Friends Jo Treweek and Ali Zuend completed a 1200-mile ride from John OGroats to Lands End earlier this month, raising more than 30,000 for Alzheimers Research UK in the process.The pair, who was inspired to take on the challenge after Alzheimers affected both their families, set out from John OGroats on Friday 1 May aboard their horses, Bonny and Poppy, and arrived in Lands End 93 days later.It just felt epic. It was such a huge thing, and we had been building up to it for so long. Then it all unfolded in the most incredible way. I felt really privileged to have had the chance to do it, said Jo, who is an ecologist.Jo and Ali, a Parelli trainer, initially set out with a fundraising target of 2,000, but had raised more than 30,000 at the time of writing.A cause close to their heartOne of the reasons we were raising funds for Alzheimers Research was because my mum had it, and Alis father had it as well, said Jo, whose mum Penny sadly passed away during the ride. Mum had it for 12 years. I wouldnt have gone on the journey if shed still been aware of who I was. She wasnt aware of very much. It wasnt a surprise when she died, but it was still hard to deal with. I paused the ride to go to her funeral.Jo and Ali, who are both based in Devon, started planning the trip more than two years ago. As well as organising the route they also had to get the horses physically fit and ensure they could deal with things like crossing bridges and rivers and had tack and packs that fitted well.Once we were on the route, we had to adjust constantly depending on where we finished each day, as well as information from local people and local bridleways officers about closed routes and diversions, said Jo.Mostly, though, we relied on the generosity of people offering us places to stay. Wed put calls out on Facebook a couple of weeks in advance, and so many people volunteered to put us and the horses up.Jo and Ali during their epic ride.The kindness of strangersMost of the volunteers who helped us along the way had been touched by dementia or Alzheimers in some way and simply wanted to help. They shuttled our kit trailer with feed and our camping stuff from place to place, and some of them we never even met, said Jo.They were incredibly kind. Theyd leave us gifts, food and horse feed. Peoples generosity was just incredible. It was really heartwarming.Jos horse Bonny is a Thoroughbred x Irish mare who completed the ride barefoot and in a bitless bridle. Alis horse Poppy is a seven-year-old Lusitano x Hanoverian x PRE homebred mare.The horses seemed to enjoy the ride so much. It was obviously a big challenge, but they came through it looking amazing. Bonny isnt really impressed with being in the field now. Shes waiting at the gate wanting to go somewhere, said Jo.Avoiding the heatJo and Ali often got up at 4am so they could be out riding by 5am to avoid this summers hot weather. We rode as much as we could early in the morning, as fast as we could, and then got to where we needed to be so the horses had more time off before we set off again the next day, said Jo.Jo and Bonny cooling off.Inaccessible bridlewaysAs well as the heat, Jo cited the main challenges of the ride as finding water for the horses while on the trail, erratic driving and poorly kept bridleways.We had several instances where we had to give up on a bridleway because, although we carried secateurs, a saw and equipment to clear vegetation, you could have been there for weeks trying to clear them, she explained.Wejust had to give up, turn around and go back. A lot of farmers plant crops over bridleways and dont really tell you. Its just not clear where you can go, and you have to give up. A lot of bridleways clearly arent used, which is sad. They look like theyve become overgrown because nobody is using them anymore.Jo also said they encountered hardly any other people on horseback during the ride.We saw 26 people on a horse during the entire journey, which surprised us. We thought, where is everybody? I know were only passing through at one moment in time, but youd have thought we would have encountered the odd person. Given that we were trying to stay on bridleways and off the road, we thought we would have seen more riders, said Jo.Jo and Ali crossing into Northumberland.The green green grass of homeFor Jo, the highlights of the ride were the chance to explore the British countryside and the kindness of strangers.We got to see the landscapes of Britain all the way down the country in one go, at horse pace. We were basically seeing the best bits that are still there and that you can take a horse through. It was just really beautiful, she said.It was also heartwarming how generous people were. It was quite moving how much people wanted to help and make the journey possible, and how they helped get us to the end. It felt like they were all coming along the journey with us.I was feeling a bit depressed before I went off about the state of the country and politics. I was feeling a bit down in the dumps.Its hard to feel that way when people are so great and its such a beautiful country. I just passionately want people to be able to continue riding in it and for horses to still be part of it in the future.Jo and Ali documented the ride on their Facebook page, Adventure B4 Dementia 2026. Click here for their JustGiving page.Images Jo Treweek/Ali Zuend.Related articlesHorse field management: essential paddock care to do in the springWhy hacking is so good for fitness plus how to track improvementsFive top tips for taking your horse on a fun ride soloThe post It was epic: two friends complete 1200 mile ride from John OGroats to Lands End for Alzheimers Research UK appeared first on Your Horse.