50km to help 50 horses.

Due to COVID we sadly have to shut our riding school yet again but the expenses for caring for the horses still carry on. We are doing everything we can to keep our horses looked after and fed as well as we possibly can. However the Government does not support us covering any of these costs so we are reaching out to you for some help in these difficult times. Chrissy and Mel have decided to take to the South West Coast path to walk 50km in a day to raise money to keep the horses going. We will be joined by our children who are each going to walk their age in kilometres to keep us going!

Budleigh Riding School was set up as a forever home for ponies - half of which have been rescued by us or donated to the riding school as a home for life. It is a community place where people of all backgrounds and abilities can learn about these amazingly intelligent animals and learn to ride. We have rescued many horses and ponies, rehabilitated them and brought them into riding school life. Here they have also helped thousands of children and adults who are having difficulties in life to get back on the right track and find something and someone to really live for.

The whole family help run the business which is not aimed at huge profit but just to look after the horse and ponies and provide a service to the whole community from age 3 to 85. We support many local schools and disadvantaged children and adults.

No pony has been turned away from the riding school or sold - and we keep them in their retirement right up to the end. We feel if they have worked hard for humans then we should give them the retirement they deserve and not just get rid of them because they have finished their working life. We view every horse and pony as part of the family and each has their own quirky character - particularly if they have had a bad start in life!

Sadly due to the three lockdowns we are now struggling to keep the horses and ponies without the riding school income. They cannot be furloughed - or even stop working - otherwise they will not be able to carry on. They still need care, feeding, rugging, field rent and veterinary treatment to name a few costs. None of these costs stop due the lockdown and at least 35 of the 50 horses need to be kept exercised to keep them mentally and physically able to do their riding school job.

If you would like to donate to this worthy cause - all the money goes towards horse care, feed and equipment - we would be very grateful and it would enable our work of rescue, rehabilitation and looking after these wonderful creatures into their old age to continue.

Our walk takes place on the South West Coast path starting at Seatown in Dorset and ending in Budleigh Salterton.

Any donation welcome however small.