Kylie Read admits she is not really into riding horses, but there is a good reason the equine therapy expert will be seated in a saddle for the next nine bum-bruising weeks.
On the morning of her 50th birthday last Sunday, the co-founder of rescue charity Hope Reins set off to tackle a challenging 1,200-kilometre Ride for Hope from Gympie to Longreach, to raise awareness and money for mental health charities.
"From the age of two to 16, I was on a horse's back every day and I actually think I'm probably here because of the horses that I've had in my life," Ms Read said.
"I tend not to ride very much but I love hanging out with horses. I love training them, helping sort out problems they may have."
For the past decade Ms Read has worked to create a place where horses and humans can have fun and heal from trauma, anxiety, stress, depression and a lack of confidence.
Ms Read and her friend Ruth Polley were both single and dreaming of buying land when they decided to pool their resources and purchase property at Pie Creek.
In 2010, sponsored by the Pickle Foundation, the women established Hope Reins, an hour north-west of Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
The charity rescues neglected and abused horses and offers them a safe and caring home, using them to create connections with people, to help them feel loved, worthwhile and accepted.
The Ride for Hope's aim is to raise $120,000 for Hope Reins and Outback Futures, a not-for-profit organisation providing mental health and wellbeing services.
"It's about connecting community, strengthening lives. We love our people in the bush, and man, they've done it tough," Ms Read said.
The charity ride took her team 12 months to plan.
"We've had meetings with forestry because we're going to have logging trucks coming down hills where no one can get off the road and we've got to time that well," Ms Read said.
"All the permits that you have to get, checking with police, main roads, stock route guys, advising councils.
"We still don't know where we're going to stay in a lot of places."
Events will be held in Nanango, Condamine, Mitchell and Longreach to gather stories from people who have overcome life challenges.
Ms Read said she was inspired by Hope Rein's successes, including the first young offender who was directed to their charity and graduated without reoffending.
She said the troubled 15-year-old had been constantly told by his mother that he would end up on the dole or in jail.
"This young fella believed that was his destiny," Ms Read said.
"All that it took was this volunteer saying that, 'You don't have to be like that, you can choose'."
Ms Read said the teenager went on to graduate from the Longreach Pastoral College and the last they heard, was on a North Queensland property and loving life.
"He was our first, and our connection to Longreach," she said.
