Horseback high school

Editor's Note: This is the second of a two-part series on the White Family traveling from the west coast to the east coast via horseback. Read part one in the Saturday, Aug. 3 edition of the Daily Times.

In the late morning, as the sun began to warm the day, small yellow tents were positioned smartly in the shade of the tall trees that grow around the Harrison Round-Up Club Arena. For several days last week, the White family made camp alongside their horses on the arena’s grounds — where board members from the club had also offered them access to the shower and kitchen facilities.

Joshua White, his wife Terra, and their two children — 15 year-old Lucas and 17 year-old Levi, have been traveling for two years on horseback with approximately two more years left to go before reaching the East Coast. On their journey, they have encountered many people who are ready to become friends, to share resources and to share their wisdom.

Larry and Francis Norman, of Green Forest, met the family at a BBQ the night before. Like many the Whites have met along the road, they quickly became their friends. Larry Norman arrived with a gift for the family on Wednesday morning — a McClellan saddle. McClellan saddles were used by the US Calvary up until the 1940s. Francis Norman purchased the saddle at a barn sale in Ohio, according to her husband. He thought he might be able to ride it himself but it was too small for him. The couple were happy to find someone who could use it. “We knew we had it for a reason,” said Francis Norman.

As the White family gathered around to try the saddle on one of their horses — a 13 year-old known as Groundwork, Lucas White explained, “This is like someone showing up and giving you a Ferrari.” The whole family was excited by the gift and expressed their gratitude repeatedly.

Expressions of gratitude are frequently heard in the family’s company. While they share appreciation for the material help new friends have given them along the way, the experience of getting to know and learn from people from all walks of life is also very meaningful to them.

The White children, Lucas and Levi, are responsible for managing the logistics of the journey. This is part of their “unschooling,” — the education they seek out in the world, rather than in a classroom. Their four-year journey, undertaken in place of a conventional high school career, will culminate in a book from each of the boys — “Something like a thesis,” Terra explained. In addition to writing about the experience, as well as budgeting and controlling finances, the teens look at maps each night to get an idea of how they should proceed as they travel on, but they rely equally on the shared wisdom of others for this responsibility.

“We have an intimate relationship with the United States,” said their father. “Every thirty or forty miles we make a new friend. We have to.” Lucas explains that he and his brother depend on local people as much as they do maps to help them understand the lay of land in each location they pass through, “They’re the best ones. They’ve been living here their whole lives. They know every backroad between here and there. Our routes are always changing. The wind and everything is always changing. Everything is a variable.”

Joshua shared that they have not encountered any contention with law enforcement because generally, horses are on the books as an acceptable way to travel. In most places, they have no issue with passing through on horseback, and in places where ordinances prohibit the family from camping outdoors; they sometimes rent a hotel or stay with new friends they meet.

These new friends offer more than a place to stay. The variety of people they encounter on their journey is diverse — people from all walks of life, from all religions and from all industries. “Every day is career day,” said Terra. “My kids seek out education,” she continued, “and we learn every day, all day, as a family.” “We learned about nuclear fission when we stayed with a nuclear bomb tester,” said Joshua, “and that ignited them (Lucas and Levi) to want to research. They had this bond with him.”

“I can’t even begin to express how many walks of life we’ve lived with,” he continued, “and their horizons…they aren’t going to school to find a career, they’re already being offered careers.”

The family has had more time for each other on the road as well, learning through their relationships with those already closest to them as well as those they meet along the way. “One thing about our relationship is no matter how mad we are at each other, we can’t really get away from each other anymore,” said Joshua.

“It’s true, you can drop a half a mile back, but then you’re just back there by yourself like…you don’t want to be alone. Happiness is best shared. We’ve stayed in some of the most beautiful, majestic places on this planet…” started Josh, when Terra finished his thought. “Even the most beautiful things, when you want to be alone and be selfish about it — you just want the whole world to see and feel,” she said. “It’s about the feeling and you try to describe those feelings to people and you just can’t. You have to be there, smell it, touch it, feel it. It is nice to have that by yourselves but you think, ‘Wow, this could change the world if people could feel what I’m feeling right now.”

The White family can be found at www.llmanquest.com and on Facebook as L&L Manquest.