Forty Million Hoofbeats

Everyone harbors a dream. Perhaps it is to leave the bills behind, see what is over the next hill, or even seek for adventure. Frank Heath, the author of "Forty Million Hoof Beats" did all that and more. A former cavalryman during the First World War, Heath not only knew about horses, but more importantly he understood the rigors involved in undertaking a great equestrian journey. That is why he took a deep breath before announcing to the world that he was going to ride to all 48 states within the continental United States. Most people would spend vast amounts of time and money to acquire a horse for such a stupendous undertaking. Heath did neither. He traded a horse he had on hand for a ten-year-old mare named Gypsy Queen. According to the horse trader, the mare Heath acquired was a Kentucky Morgan. Yet fancy pedigree aside, the little bay mare could cover ground like a fast moving windstorm. Mounted on Gypsy Queen, Heath set out in 1925 to see his vast country. The journey lasted more than two years, during which time the two travelers shared a long series of hardships, becoming inseparable companions in the process. In 1927, more than 11,000 miles later, Frank and his Gypsy Queen mare finally rode into Washington DC. The unlikely horse and her cavalryman rider had touched every state in the Union. One man's dream had been achieved. Long considered a classic equestrian travel tale, "Forty Million Hoof Beats" influenced three generations of Americans to follow Gypsy Queen and Frank Heath onto the high road of adventure. This marks the first time in more than 50 years that this once famous book will once again be available to the public.