Monday 7 July: I’ve got stirrups!

If you have to stay at Fox Lynch – if the pub is full and you’re really desperate – for goodness sake take ear plugs, because the dogs barked all night long. Three terriers yelling all through the night. Either the owner couldn’t hear them, or he’s used to the racket. Either way, we didn’t get much sleep. The uncheery face of the owner didn’t do much to raise our spirits, although breakfast was quite good.

The great news – for me, anyway – was that our support crew had arrived last night with my stirrups. Karen’s parents John and Joyce, had collected them from my house and brought to us in Ogbourne, along with our overnight stuff and dry clothes. This meant that we could do more than just walk today, which was lucky as we had about 13 miles to cover.

Both the girls looked like they hadn’t had much sleep, the rain was falling and the weather forecast didn’t look good. But we walked up the hill away from Ogbourne and as we reached the Ridgeway, the wind blew the clouds over us and the rain cleared. From the height of the Ridgeway, we looked back at when we’d ridden the previous day – a great sight to see.

We found lanes and tracks to trot along, to cover more ground, reaching our second ancient fort at Liddington. Then we dropped down off the Ridgeway to reach our first stretch of road. We crossed the M4 – a wide bridge with traffic thundering underneath. Bee was more worried by the grill on the road, but seemed happier being led across. I really didn’t mind (I had stirrups and knew I could easily get back on!) and it was her first motorway. Soon after both Karen and I spotted a map case in the verge – one of the ones that serious walkers wear round their necks. Always one to snap up a freebie, I hopped off again (did I tell you that I had stirrups?!) and gave the case a good home, around my neck.

Our ride took us past stands of ancient beech trees and woodland that has been there since our ancestors started to use the Ridgeway. We past Wayland Smithy, but you can’t ride in, so we just stood outside and looked for a while. We’ll come back some day on foot.

After 2½ hours of riding we got off to walk for a while to stretch our legs and let the horses stretch. Lunch was eaten on the ground today, with time for the girls to graze.

To the south the clouds were scudding past us; to the north the clouds were dropping their rain onto the valleys. Riding along the Ridgeway meant that we stayed in the sun and stayed dry.

We rode out of Wiltshire and into Oxfordshire. All too soon we turned off the Ridegeway and followed a grassy track to Down Barn Farm. This is the home of Penny Reid and her horses, beef cattle, sheep, Tamworth pigs, chickens, house cow, Oliver the cat and Hilda the dog. There was a lovely field for the girls, with stunning, uninterrupted views to the south. Even though we arrived around 3pm, we put the girls rugs on and the settled onto the sofas in the sitting room. Just in time for the most amazing thunder storm. We watched the forked lightening on the hill and listened to the rain and then hail, as the thunder crashed over head. How lovely to be in such a warm, dry, friendly home.

Penny had us topping and tailing the gooseberries, before serving us the most wonderful meal of soup, home grown organic beef, gooseberry crumble and home made clotted cream. What a lovely end to a great day. And comfortable beds too!

Just Giving - an easy way to donate

Just Giving is a really easy way to donate to charities online. A small commission is taken to cover costs, but Just Giving also help the charity to claim Gift Aid - an extra 28% on top of your donation, which can make a huge difference.

My fundraising page for the Ridgeway ride is still open - go to http://www.justgiving.com/chantalsridgewayride2008 if you'd like to donate and help more sick or injured horses and donkeys in the Third World.

Sunday 6 July: Sunshine, showers and string for stirrups

We set off from the Wiltshire start of the Ridgeway on Sunday afternoon, with just a nine mile ride ahead of us. We nearly didn’t start, as I realised that I’d left my stirrups at home. Dressage riders and instructors will tell you that riding without stirrups, but nine miles over the Downs on a horse who doesn’t know where she is? Not really my idea of fun, but this little hitch wasn’t going to stop me. I fashioned some ‘stirrups’ out of baler twine – always worth carrying some spare string – and made do with them. It did mean that we had to keep to walk all day – not really safe to trot or canter with string round your feet!

We had beautiful views to both sides of us and wide grassy tracks. A few walkers past us as the black clouds started to catch up behind us and suddenly the heavens opened and we were soaking wet. It was the real wet rain that gets in, but we weren’t the only ones to suffer – quite a few walkers we met didn’t even have coats on.

The rain cleared and Barbary Castle rose above us on the Ridgeway – ancient ramparts built thousands of years ago, from where to watch the valleys below. We rode up through the ramparts – it would have made a lovely canter, if I’d had stirrups!

Soon we seemed to settle into a rhythm, eating sandwiches as we went along. I’m not sure I could have got back on if I got off, anyway. The wind was strong and we soon dried off, before getting wet again in the steady drizzle.

The Ridgeway is clearly marked, so the navigation is easy. Eventually we turned down the hill into the village of Ogbourne St George. With not far to go it was nice to get off and walk for half an hour, after three hours of riding. I think the horses enjoyed hading a stretch too.

We arrived at Fox Lynch, somewhere listed on the Ridegeway website, where we’d booked B&B for us and the horses. There were nice stables and plenty of hay for two tired horses, who seemed pleased to get out of the rain. A rather small and shabby bunk room with rosettes pinned to the ceiling for us. Photos of horses on the wall – obviously a family of riding and training. We put our saddles on the sofa as there wasn’t much room to move. I wonder when the sheets were last changed and I really didn’t like the look of the shower …

The local pub, The Inn with the Well, (where I would stay if I ever need to spend the night around here again) doesn’t do food on Sunday evenings. Luckily, we’d arranged to meet my parents, who took us to a lovely for supper. We got back to our ‘digs’ in time to see Nadal win Wimbledon, before settling down for the night ... or so we thought ...

New Yatt RDA Sponsored Ride - the Dry Run

Fancy a quiet hack on Sunday afternoon?

This is what I said in an email to Karen one Wednesday in April 2008, when I heard about a sponsored ride round Eynsham Park in Oxfordshire, being run in aid of the New Yatt Riding for the Disabled group. It was an eight mile ride around the park and we knew it would be a good dry run for us and the girls - my horse Bee Bee and Karen's horse Pattie. That's them on the left of the photo.

All the worrying we did about how the girls would travel together, how they would behave around other horses, what might set them off ... As it was, they behaved impecably and we needn't have worried about anything.

But it's always good to have a rehearsal for the big event, isn't it?

Let's Ride the Ridegway!

Those fatal words were uttered by both myself and my friend Karen Ambrose. We can't decide who had the idea first and therefore who to blame ... by the time it was said, it was too late.

During the autumn of 2007 we sat in front of the internet and did some planning. The website at www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway helped us work out how long it might take and how far we might ride each day. It all seemed quite easy back then. 70 miles along an ancient drovers' route; a few hours each day; some nice places to stay overnight ...

We checked our diaries and decided to opt for a week at the beginning of July 2008. The weather was bound to be good then. And then we just forgot about it all for quite a few months and went back to our day jobs - Karen is a chiropractor (www.karenambrose.co.uk) and I run a marketing company called Apple Tree.

Is there any reason you can't do something for a charity while doing your day job?

How it all began - Fundraising for The Brooke

It all began about five years ago when I started raising money for a charity called The Brooke Hospital for Animals. Go to www.thebrooke.org to find out about the great work they do for people in the Third World, who rely on horses and donkeys to make a living.

Over the years I've done all sorts of silly things to raise money for them. This year, someone suggested that I should start writing about my adventures, so the wonderful people who sponsor and support me can see what I'm really getting up to! So that's what this blog is all about. Keep coming back to read about my latest adventures and see how you can get involved.

In case you're wondering - I'm the two legged one in the photo! The four legged one is my own horse Bee Bee.