Our founder, Loes, completed the Marlborough Downs Challenge on 4th May to raise money for therapy pony, Giddy, and was the first female finisher.

To raise money to pay for the vet bills for therapy pony Giddy, following her freak field accident, Loes ran The Marlborough Downs Challenge on 4 May 2025, a 33 mile trail run through Wiltshire’s beautiful countryside.

The course was off-road along tracks and footpaths and there was plenty of climbing – over 3,000 feet for the 33 mile race. Loes completed the run in 5 hours 48 mins, making her the first female finisher!

The run was all in aid of raising money for one of the Equilore ponies, Giddy, who sustained an injury from a field accident. Giddy required extensive veterinary treatment including X-rays of her joints, biopsies for sepsis, a lot of pain relief, and minor surgery to flush the joints clean.

She is recovering well. Three weeks on, she is still on box rest, but she is able to go for small walks in hand to have some grass. As she tore through the muscle and tendon, she will need to build this back up slowly.

Loes said, “Thank you to everyone for this amazing support! When we set the target we had no idea we would actually be able to reach it, yet knowing the vet bill would be way more.”

“I still can’t believe I ran all that way but thinking of Giddy helped me to keep going!”

Thank you for all your kind donations so far and for helping us to support our herd so we can continue to offer equine assisted services to those who need it most.

We believe Equine Assisted Interventions are highly effective to those experiencing mental health challenges, often where traditional therapies have not worked. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring everyone has timely access to professional nature-based mental health support.