A SEVEN-year-old girl and her rescue pony are trotting 100 miles to raise funds for a charity close to their hearts.

Rose Watts, from Andover, has so far raised around £300 for working horse and donkey charity Brooke.

She is taking on the organisation’s MyHackathon challenge, which encourages horse lovers to get out and hack 100 miles in 100 days.

Rose is taking part in the challenge with her rescue pony, Charlie, who the family adopted three years ago.

Mum Helen, said: “He was so afraid of people that he could not be touched and would have weeks on end of being deeply withdrawn.

“We had some fantastic help from an intelligent horsemanship practitioner who showed us how to use a feather duster to build trust and show Charlie some affection.”

Today, Rose describes Charlie as her best friend. Helen added: “Rose would read stories to him and over time they have built an amazing bond. She never says that Charlie is her pony. Instead she says that she is his person.”

Rose was inspired to take on the Hackathon challenge when she saw some working donkeys in Spain.

She said: “It made me feel so sad that they had broken feet and were so skinny. I was very upset until my mum showed me the Brooke website. I like that they help the people by helping the animals.

“I thought Charlie would like this too so we signed up for the Brooke Hackathon. It’s great fun and I get to spend loads of time with Charlie who is my best friend.”

Brooke works across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East to bring long lasting improvements to the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules. Today, 100 million equines are currently working, supporting 600 million people.

Rose said: “My favourite thing about horse riding is that it makes me feel peaceful. We get to see lots of animals and plants that other people don’t see.”

The fundraiser has been sent plenty of well wishes on her JustGiving page, with one supporter coining her a “wonderful little girl Rose with an enormous heart” and another saying she is a “little super star”.

To donate to Rose’s fund, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/helen-watts9.