Hi, my name is Larissa Mueller and I’m currently on an epic journey! I am circumnavigating New Zealand on horseback and fundraising for a charity called Leg-Up Trust.I rode the South Island with my friend Kendall and her horse China. Now I’m riding the North Island solo with my mare Sprite. We cover about 15-30km a day, depending on the terrain and where I can borrow a paddock for my horse from local landowners.
I give Sprite at least one rest day per week, sometimes more depending on weather conditions. I ride during the spring, summer, and autumn months. I usually stop for winter to earn enough money to continue and rest my horse. I ride for 5-7 months during the season and cover thousands of kilometers during that time.
So far we’ve ridden almost 7000km over 4 summers, and I estimate the total journey to be around 10,000km. Long riding is a really different type of endurance to ‘short and fast’ racing, but still uses many of the same principles.Our horses have all been bitless and barefoot and packed with ultralight gear. We have used Renegade Hoof Boots since almost the very beginning. We were very impressed when our first set only wore out after 3500km! (Note: that is 2175 miles!) We are lucky in NZ to have the services of Peter Greig. Peter fits boots and provides excellent aftercare to his customers.
For me, boots will always win over metal shoes. You can’t beat the fact that they allow for the horse to keep a healthy barefoot hoof, and you can choose when to use them and when to leave them off. My ride encompasses beach, farm, and road riding with many water crossings and muddy sections.
Our Renegade Hoof Boots have performed well in every environment. The flexible heel captivator and padding has meant they never rubbed Sprite or hindered her movement.
I recommend these boots to everyone I meet and people love to see her wearing her ‘Reeboks’! Once they see how easy they are to use the boots practically sell themselves.If you’d like to follow my journey, check out ‘Homefree – riding for Leg-Up Trust‘ on Facebook. There is a link on there to the donation page for Leg-Up Trust too. They work with disadvantaged children and horses in a therapy program. Every cent donated makes a real difference to the kids. I’m aiming to raise $20,000 in total for Leg-Up Trust and have just reached $10,000 raised. Thanks for reading!
Larissa Mueller