HITTING THE TRAIL; FREEWAY COWBOY SAYS ROOF IS THE SKY.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

The tall, lanky cowboy with clear blue eyes, a whisker-covered face and dusty cowboy hat has drawn plenty of second glances and curious stares amid the Acuras, Mercedes and Cherokees in the Westlake Plaza parking lot.

Five years ago, Neal Harp said goodbye to Oklahoma and long, hard days of truck driving, saddled up his horse, Blackfoot, and headed out for a cross-country ride.

Harp found Westlake while looking for a place to pitch camp. In his four days here, Harp has found the residents to be good folks.

``People give me money and tell me: Keep going. I've already been invited to go to a home to clean up and do some laundry,'' said Harp, 45. ``They'd like to do it, too. But they're so tied to their little jobs.''

A sign tucked into Blackfoot's saddle states: ``From Oklahoma, looking for work.'' On the other side, it says, ``Looking for righter to right my book.''

It took Harp more than six months to make the trek from Sallisaw, Okla., to Los Angeles. In California, he has taken two trips to San Francisco and back, making stops along the way to earn money at odd jobs and rest his horse, an Arabian, and German shepherd-mix dog, Pudge.

He knows that his 1-1/2-month trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco would take six or seven hours in a car, but he wouldn't think of it.

``I don't drive those,'' said Harp, pointing to a car. ``I don't like them. Riding horseback is a different way of seeing the world. You just see everything this way. When you go by at 75 miles an hour, you don't see much. Everyone's going fast and going nowhere. Life's too short to not go out and do what you want to do.''

It was rest time for the group, and Blackfoot ambled slowly while Pudge plopped down to nap. Pudge usually jogs alongside the horse while the three travel down highways and freeways.

Since arriving in the Conejo Valley, Harp said, he has begun looking for a job operating heavy equipment so he can save enough money to ride away again.

Harp may sound like a real cowboy - even look like one in his black jeans, black leather vest and cowboy boots - but it has been a career of choice after driving a truck and working in construction.

Harp was born in Oklahoma but lived there for only a few years before moving to California with his family and attending high school in Barstow. He later returned to Oklahoma.

He worked with horses over the years, and he knows enough to shoe Blackfoot himself and take care of the horse's health.

``I got sick of the everyday grind - paying taxes and all that,'' Harp said. ``I just thought I'd try this, see if it could be done today. And it can.''

Harp scoffs at those who figure he is just a homeless man with a horse. There's more to it than that, he insists. Harp said he goes to the market for his food - and not to the back dumpsters, either. He buys a lemon pepper chicken in the deli section to share with Pudge, and he gets carrots for Blackfoot. Harp also buys alfalfa pellets for the horse at feed stores.

Anyway, Harp said, how can he be homeless when he feels like he is in his living room all the time?

``The Earth is my home. I don't want a house,'' Harp said. ``Home is where you feel good. I like sleeping outside with the stars above me.''

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3 Photos

Photo: (1--Color only in Conejo and Simi editions) Neal Harp walks his horse, Blackfoot, and dog, Pudge, through a busy intersection on Westlake Boulevard.

(2--Color only in Conejo and Simi editions) Neal Harp ties a bag of supplies to the saddle, above, before hitting the trail away from a market parking lot.

(3) Neal Harp feeds his horse outside a market. Watching are, from left, Chandra Claassen, Christine Mason and Liuba Belyansky.

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News