Check out my new video podcast in the iTunes music store. For free, you can get tips on great horseback riding destinations and great horses around the world, behind the scenes of our PBS travel series, and more.

"Sometimes you wonder why they all bunch up into cities, when there's all of this,” observes Ron Schaefer, head cowboy at Rancho de la Osa, as we look out over miles of high desert and the small twin border towns of Sasabe, Mexico and Sasabe, Arizona. We had raced on horseback against the setting sun, Ron in the lead, eager to show me this view in the afternoon light from atop the highest peak in the area.

At that this time of day, the beautiful setting sun filters through the mesquite trees and ... ...

Bryce Canyon National Park is a place that I’ve always wanted to explore. I was fortunate to be guided by “The Kid,” a black Quarter Horse who’s ridden the Rim Trail a thousand times. That’s the kind of guide I want when I am seeing a new place. A veteran - an expert - someone in great shape and knows exactly what potholes to avoid on the trail to get me safely through the journey. It seems I had found the perfect horse for the job. At a juncture by the Queen’s Garden, where the canyon ... ...

I take a deep breath and stare at the glacier-capped Wind River Mountains. My Quarter Horse Hank has probably seen this view a hundred times, but he stands quietly while I try to take it all in. I’m at Wyoming’s T Cross Ranch, riding out amongst the low sagebrush and honey colored grass and feeling at peace with the world.

My cell phone can’t intrude because it doesn’t work here. I don’t need to check my email and there is no pressure to hurry back to the ranch for the 6 o’clock news. ... ...

On a recent trail ride in the town of Cave Creek, outside of Phoenix, Arizona, the need to preserve riding trails, not only in natural areas but in our own backyard, was once again brought to my attention. Riding with trails preservationists and Cave Creek residents Terry Smith and Don and Cathy Peterson, who have mapped trails in the Cave Creek area and beyond, I was struck by their passion for incorporating horses and western lifestyle into their community. It made me wonder what more we can do ... ...

Everywhere I travel, someone has a different and sometimes a remarkable take on how to ride and how to communicate with horses. I always listen to what each person has to say about their horses before I mount up. People train their horses in different ways. Whether they cluck to get their horse to change gears or give a slight nudge with their legs or both, they are communicating what they want to their equine partner. Some people use more subtle cues, but no matter how different they seem, theyall ... ...

Our new third season of high definition episodes debuts on PBS stations across the nation this month, taking viewers horseback riding in extreme destinations including snowy Quebec, along the border of Arizona and Mexico and deep into the jungle in Belize. Episodes in the new, third season include Costa Rica, Kentucky, Arizona, Belize, Texas, Southern Quebec and Utah.

You may watch the season three video on our homepage, as well as other video of horseback riding around the world.

Please check your ... ...

Please join us next week on Thursday, October 16th from 5:30p-7:00p for a book signing and reception for our new book Equitrekking Travel Adventures on Horseback at Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City. (31 West 57th Street)

Here's a brief description of the book, which chronicles our first 13 episodes: "This companion to the American Public Television series Equitrekking proves that the world's most beautiful views are often best seen from atop a horse. This gorgeous book features dozens of scenicrides ... ...