What were the requirements to be a Pony Express rider?

What were the requirements to be a Pony Express rider?

Official riders shall be members who are fourteen years of age (turning 14 at ANY time during the Re-Ride year) or over, with a suitable horse, apparel and equipment. Persons 14 – 17 years of age must have parent or guardians consent. Each rider must be a member in one of the state divisions.

How much did Pony Express riders get paid?

The riders were paid $25 a week, which in those days was good money. Each carried a gun, a waterbag and the mail, in a pouch specially designed to survive even if the horse and rider did not. Riders changed to a fresh horse at each station along the way and handed over to a new rider every 75 to 100 miles.

Which was probably not a requirement to be a rider for the Pony Express?

This was so the riders wouldn’t get so lonely at night. This was as far as a horse could run without getting tired. Which was probably not a requirement to be a rider for the Pony Express? You had to be light.

What was the life of a Pony Express rider?

He sent supplies to each station along the route, bought horses and paid riders with company money. Riders on the Pony Express had to meet certain requirements. Most riders were under one hundred pounds and were similar in size to horse jockeys today. The lighter the rider, the faster the horse could go.

Who was the youngest Pony Express rider?

Charlie Miller
One of the youngest who claimed to be a Pony Express rider was 11-year old Charlie Miller. One of the oldest was 45-year old Major Howard Egan, who also worked as a station keeper.

How far did Pony Express riders travel on a usual day?

75 to 100 miles
Each rider generally rode 75 to 100 miles (120 to 160 km) and changed horses every 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km).

Which best explains why Pony Express riders head to weigh less than 125 pounds?

The riders of the Pony Express made $100 a month, which was pretty good money for the time. They worked hard, riding in bad weather, rough terrain, and in dangerous situations. In order to keep the weight down that the horses had to carry, the riders had to weigh less than 125 pounds.

Who was the oldest Pony Express rider?

One of the oldest was 45-year old Major Howard Egan, who also worked as a station keeper. The Pony Express ran year-round and ’round the clock, along a route that connected California and Missouri, through Utah, Nebraska, and Kansas.

Did William F Cody ride for the Pony Express?

Buffalo Bill Cody probably wasn’t a Pony Express rider. But while Cody almost certainly worked as a messenger for the owners of the Pony Express, there is no record of him ever carrying the mail, and evidence suggests he was probably in school in Kansas during the company’s brief history.

What was the average age of a Pony Express rider?

around 20
Rather than burly cowboys, most of the riders were small, wiry men who weighed between 100 and 125 pounds—roughly the same size as a modern horseracing jockey. Their average age was around 20, but it wasn’t unusual for teenagers as young as 14 to be hired.