THE QUESTIONS EVERYONE ASKS …
How long did it take? 8 weeks - 54 days riding
When did we reach Lands End? late afternoon Saturday 19th August (2006, in case you’re in doubt)
Was there ever any question of you not completing it? (actually no-one dare ask this but we know they think it) It was tough, very tough at times, and each day something new tested us, but we didn't let failure ever enter our minds. We just focused on one day at a time and dealing with whatever problems we came across along theh way.
Did it ever seem like you’ve taken on too much? Elsa says not but when the ponies lost shoes, it’s late in the afternoon, I’ve missed lunch, am very tired and still have 20 miles to go before sleep I have to admit to the odd wobble. The only way through is to concentrate on one day at a time. Our whole trip felt so much as though it was what we’ve always meant to be doing that we were sometimes at risk of riding along taking it for granted without remembering just how epic the whole journey was on every level.
Did you enjoy it? Yes, but not the bogs through Scotland, the heat wave south of the border, or the stiles on the Sabrina Way. And it was really demanding physically and mentally, even tougher than we thought, and the pace we set ourselves allowed very little respite.
Was it like you thought it would be? No! Somehow those picnic lunches in the sun writing our diaries while we dipped our toes in a burn just didn't happen. But equally so many people have been more generous than we could ever hope in supporting us and Cancer Research.
What did you enjoy most? Elsa says “just being with Roly and Micky” (note the focus on her pony, not her mother).
For me it’s the enormity of our country, the fantastic landscapes, the people we meet along the way, being outside all the time so conscious of the weather, the wildlife all around us, hearing the birds, smelling all the flowers, feeling frogs hop over our toes in meadows moist with morning dew, pushing ourselves to the limit with our ponies, feeling so independent with all we need in our saddlebags, with life pared down to the bare essentials. Sounds naff but that is genuinely how it is.
Have you got lost? What, with my map reading?
Did you fall out? “Not bigly” said Elsa after 3 weeks through Scotland, I think as we neared Lands End she might have said differently - if I dared ask! There were days of at least four hours stony silence from Elsa - particularly the day she offered advice on how I could get on better with her and Jake (let them do what they like without any criticism ...) and Elsa enjoyed the opportunity to gang up with Sarah against me when Sarah was riding with us but generally we got on remarkably well, probably better than when we're at home.
How are your bottoms? Just fine thank you, must be all that training and how supremely fit we are! Hips and knees are a different matter, but apparently only if you’re over 40. Blisters, on blisters, on heels and toes finally heeled up, boots finally moulded to our feet, toe nails which have fallen off will presumably regrow.
What’s been the biggest challenge? In Scotland, bogs, bogs and more bogs, with the odd very dodgy bridge and river crossing. On peat bogs it can take 2 hours or more to cover a mile and tested our nerves to the limit. We can’t forget a horse which had to be shot because it got stuck in a bog, and hate to see the horses wallowing in peat, so we are very cautious.
Finding farriers - particularly when we have unexpectedly had to change horses and the one going home is newly shod.
Meeting impassable stiles/fences/padlocked gates on a promoted riding route late in the evening with another 15 miles left to go and having no choice but to backtrack.
And finding somewhere for us and ponies to stay. Although it’s reassuring knowing we have accommodation booked, it puts a lot of pressure on us to keep to a schedule, whereas if you are driving with a horse you can stop where and when you want.
What was the big rush? To get Elsa back to school in time for the new term on 22nd August.
Did you get lonely? I'm really glad we did this together and Elsa's true grit at 13 is remarkable, but when things go wrong and Elsa is reading a book or listening to her music, I longed for someone to share the responsibility and to talk through logically how to get out of a fix. Thanks to everyone who has rung, sent a text , e-mail or otherwise conveyed their support, it really helped.
How did the ponies cope? Brilliantly, Mikado in particular, who just keeps on going and going although Elsa complained, as she did of Rowan who she rode through Scotland for 3 weeks, that the ponies are now “all solid” when she cuddles them because they are so muscled up.
Why have you had to swop ponies? We never thought we'd have to, but basically it came down to a choice of stick to our schedule and get Elsa back to school on time on different ponies or rest whichever pony, which meant it would take us far longer.
After Lancer was invalided out from Balquhidder two weeks into our trip, having been such a hero up untnil then, Chris brought Mikado for me to ride instead. Although he had been very fit from Elsa riding him while Rowan was off at stud during April and May, Micky had done nothing for about 4 weeks before joining us on the trip, but never showed any sign of lacking fitness, energy or enthusiasm, from the day he joined us to when he reached Lands End.
Rowan had an infected cleg bite on her back and after riding so well through Scotland for 3 weeks, on the day we were due to set off again south from home lost a huge patch of fur directly under her saddle so she stayed at Shortrigg, hugely frustrated to be so fit and out of the picture for the rest of the journey through England but it was the only humane choice.
By the time we set off again from Shortrigg, Lancer had made a dramatic recovery, so I rode him and Elsa Micky. for the next two and a half days Micky was having to trot 10 paces to every 20 of Lancer's to keep up, but the punishing heat was just too much for a n old codger and after a nother few days Lancer was so unhappy that there was no choice other than to ask Chris to take him home. Rowan's back still wasn't healed sufficiently so we were really lucky to be able to borrow Boffin until Lancer was back on form. Chris brought Lancer back down and took Boffin home from Worcester, and Elsa and I rode the rest of the way
How often do the ponies need shoeing? Based on past experience we hoped their shoes would last three weeks and had arranged farriers accordingly but both Rowan and Lancer trashed a brand new set of shoes in the first 13 days, even though we’d been off road for much of that.
How have you survived in the hot weather? When everyone said this as we rode through Scotland, we thought we must have been in a different country but since then we learned what everyone was talking about. As soon as we'd had one drink we wanted another, and had to knock on doors to get our water bottles refilled and be constantly on the look out for water troughs near gateways to quench the ponies' thirst. We tried to avoid riding in the worst heat of the day but to be honest it didn't get a lot cooler in the evening.
Has it rained a lot? Well in scotland we had two days out of 21 when it didn't rain at all, after which we spent every day praying for and dreaming of rain which only materialised once.
Have the midges been a real problem? So long as it's raining or you keep moving they don't get you, and as it's always late before we get to our destination and often more like winter than summer, there have only been a few days when they've been intolerable.
How do you cope with so little gear? Very careful packing. We used absolutely everything we carried with us, except the first aid kit, which by our reckoning means all the careful thought which went into what we carry with us was worth it. Hopefully we won’t need hobbles through England.
What’s the most valuable piece of kit you carry? Elsa says her walkman. Pah! I’d say up to date maps, a needle and thread, and a very strong nylon lunge line which we use to tether the ponies or to lead them at a distance across bogs or ravines when there is a risk of them jumping onto us. They will also substitute for reins or other bits of tack, straps etc. should anything break.
Do you ride all the way? Definitely not. We get off and walk to ease our limbs and give the ponies a break, particularly on steep hills, on rough or boggy ground. When Lancer was struggling I walked most of the way, and across Rannoch Moor walked about 30 out of 38 miles.
Do you get bored? No time, there’s always something to look at, and worry about! Apart from which several hours a day disappear taking coats and sweatshirts off and putting them on again, changing maps, and trying to persuade the phone to work.
What do you think about all day? How on earth we’re going to get to wherever we’re supposed to be the next night before it goes dark, how we’re going to make it to the next farrier, and when we might get some sleep. But mostly about what we see, feel and hear all around us: the countryside, the people past and present, how the land is farmed and managed, how it has evolved over time, how it might change in future, the wildlife which it supports. When you’re on, or walking with, your horse you could be in the 21st century or hundreds of years ago, it’s very timeless, and if only we can stop worrying about everything else, the time to take it all in is very precious.
Is it worth the pain and planning? There are plenty of other ways of raising money but we have only to think of any one of our friends with cancer to know how worthwhile the fundraising side of our ride is.
Would you have done it any differently? It would have been great if we could have been more flexible and happy go lucky, but difficult to know how we could. There have been nights when people have stopped by the roadside or called out to us from the garden to offer us accommodation but others when if we hadn’t found and booked somewhere long in advance we would have been scuppered. Trying to keep off road and keep our costs low has added to the miles and problems finding reasonable accommodation.
Through England we were determined to try and keep to a maximum of 25 miles/day, fit in a few rest days, and confirm that accommodation for the ponies really does meet their needs. Sadly easier said than done and we've still had some very long hard days well over 30 miles, arriving well after dark.
How difficult was it to plan your route through Scotland? Very. Even where tracks are marked on the map there is no way of knowing if they are passable with a horse on the ground.Doesn’t the Land Reform Act mean you can go anywhere in Scotland? In principle it confirms a right of responsible access but in practice there are still endless locked gates, fences across old drove roads, cattle grids and suchlike.
Have you approached every landowner along the way? We shouldn’t have had to ask permission but in the end it was easier to ring people up and ask than to meet a locked gate 20 miles into a day. Most have been really helpful and positive, only one estate gets a black mark for insisting we write and formally request permission. Presumably they haven’t heard of the Land Reform Act.
Has England been easier? In theory at least it’s much easier being able to buy maps and see clearly identified legally recognised bridleways, how usable they are only time will tell. Accommodation is a lot less difficult to find and we are never as far from shops and civilisation as we have been in Scotland which should make the everyday practicalities of food and sleep less complicated. So how come lunch and tea still haven't happened every day? And although there are no bogs, the ground is just so dry and hard that grassy tracks are as rock hard as tarmac, limiting our pace (even if we had any inclination in the heat to go any faster).
How are Chris and Jake coping without you? They say very well, which probably means glad for a bit of piece and quiet, but inbetween work, nursing Lancer, looking after the rest of the menagerie, tetrathlons, sorting out hay making machinery and suchlike they haven’t had much time to themselves. Which is their excuse for the fridge still having the same food in after 3 weeks as when we left. Ask no more.
on Lancer and Mikado.