Day 42

Day 42 was a very eventful day! First of all I realised that we were only 8 miles away from Appleby where the Appleby Horse Fair is held annually. Me and a friend have talked about going there but we never really got around to it. Maybe next year? And I promise to leave my purse at home!

As roadwork is booooriiiing I decided to try this bridleway that would take us over the hills (and far away?) to Middleton in Teesdale, but it turned out to be a bit on the too action filled side for us - it lead us straight into a bog! Luckily we didn't get that whole getting stuck properly with only Juniblest's head sticking up, but a bit after the reception on my phone disappeared we went straight in all the way up to Juniblest's belly.. I didn't realise just how boggy it was until this happened, but as soon as he was in I was off trying to help him. Did he need that? Of course not! Long live native ponies =) He just rolled on to his side to free his legs - he kept rolling until all four legs were out and then he started getting up. Of course there was a bit of getting up, sinking in before he was back on dry land, but he did it. He did seem a bit worried about it, but not a lot. And all his boots stayed on!
I tried a different track but had to give that one up too.. At one point I left Juniblest to graze while I went to check out the ground (which did not look safe..), but he came after me so I had to chase him away. That was stupid as he took that as an order to go all the way back up the hill and I had to chase him with my heart pounding in fear of him walking into another bog. I know bogs are not located on top of hills, but he was walking briskly far in front of me and if he hadn't stopped gods know where he would have gone.
This was the last drop for my nerves so we walked back to the road and ended up doing road work for the rest of the day =p Boring, but safe!

Then, as we were going on the road towards Les' house this car stopped in front of us and out came a lady who shouted my name the way we pronounce it back home. I realised fairly quickly that this must be Les' wife, but he had clearly forgotten to mention that she is Swedish - or I might have forgotten that he mentioned it? Anyway, on the phone we had just spoken English and although I heard some sort of accent I just assumed it was a Northern English one (and it might well have been because she's lived here since forever! =p). For those of you who don't know, Norwegian and Swedish are as similar as English and American and I can't describe how much this made me feel at home! So we chatted and chatted in our own native languages over dinner and she showed me feeding routines and stuff for the horses before she left for Sweden with her grand daughter. So basically, I've had two days to relax, update the blog and watch Astrid Lindgren movies such as Emil i Lonneberga and Pippi Langstrump (these are shown on Norwegian TV regularly and all Norwegian children grow up with Astrid Lindgren's stories). Can life be any better?
Oh, and I'm also getting my saddle stitched back up while I'm here. Yay!

Also, I got a message on Facebook from a girl who is making my ride look short - she's going from John O' Groats to Land's End on her Thoroughbred for British Heart Fundation! Clearly, we have passed each other without realising a short week ago and she has stayed in some of the places I stayed at. Small world!
Her name is Katrina Littlechild and her blog is found here. She's also on facebook =)


And as always, please don't forget to donate a fair share to WHW and RDA! Cheers!

As I took this picture I did think that it would have been typical if we would sink into a bog just after I took it. I completely jinxed it... 

We met a bunch of Shetland Ponies! They were sooo adorable and not even overweight. That made my day! =D

Day 40 and 41

On the 40th day we left Garsdale to go to Kirkby Stephen, the end of the Pennine Bridleway according to the map we got at Far Moor H&R B&B. Before we left I spoke to Les Spark's (the guy who made my saddle) wife and she told me that they were going away Saturday afternoon so I had to be there at lunch time. Therefore, I ended up finding accommodation for Juniblest a bit further north in Brough and for us humans in Kirkby Stephen. I didn't take any pictures of it (why, why?) but we decided to follow the main road from KS to Brough as it was a lot straighter and shorter, and because main roads have very nice grass verges =) This road soon turned into a dual carriageway, but that didn't bother Juniblest. Of course not...

He got the Friday off and the timing was absolutely brilliant as the weather was so hot he was sweating just from standing in his stable... I suspect he will do remarkably better in endurance in the winter than in the summer!

Remember RDA and WHW ;)

Us in front of an interesting thingy!

The dark rider....

An old house!

Day 39

Today was in many ways the highlight of the whole journey - we crossed the famous Far Moor bridge! I know that the area is called Far Moor, but I cannot get over the fact that the Far Moor bridge opens up to far more bridleway. I just had to hop off to get a picture of Juniblest on the bridge! 

Apart from that today's ride was by far the wildest one - not a human in sight for hours and hours. We met the three Billygoats Gruff (And to let mum know what I'm talking about: Bukkene Bruse in Norwegian), but luckily no trolls =) Aaaand in the distance I saw a railway bridge that looked suspiciously like the one used in Harry Potter! I will keep believing it was the one although I googled it and the HP one turned out to be in Scotland... =p

Anyway! Please sponsor RDA and WHW generously to show that you appreciate us crossing the Far Moor Bridge =)

"The bridge was flooded, but it looked safe..." (Just a quote from Black Beauty)

"As soon as I reached the middle I knew at once that something was wrong!" (Not really, just another Black Beauty quote..)

Far Moor Bridge

"WHO'S THAT STOMPING ON MY BRIDGE??"

"Oh, just us, the Billygoats (Billysheep?) Gruff. We are really scared of horses! There is one following us right now so you'd better eat him instead of us.."

"OK, SO GO THEN!" the troll roared. And he sure tried to get his teeth in that pony, but he fought back so fiercely that the troll had to give up. Or something... 

Juniblest quenching his thirst after fighting off that troll.

Harry Potter bridge! 

"I know dark clouds will hover over me, I know my pathway is rough and steep
But golden fields lie out before me where weary eyes no more will weep" =)

I came across a very amoosing candle holder!

Day 38

From Long Preston the Pennine Bridleway took us to Selside where there was a lot of confusion thanks to technology (I'll blame it on that). Basically, as we came closer I phoned up the place at which we were going to stay just to talk to a lady who had not heard about me and who had definitely not recieved a phone call this morning. As I often end up phoning several places before I find somewhere for us I tried another B&B for horses in the same area but they were not at home so it couldn't have been them. Freaking out slightly as Sina, who had the number I called in the morning saved on his phone, had been sent off ahead again and was somewhere outside mobile reception I decided to keep going and hope for the best. After a while he came cycling back to tell me we were just around the corner, and that he had met a very helpful woman. Long story short, the phone call I did in the morning was the right one and the second one must have been the wrong number or something. It really got me sweating for a few moments! I don't mind where I sleep but Juniblest sure needs food and water every night..

To help other horses get food and water every night, please donate some pounds to World Horse Welfare ;)
To help people with a wide variety of physical challenges get a good night's sleep after a riding session, please donate some pounds to Riding for the Disabled Association =)

We got some veteroplast (or something like that?) of the lady who owned the field in which Juniblest slept in Long Preston and I decided to try this instead of normal bandages. Turned out to work beautifully!

Juniblest asleep in the beergarden of a pub. Clearly, Health and Safety is a bit less strict in the North (Have I mentioned that I love the North?)

He's not eating the flowers even if it looks that way...

An Owl outside Far Moor Horse and Rider B&B. Owls are clearly following me! =S

The Warrior Princess and the Princess Pony =)

Day 37

From Colne the journey went on to Long Preston, and today we had company by Sina on his bike. Turned out that "bridleway" means hard work for cyclists so he was sent off ahead on the road to find us humans a place to stay close to where Juniblest would be. 

We found another canal, met some pigs and were surprised by a stag who decided to run out of the woods just in front of us. Apart from that we had a quiet day with good weather - what more can you want? =)

Well, one thing obviously: A generous donation to RDA or WHW ;)

Yeah, right! 

Sina the Warrior Princess

The shadow rider!

Piggies! One had a mohawk =)

Can you see the stag?

Day 35 and 36

We are now in an area where my maps are worth nothing as the Pennine Bridleway is a lot newer than them. Therefore I have to follow the sign posts which are not always as visible or existing as I would like them to be, but generally we do find our way without me cursing too much. Going to Jerusalem Farm near Colne turned out to be a bit demanding as I didn't really know where it was in relation to where we were but we got there too in the end, safe and sound. As they clean and wash rugs here we got to wash all pads and bandages while Juniblest was enjoying a day off, and we met up with our companion on bike for a few days - Sina the Warrior Princess (or the Prince of Persia as he prefers it)!

If you need to wash, reproof and repair any rugs I'd recommend Stinky Rugs on Jerusalem Farm!

And if you need to feel important I'd recommend donating lots of £££ to World Horse Welfare and/or Riding for the Disabled Association ;)

Just to prove I'm here too =)

Pegasus crossing! I have to reach up for the one made for horses, though... Find the human one a lot easier to use! =p

Forest! <3

Juniblest having a Wella moment..

Lunch break 

After being drenched and soaked and cold and wet again and again and again it was a delight to watch the rain from afar!

And then there was a bit of a hallelujah moment =)

You can hear the angels sing, eh? =)

Day 34

From Diggle we left for Longfield Equestrian Centre in Todmorden. The ride was epic although tiring - I think there might be a direct link between the two as epic means hilly and hilly means tiring.. Juniblest was a true soldier and struggled his way up all those mountains - and I had to lead quite a lot..
When we got there he was offered the largest stable I've ever seen and I got to sleep in a permanent caravan with a bed, a kitchen and a bath. Bliss!
Not to mention the food at the pub... =D

Since we've come so far I think we have earned your donations to our charities ;) They can be found at www.justgiving.com/ponytrip (World Horse Welfare) and www.justgiving.ponytriprda (Riding for the Disabled Association)

We didn't box through Manchester, by the way! I misread the route and it didn't go through there at all =)

This stable didn't exactly make him look big... =)

(And I promise that after the ride and after his time off, I will work on that topline ;) )