• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Animals / Who Were the Unsung Heroes of the Pony Express?

Who Were the Unsung Heroes of the Pony Express?

April 11, 2020 by Karen Hill

The real heroes of the Pony Express were the California mustangs, the horses that carry their riders so fast that not even the fastest Indian pony could catch them.

Had it not been for these wonderful horses, the Pony Express could never have made a single trip through territory often controlled by hostile Indians. The people who read tales about the Pony Express may not think about the horses, but the riders and the station agents did.

They made sure that the horses had the best food and the cleanest “beds.” The most dangerous job in the Pony Express was the station agents’. He was alone almost 24 hours a day and was often surrounded by Indians. Many of these stations were burned, and the agents killed, particularly in Utah and Nevada.

You can see one of the original Pony Express stations in Hanover, Kansas. You can visit the site of the station in Fairbury, Nebraska, where the crack shot Wild Bill Hickock was the agent.

Related Facts

  • How long did it take to get a letter from coast to coast by Pony Express in the American Old West?
  • How Long Did the Pony Express Exist?
  • How Was Billy Tate The Bravest Pony Express Rider?
  • What was the European Age of Exploration?
  • How many Pony Express riders were killed by Indians and outlaws in the American Old West?
  • Why Were The Pony Express Bandits Called The Wild Bunch?

Filed Under: Animals

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How Do Toadfish Catch Its Prey?
Next Post: How Does The Female Grouse Find Its Mate? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy