In emergencies, a given rider might ride two stages back to back, over 20 hours on a quickly moving horse. Riders, who could not weigh over 125 pounds (57 kg), changed about every 75–100 miles (120–160 km), and rode day and night. Eventually, everything except one revolver and a water sack was removed, allowing for a total of 165 pounds (75 kg) on the horse’s back. Included in that 20 pounds (9 kg) were a water sack, a Bible, a horn for alerting the relay station master to prepare the next horse, and a revolver.

The mochila could hold 20 pounds (9 kg) of mail along with the 20 pounds (9 kg) of material carried on the horse. Bundles of mail were placed in these cantinas, which were padlocked for safety. The mochila was thrown over the saddle and held in place by the weight of the rider sitting on it. They often said that, if it came to be, the horse and rider should perish before the mochila did. The employers stressed the importance of the pouch. At each station stop the express rider would change to a fresh horse, taking only the mail pouch called a mochila (from the Spanish for pouch or backpack) with him. This was roughly the distance a horse could travel at a gallop before tiring. In 1860, there were about 157 Pony Express stations that were about 10 miles (16 km) apart along the Pony Express route. But it carries the romantic image of the Wild West, mainly because of the intrepid riders and the short-stage horse gallops needed to deliver mail rapidly. Most Americans don’t realize, however, that the service was short-lived: only 18 months-from 1860-1861, until the Civil War brought it to a close. Using the Express, one could get a letter from the East coast to Calif0rnia in only 10 days-not too much longer than it takes now! Joseph, Missouri: it was the fastest way to get letters across the U.S.

The Pony Express was a horseback mail service connecting Sacramento, California with St. If you’re not a Yank, you likely haven’t heard of it, but the story of the Express was taught to all schoolkids when I was a youngster. This is the one celebrating the 155th anniversary of the Pony Express. There are two Doodles today, but only one is visible in the U.S.

155th anniversary of the pony express