, Larry is Larry. I learned Larry had to quit high school, but he moved on and made the best of it, taking on jobs at every opportunity.     I received the manuscript in the mail by a wing and a prayer. By that, I mean the package was sent first class with no signature required or proof of delivery. And there was cash.     Some pages of the manuscript needed a little work, in which I typed his story in the beginning chapter. This is Larry, his story and I have no desire to change it. In his own words, Larry being Larry in the rough, raw, sensitive to nature, Larry made choices in his life.     I read the manuscript and I couldn’t put it down. Despite the typos and the grammar, I got to know the Lone Horseman that took this journey across the United States while riding his horse through tunnels, ditches, highway service roads, and fields...a free spirit that layed his head down on the grass under the moon and stars. During this time, Larry took comfort in being with his horse that soon became his protector.     So, here is Larry Sarver’s account on his travels by horseback across America. Larry Sarver is The Lone Horseman.