Logstics

We decided to travel without a support team to give us more freedom and make it more of an adventure. We’re carrying sleeping bags and the bare essentials in our saddlebags (and no, we will not be the naked riders!).  We decided against a tent and camping gear which would require an extra pack pony, with added complications at every gate or burn.  To keep our costs as low as possible, wherever possible we are  staying with friends or anyone else prepared to accommodate us and our ponies overnight.   Otherwise it's a matter of finding a bunkhouse, B&B or any other suitable  accommodation.

How long will it take?

Averaging 25 miles each day, it should take us about eight weeks to reach Lands End, but how far we ride each day depends on who and what we meet along the way, and the distance between whatever accommodation we can find.   Elsa is due back at school on 22nd August and having already missed the last two weeks of the summer term we're under pressure to keep moving!

Saddles

Surfers spend their lives looking for the perfect wave, I spend mine looking for the perfect saddle. In the end what matters most is comfort for the horse and, to a lesser extent, the rider. Riding long distances over tough terrain day in, day out for weeks on end is enough to test any tack to the limit.

Which is why, after all our deliberations, and the temptation to try and get new saddles specially made for the job, we're riding in our tried and tested faithfuls – Elsa in the leather GP saddle bought second hand years ago because it was too wide for any other pony, me in my synthetic endurance saddle which isn't half as comfy as my quilted secondhand Pathfinder but about a quarter of the weight.

Saddlebags

Serious riders would not be seen dead with them, but as soon as Elsa set eyes on a set of pink saddlebags, no matter how impractical, inadequate or flimsy, there was no question as to what she would carry her gear in!  Time ran out before I'd perfected the home-made version converted from a pair or 10 litre rucksacks, so I have a very cheap but functional set of black saddlebagswhich struggle to contain even the bare essentials but at least the size limits the weight on the pony's back.

In front of our saddles we have tailor made endurance panniers to carry our lunch, map, cameras and swig bottles. Elsa’s also have to accommodate a book or two. The top bag intended for a coat is ideal to hook your reins over when you fancy a bit of auto-pilot.

Maps

Having worked all over Britain in the past, I have a fairly comprehensive library of Ordnance Survey maps, which we have spent many a happy winter’s evening spreading over the kitchen table to fantasise about our route. Our maps will take up more pannier space than any other item of our gear, and if we’d donated to charity what we’ve spent on maps we might have raised more than we can through our ride. But – call us old fashioned if you must – armed with our trusty highlighter pens and maps, there’s no question of the batteries failing or finding we’re out of SatNav range. I had hoped that by the time we hit the trail Elsa would have overcome her numerical dyslexia and could tell the difference between map number 25 and 52 which has all helped add to the challenge of route planning!  Sadly there's been no way of knowing as she has yet to look at a map.