A Dorset rider’s long-planned journey along the Wessex Ridgeway is shaped by past setbacks, careful preparation and a steady determination to see it through
All images Louise Reynolds
Louise Reynolds from North Dorset set herself and her four-legged companions a significant challenge last year – and in April she completed it. Riding 62 miles across the Dorset section of the Wessex Ridgeway, she travelled from Tollard Royal to Charmouth Forest in just four and a half days, raising money for the RNLI and World Horse Welfare.
Louise was accompanied by her daughter, 26-year-old Izzy, along with Thunder, a 15hh, 16yo cob cross who was a rescue from the Blue Cross, and Laddy, a 14.1hh traditional gypsy cob. Louise’s husband did sterling work as their support crew, meaning they didn’t have to carry all their kit every day, and helped them put up a corral for the horses in the evenings.
A retirement plan
Louise is no stranger to horses. She has been riding since the age of 11, after persuading her non-horsey parents to let her take lessons, and has owned horses since her late twenties. She has owned Henry, her 32-year-old, for 24 years, and he is one of her two non-ridden horses.
But this ride carried particular significance. Eight years ago, Louise suffered a serious fall: ‘Two pigeons spooked Thunder,’ she says. ‘I fell and landed badly, resulting in me breaking my neck. A specialist at Kings College Hospital called me in for a consultation … he said that to avoid me becoming a headless horseman, I had to have surgery to fix the bones in my neck with a titanium plate. I also had a bad rotator cuff tear which took even longer to sort out.’
Louise admits that she put her family through a tough time, and vowed never to do so again, even if it meant giving up riding. She got back in the saddle in 2019 – but at a slower pace. ‘When I heard of the Wessex Ridgeway, I thought it would be a brilliant way to cap my riding life. A challenge to remember always, and then I could get on with my retirement and it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t ride anymore. It can’t get better than this!’
Training for all four started in January: ‘The horses were only used to walking, and the odd canter, for around an hour maybe three times a week,’ explains Louise. ‘The bridleways around us aren’t great, they’re not that well kept and often flood during the winter, so we started doing a lot of road and hill work.’
As Izzy works full time, she was only able to ride during the weekends. Friends helped them to keep the horses fit, and Louise did some schooling exercises to help boost their fitness. Gradually they increased the distances from six to 14 miles, and then had long rides on consecutive days.
‘For some reason my left knee would start hurting after a couple of hours,’ Louise says. ‘So I’d get off and walk for a bit, which also gave the horses a rest.’
On the trail
The ride itself went smoothly for the most part, and the pair enjoyed stunning views across the Dorset countryside.
‘Both horses were amazing,’ says Louise. ‘They adapted well, and swiftly got used to stopping in strange places while their riders enjoyed a coffee and a sandwich!’
Starting off at Tollard Royal took them through Ashmore wood, where the spectacular display of bluebells was a special highlight. Dorset is renowned for its stunning countryside and wildlife, and one of the best places to enjoy it is on horseback.
‘Seeing hares boxing in a field, was a special moment, with even more of them coming out to watch the match. I think we counted 11 in the end!’
Other highlights for Louise included riding around the edge of Rawlsbury Camp, which offered breathtaking views across the Blackmore Vale to one side and towards the Dorsetshire Gap on the other (albeit with a steep drop away down the hillfort!).
‘In the Marshwood Vale, we had a totally euphoric moment. We planned to cross Nash Lane before riding around Fishponds Bottom. We thought it would be easy … but in fact it was just a stream bed overgrown with hogweed which meant we had to cross (or rather jump) the ford. Neither of us jump …
‘And we then had to head up a steep, stream-riddled valley. When we finally got to the top we were greeted with just the most amazing views. It was the most exhilarating feeling.
‘The horses surprised us with their resilience and tenacity.’
Louise says their last evening topped off the ride perfectly. ‘I spent it teaching Izzy how to roast marshmallows on the fire with the horses happily grazing and resting behind them.
Naturally there were some difficult days. ‘On day two the climb up Okeford Hill felt like it went on forever … the path was steep, narrow and stony in parts. Further along the route there were also a lot of gates. By the time we got to Bookham we were so relieved to stop for the night.’
On their fourth day they also encountered some rather inquisitive Exmoor ponies on conservation land near Mapperton House, just outside Beaminster.
‘We hadn’t realised one of them was a stallion. He was very aggressive, and took an instant dislike to Laddy. We quickly turned around, and Izzy had to do a flying dismount to safely get us through the gate without them all escaping.’
This meant they had to opt for the road route instead: but this did have the unexpected benefit of allowing them to stop for coffee and cake while the horses rested in the shade!
The pair had planned to ride over four days, and allowed another half day, in case of any detours or emergencies. ‘It meant we weren’t clock-watching and could just enjoy the ride, allowing the horses time to stop and graze … or nap while we had a sandwich!’
On their last day, most of the route was footpaths, so they rode from Laverstock Farm and re-joined the Ridegeway through Pilsdon, finishing their ride in Charmouth Forest at the Wootton Hill car park. They were met there by friends who cheered them over the finish line and celebrated their momentous efforts.
Ride tips
If anyone is contemplating riding the Ridgeway, Louise’s big advice is simply ‘DO IT!’
I have to agree with her – The Sass Queen and I, along with the Grumpy Uncle and his owner – rode the Wessex Ridgeway many years ago and it’s the most amazing ride: though the challenge shouldn’t be underestimated.
Louise used The Offical Wessex Ridgeway Trail Guide, found on Dorset Council’s website, as the basis for the route.
‘But plan your routes on the OS Map app or something similar,’ she says. ‘It’s easy for others to see where you are, and also to be flexible and plan alternatives if things happen – like coming across angry stallions!’
Thunder and Laddy are both barefoot, and Louise recommends hoof boots if horses aren’t shod – no matter how strong their feet are – as a lot of the tracks are stony. When looking for places to stay, for both horses and humans, Louise was inundated with offers of help: ‘I used Googlemaps and local Facebook groups to find ideas of places to contact. People were amazing at offering help.’
She also points out that it’s important to train your horses to drink out of various receptacles, whether they are cattle troughs or dog bowls. And it was just as important to teach them to rest, not just eat when they stopped. ‘Someone advised us to practise with our kit, and to make sure our saddle bags stayed put and didn’t rub. It was excellent advice and got the horses used to wearing different things.’
There’s little that the mother and daughter duo would change about the ride, other than possibly trying to de-sensitise the horses to cows … “Although I can’t imagine them ever being unaffected by a herd of inquisitive youngstock!’
So far, Louise and Izzy have raised a tremendous £700 for their charities. Their fundraising pages are still open, so if you’d like to donate and help support them please visit Louise’s page raising funds for the RNLI here, and Izzy is rasing money for World Horse Welfare here.
