Woman riding horse from Florida to Texas passes through Dothan

Don’t believe the economy’s as bad as people say? Look no farther than U.S. Highway 84 for a living, breathing example of the hard times and tough choices facing many Americans.

Thanks to the nation’s economic decline, Donna Byrne lost her job and her home, forcing her to hit the road.

But you won’t find her driving a truck, as she once did for a living, or a car of any kind. She left her home in Arcadia, Fla., on the back of a horse and used her other horse to carry her limited possessions.

Her horseback journey has taken her up the gulf coast of Florida and into Houston County, where she plans to take Highway 84 all the way into Texas.

“I always liked going out to Texas,” said Byrne, 44. “I always wanted to ride across the country, so I decided now was the time.”

This isn’t exactly the way Byrne planned it, though.

She made her living working on a ranch before the economic crisis led to the operation shutting down.

The sudden loss of income caused Byrne to make a rash decision and take $100, some supplies and her two horses on a cross-country move to start over.

“Everybody’s losing out on everything. It’s getting hard out there,” Byrne said. “I don’t have family anymore. It’s just me and (the horses).”

Byrne has been surprised by the kindness shown by people she’s encountered on her journey.

“People have been putting me up in their houses,” she said. “People have been donating money, but I’ve been putting it toward the horses.”

When she hasn’t had a house, she’s found camping spots in the woods or at well-lit rest areas, where she feels safer.

Ultimately, she hopes to end up in Texas or Colorado, where she says she’ll feel more at home.

“I used to drive a truck and ride bulls, so I want to go where it’s more Western, where the real cowboys are,” Byrne said. “Ultimately I want to make my way up to Denver because of the mountains and all that. You go out there, you’ll never want to come back again.”