Does horseback riding tear up general use trails?

Considering riding horseback across a few states?

• so heres the plan, i have about six weeks in mid to late summer with nothing to do. i saw a website advertising free horses (former competition horses that had minor injuries and can no longer perform, saving them from slaughter i guess). anyway, is it completely insane to consider getting one of these and riding out from california to new orleans over the space of a couple months? i know someone out there who would be more than willing to take care of the horse, and it sounds like a trip of a lifetime. the horses are a reasonable age (around 10) and are typically used as trail horses. i would bring a tent, supplies, use mostly unpaved roads or trails, and use national parks/forests as much as possible. also, maybe a friend? who knows.. anyone with extensive riding experience please give me your two cents, and let me know of potential pitfalls to this ides. thanks.

• Answer:

  I think that you will have extreme difficulty finding a continuous path that allows horses across any of the several states among the United States. You should probably look at north-to-south trails in the mountains, such as the Continental Divide Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail. ================= Zigzagging its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) boasts the greatest elevation changes of any of America's National Scenic Trails, allowing it to pass through six out of seven of North America's ecozones including high and low desert, old-growth forest and alpine country. Indeed, the PCT is a trail of diversity and extremes. From scorching desert valleys in Southern California to rain forests in the Pacific Northwest, the PCT offers hikers and equestrians a unique, varied experience.