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"     \u00A0 I can&amp;#039;t believe it&amp;#039;s our last day of riding today. Manu leads our ride and I pick his brains about the horses. I told him about how all of the grooms have come up to me to tell me how fond they are of Chaya. She&amp;#039;s incredibly dainty and well behaved and I can easily understand why they all love her so much. Her name means &amp;#039;shade&amp;#039; and in the midst of a vast dessert, it suits her perfectly. She is soothing, graceful, and a rare beauty. \u00A0 I ask Manu how he came to work at Dundlod and he explains that Bonnie is his uncle; &amp;quot;but really, the horses are my family,&amp;quot; he says. It makes perfect sense for The Brooke to have organised this ride with people who are as passionate about horses as they are. \u00A0 Francesca, who had to return to Dundlod after the second day&amp;#039;s ride, has joined us today. There is something regal about Francesca and Bonnie, especially when they&amp;#039;re cantering along together in their khakis and immaculate white scarfs.\u00A0 Meanwhile, us Brits look a little dishevelled in polo shirts and dirty jodhpurs.\u00A0 \u00A0 When we stop for lunch I marvel at the fact that my body doesn&amp;#039;t hurt at all. We decide that we must have stretched out our stiff muscles each day and grown used to the exercise. \u00A0 We&amp;#039;ve definitely settled into our new routine. Stopping for lunch we scribble notes in our journals, read books or enjoy a massage from Flis and Ruby, two wonderful riders who are healers back at home and who have offered to give us treatments in exchange for a five hundred rupee donation towards The Brooke. That&amp;#039;s the equivalent of about seven pounds \u2013 an absolute bargain. \u00A0 This afternoon I want to drag out every last minute of my ride with Chaya, it&amp;#039;s flying by too quickly.\u00A0 On one steep sand dune Chaya and I got caught in the middle of the ride. Perhaps she would have been OK if we&amp;#039;d been at her preferred place, right behind Manu, but when we were all piled up at the top a steep hill she started to spook. Despite being scared, I amazed myself at being able to remain calm whilst she backed into the riders behind me and gave a little rear. The other girls were very supportive and together we calmed her down before we were able to set off again. All throughout the week I&amp;#039;ve been marvelling at how the girls are able to control the flightier horses. I&amp;#039;ve watched a couple of riders whose horses have bucked and spooked and who have remained unfazed, counting my lucky ones that it hasn&amp;#039;t happened to me. But I must have picked up on the way that they spoke to the horses and managed to stay calm. It&amp;#039;s made me realise how much my riding has improved on this trip.\u00A0 \u00A0 We cross farmland and several hilltop villages before reaching the town of Danta, and its two impressive fortresses.\u00A0 \u00A0 We arrive at camp and dismount for the last time. A lot of the girls were teary when they said goodbye to their horses and perhaps I would have been if I&amp;#039;d had to leave Gulbadan after six days of riding, but I just felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards Chaya, who will have forget me as soon as she gets back to her loving grooms. \u00A0 After a shower, and the essential tea and biscuit break, we change for a night of celebration at Bonnie&amp;#039;s cousin&amp;#039;s home, Danta Fort. \u00A0 Bonnie and Francesca must have known how sad we&amp;#039;d after riding their horses for the last time because they&amp;#039;ve arranged a spectacular evening for us. \u00A0 In the Fort&amp;#039;s reception room we sit on straw matts and eat freshly cooked poppadums, nuts and Indian sweets whilst a group of traditional dancers perform for us. After amazing us by tossing a tower of plates onto their heads with their feet, whilst belly dancing, the beautiful dancers pull us up into the centre of the room to join them. We sit back down again feeling out of breath and elated and watch Francesca walk around the dancers throwing money into their skirts. Bonnie explains that this is the customary way to pay traditional dancers. \u00A0 Dinner has been laid out for us on the terrace, but before we sit down to eat we lean over the balcony to watch a fire-eater perform in the courtyard below.\u00A0 \u00A0 Whilst we tuck into our food, Charlie does a speech, reminding us of some of the highlights of the week and congratulating us for the money that we&amp;#039;ve raised for The Brooke.\u00A0 We give each other a round of applause just as fireworks are lit on the rooftop above us.\u00A0 \u00A0 We were sad to say goodbye to the horses, but after such a lovely evening it&amp;#039;s impossible not to feel celebratory. \u00A0    \u00A0 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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