ABOUT US

IN A NUTSHELL

I started Globetrotting a bit over a decade ago, thanks to a quarter-life crisis. You see, I had turned 25 and went on a 10-day horse riding safari in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, where my mind was blown by witnessing the wildebeest migration astride a safari horse. It was THIS crazy, colourful, life-changing experience that led me to step away from my business (Salt magazine), my boyfriend (now husband – thankfully Steven is a very patient man), mortgage and flee to a remote 100,000 acre estancia in Patagonia only accessible via horse.

For the next nine months I jumped from saddle to saddle, driven by an unquenchable thirst to explore horse cultures in South America and Africa. When I finally returned home, Globetrotting took form alongside my business at the time, Salt magazine.

You see, I fell in love with this form of travel – Globetrotting – where the pace is slower and the experience richer.

Rather than travelling in a tour bus (conveyor-belt travel, I like to call it), when you’re astride a horse, you climb under the skin of a country, absorbing every nuance it has to offer.

I knew it was the only way for me to travel, and I was determined to share this passion with other horse folk and I have.

This is a true calling for me.

I get so much satisfaction from sending Globetrotters on their own horse riding holiday, learning of the joy they get from building a bond with their horse and having their eyes widened and hearts filled to overflowing by their experience. It makes me smile inside.

Globetrotters see places, encounter cultures and meet people revealed only to those willing to travel off the beaten track on the back of a horse. They see the world through a horse’s eyes and ears, and discover travel that is slower and more enriching**.

Now more about the rides, we believe the rides featured in our colourful portfolio are the bees’ knees of horse riding safaris globally and each is unique. But they all feature intelligent horses, cultural spice, shifting and challenging landscapes, colourful characters, gobsmacking foreign wildlife and a pinch (ok, sometimes it is a handful) of adrenalin. They are remarkable horse properties run by passionate people who truly understand what horse people look for in a riding holiday.

Please note that we specialise in these countries because we know them inside and out. Because we are still afflicted with wanderlust, the country list continues to grow. While we have formed close relationships with the hosts who offer the horse rides, we also remain independent and will give you honest and impartial advice about which ride will suit you best. Since we don’t run the horse rides ourselves, we’re free to share an unbiased, genuine opinion of each.

We can also assist flights, travel insurance that covers horse riding, visas, accommodation and suggest itineraries for before or after your horse riding holiday.

So that’s us. We just love what we do.

And whether a horse riding holiday is on the radar for the end of the year or in a decade, we don’t mind! We hope our website will feed your wanderlust, inspiring you to take the leap and become a Globetrotter.

When that day comes, we will welcome you warmly.

Kate Pilcher
Founder & Guide of Globetrotting

** Warning: highly addictive. Apply at your own risk.

VIEW ALL RIDES

GLOBETROTTING IS A TRAVEL AGENCY DEVOTED TO HORSE RIDING HOLIDAYS AND UNIQUE CULTURAL HORSE EXPERIENCES THE WORLD OVER. WE HAVE PERSONALLY TESTED EVERY RIDE OR RIDE PARTNER WE OFFER, ENABLING US TO MATCH RIDES WITH RIDERS’ ABILITIES AND BUDGETS. YOU WON’T FIND THE SAME RIDING HOLIDAY AT A LOWER PRICE THROUGH ANOTHER AGENCY OR DIRECT WITH THE SUPPLIER: THIS WE SWEAR. BUT IF YOU DO, WE WILL REFUND THE DIFFERENCE – HOW IS THAT FOR PEACE OF MIND?

98% OF GLOBETROTTERS WOULD RECOMMEND THEIR RIDE TO A FRIEND.

ONE IN FOUR GLOBETROTTERS WILL BOOK A REBOUND RIDE WITHIN 12 MONTHS.

99% OF GLOBETROTTERS WOULD BOOK WITH GLOBETROTTING AGAIN.

MEET OUR TEAM

KATE PILCHER
our founder, has been roaming the globe on horseback for a third of her life. Before Globetrotting was born, she worked as a horse-riding guide in Kenya and Argentina, and speaks conversational Kiswahili and Spanish. She has an intimate knowledge of the destinations in the Globetrotting portfolio. Globetrotting is Kate’s life calling and she is passionate about sharing this mode of travel.
STEVEN PILCHER
began his Globetrotting career in Kenya and has since notched up countless rides from Iceland to Morocco. Steven learnt to ride as a child on the dusty plains of Nindigully in western Queensland. When Steven isn’t in the saddle he’s trigger-finger-ready to capture the amazingness of rides via camera and drone. He sometimes does all this while also wrangling three spirited daughters.
LAURA RAE
is the jewel in our Globetrotting crown! We discovered Laura through an internship in 2016 where she opted to learn the Globetrotting ropes with a trip around Canada and America. Laura grew up on a sheep property near Mudgee in country New South Wales and has been closely connected to equines her entire life. She rides like a BOSS, she’s a 3* eventer and connects with ALL of our globetrotters. We’re super proud to have her in our GT family and she’s an expert at finding your perfect-match riding holiday.
AIMEE DAVIDSON
is a social scientist and marketing genius who thrives on nurturing connection and building communities. Her equestrian journey began early with a heartfelt affection for Dressage. After a hiatus involving extensive international employment and adventures, she rekindled her riding passion in 2021, diving into the Western world with a pretty Quarter Horse mare. Giddy up!
KATY WILLINGS
conjures ecstatic and life-enhancing riding experiences for our British and European globetrotters. She tends to laugh in the face of people doing only two things at once, and has the unusual distinction of having represented Great Britain as both a dressage rider and an endurance rider. Katy spent 9 years running the Mongol Derby for the Adventurists, alongside a host of other ambitious events in far flung locales. She has led safaris in Malawi, and horse treks in Mongolia and Kazakhstan. She also has a philosophy degree from Oxford. Needless to say, her campfire chat is off the charts.
MERCEDES MCLEAN
is our token Canadian globetrotter, eh. Growing up on Vancouver Island, known more for its rugged natural beauty than its equestrian scene, Mercedes still managed to pursue eventing on the island before venturing off for an equally thrill-seeking career in conservation science. She’s wrangled elk on horseback in the Canadian Rockies and she’s drilled through sea-ice in the High Arctic – and she quit her PhD to join the GT team! Mercedes can now be found eventing with her horse Storm in Queensland. She loves chatting about Canada, canoes, parkas, poutine – and Globetrotting, of course!
ANTONY SPIELVOGEL
learned to navigate the world on horseback after being thrown on his uncle’s farm as a teen, and deems the back of a horse his happy place. In between fulfilling his passion for riding, Antony has managed to fit in over 30 years of financial and commercial experience across a range of industries and enjoys the planning and tactics involved in delivering strategic outcomes to an organisation. With decades of executive leadership and as part of the Globetrotting team, Ant seamlessly blends his corporate expertise with an unwavering passion for travel and horse riding adventures.
ROWENA EDWARDS
is our resident wordsmith, a lifelong horse lover who completed her first Globetrotting holiday in Mongolia in 2017. Jump forward a year and she still hadn’t made it back home to Australia, but had earned herself a place on the Globetrotting team, working from France, Ireland, Morocco and Greece. Rowena learned to ride among the vineyards and along the quiet country roads that criss-cross the Clare Valley in South Australia. She loves connecting with globetrotters one-on-one and inspiring them to dive headfirst into adventure.
STEPH HARDY
joined the GT team in 2023. As the quintessential Saddle Club wannabe, horse-obsessed child, her horsey dreams didn’t become a reality until she packed up her life in Victoria to work on a horse stud in Queensland at 21 years old. Steph has since put down roots in the luscious Sunshine Coast Hinterland and loves exploring the area astride her trusty mare Magnolia. With a background in equestrian e-commerce, Steph is super passionate about providing extraordinary experiences for customers in the online world.
SARINA VELIZ
joined the Globetrotting team in 2016 after going on rides with us in the High Country, Victoria and the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Sarina had a passion for horses from a very early age. Every book, drawing project, game and collectible object had a horse theme. The opportunity to combine her passion for travel, horses and video editing was a dream realised. Combing through days of incredible location shoots and painstakingly creating final films that match the Globetrotting vision is Sarina’s passion.

NO-TROUBLE TRAVEL

Globetrotting takes care of all your riding holiday travel arrangements. We work with our personal independent travel agents, Heather Taylor, Bronwyn Boyle and Debbie Bean, who will take the guess work and headache out of organising your trip. You name it, they can do it: from booking flights that connect so that you’ll arrive at your ride destination on time, to hooking you up with hotels to stay in before and after your ride, they are the pros. These ladies can give you visa advice and arrange travel insurance (super important) that specifically specialises in horse riding. Globetrotting takes care of it all and we’ll make sure you’re in good hands door-to-door.