A MOTHER of three young children is off to Iceland on the trip of a lifetime.

Sally Fox's husband, Tim Smith, thought she needed a fresh challenge and signed her up for the trip as a Christmas surprise.

So while he takes time off work to care for the children, Sally will spend two weeks trekking on horseback through glacial rivers, along sea shores and over hills.

Sally, 37, from Newlay Lane, Horsforth, will be taking part in the British Horse Society's Viking Challenge to raise money for rescued horses and ponies.

She said: "Tim thought I was getting bogged down with the children and did it secretly as a Christmas present.

"He must be a very good liar, he's not horsy at all and all these letters kept coming for him from the British Horse Society. He just kept saying they were to do with work."

On Christmas Day, he presented her with the paperwork, paid the deposit and set her off on her way to raising the £1,800 she needs to raise before June to go on the trip.

Sally, who is now a full time mum, used to work for Radio Leeds before training to be a nurse.

While training for her equestrian examinations at Acrecliffe Equestrian Centre in Otley, she became pregnant with her first child, Dominic, now five years old.

Three years later, while studying for more equestrian exams, she became pregnant again, this time with twin boys, Marcus and Alex, now two years old. And if the children weren't enough, she is also in the process of training her young four-year-old pony, Chloe, who is stabled in Guiseley.

"I'm working 24/7 at the moment so I'm really looking forward to this, it will be an amazing experience," she said.

Around 30 riders will take part in August's Iceland trip. They will spend long days in the saddle, negotiating icy cold rivers, stunning seashores and wide, open expanses.

They will be using Icelandic horses, which although comparatively small at just 13 hands high, are very sturdy and known for people extremely sure footed. They also travel at a Tolt - a pace equal to a gallop, but so smooth it is supposedly possible to drink at the same time.

"We'll have around 100 horses so we'll be herding as well as riding. Riding about three horses a day and spending long hours in the saddle.

"It will be their summer in August, but we've been told to take fleeces as well as swimming costumes, and all in a small rucksack," she said.

From now until June, Sally has to raise the £1,800 of the cost of the challenge. She has already been given the support of friends and her husband's work colleagues and she will be looking for sponsorship from businesses as well as staging fundraising car boot sales.

Anyone who would like to sponsor Sally can contact her on (07732) 190289.