HORSERIDING in the New Forest sounds like a good way to spend a sunny May day but 28 miles orienteering and the pressure of charity make it a real challenge.

Rosie Rickman, from Farley, and Alice Loten, from East Grimstead, who are both 14, are planning, orienteering and riding 28 miles from East Grimstead to Tiptoe by themselves to raise money for Salisbury District Hospital's Stars Appeal.

The appeal is aiming to raise money for state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for the neonatal intensive care unit and the keyhole cancer surgery theatre.

Rosie said: "We decided to do the charity ride then spent a long time trying to agree on a charity. Then we saw the article about the Stars Appeal in the Journal. We thought it looked very worthwhile and local people would be interested in it."

The girls, who are both in Year 9 at St Edmund's School in Laverstock, set themselves a target of £1,000, but have now said they may have to increase the target because they raised over £500 in just two days.

For the ride, which will be on May 12, they will have to find their way across areas that they have never ridden before, but are prepared for their challenge. Both girls have been riding since they were three and are junior members of Endurance Great Britain - a national society for long distance riding.

But, Rosie said that would not mean the ride is easy for them. "On endurance rides the route is mapped for you and marked with orange tags, and there are lots of other riders you meet along the route. Our charity ride will be much more challenging as we will be on our own and will have to find our way across the New Forest where it is very easy to get lost."

The girls are now preparing for the event by getting their horses fit enough to be able to complete the ride, which could be even longer than 28 miles if the girls' map-reading skills fail them.

"We both love riding and thought it would be fun to organise and do this for ourselves. And it is great to feel you have done something to help a great charity," added Rosie.

To make a donation to Rosie and Alice visit their web page at www.justgiving.com/ charityride.