Why am I doing this?

For those of you who do not know me, I work at a riding holiday center in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. During the week I left a leaflet about Women V Cancer lying in our canteen, and the following morning I found it turned upside-down with a carrot lying on top of it and someone had written "give to horses" on it.

Well I wondered about this for a few seconds - Why hadn't they just given the carrot to the horses themselves? Then it dawned on me - Ah! Why wasn't I giving to a horse charity! That's what they meant!

And that is a very good question - and there are two answers to this.

First, most of the horse charity events involve riding horses in often hot countries, over long distances. From my cover photo you can see I enjoy riding horses over long distances. The only thing is, although I'm sure the BHS vet the horses on these events very well and they are well looked after, it is these very horses that the money should be going too. So why make them work for it!

The second reason is a bit more personal. I went for a smear test just after Christmas, and it came back as abnormal! Don't like smear tests at the best of times, who dose! But never had one come back abnormal. So as a result I had to go to the local hospital for further investigations and had a biopsy taken and some treatment. Still waiting for the results of the biopsy!!!!

So that is why I am doing this for cancer and not horses. I am scared about what the results might be! If I see a horse suffering, I, personally, can do something about it to relieve its suffering. If, God forbid, the results of my biopsy come back not good, there is nothing I can do about it. I will have to rely on doctors and nurses and radiologists and whoever else to help me. It is out of my hands and I feel helpless. That is why this is for cancer, so at least I am doing some little thing to help myself and the many other women in the world who find themselves in the same position that I am in right at this minute.

p.s. Thank you Halfords, Lanark, for servicing my bicycle free of charge, so I can get on with some cycle training