kate pilcher blog Archives - Horse Riding Holidays and Safaris

while you are sleeping

We’re at the tail end of our 12 day trip to Canada where we road tested a seven day ride in the remote Canadian wilderness. Buster and I are currently sitting at a airport lounge in the shabby Los Angeles International Airport waiting for our direct flight home to Brisbane. I’ll divulge all and more […]

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the cobra encounter

I haven’t decided to share this story until now. Thankfully enough time has passed for me to clearly re-collect this story without feeling overcome with fear.  In December last year, my family celebrated my mother turning  60 in a remote beachside village in Brazil.  A six day holiday shared with my brother Toby, his lovely […]

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Prepping for your Globetrotting Holiday with Ride iQ: Audio Horseback Lessons!

Hello beautiful globetrotters, I want to introduce you to something that’s making waves in the equestrian world.  Ride iQ, – your new riding buddy that brings the knowledge of top equestrian coaches right to your ears! What is Ride iQ? So, what’s the lowdown? Ride iQ is a mobile app serving up on-demand audio lessons […]

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There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear!

There’s a cherished mantra we swear by here at Globetrotting HQ: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear!” As the unpredictable becomes the norm in weather forecasts, this guide is your trusted ally when rain clouds threaten your Globetrotting adventure.  No need to hit the panic button—we’ve got your back. Riding and […]

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guided horse riding holiday argentina

The ultimate packing list for a horse riding holiday

Over the years I’ve honed my packing to a fine art. A lot of my globetrotting clients ask for my advice on what to pack and even though each client is given a detailed packing list, I thought I would share a suggested list with you all. Obviously it depends on the country and the […]

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the land of maple syrup, grizzly bears and wild salmon

I’ve got a guilty confession to make. We’re heading off to Canada as of next Friday, August 30 for a whirlwind ten day trip to Canada. The guilty part of this confession is we’re leaving our gorgeous little globetrotter behind in the safe hands of Popcorn (my Dad) and Meme (my mother).  Two weeks without […]

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bush polo

Apologies that this virtual space has been vacated for nearly a month now. Of late I’ve been tremendously losing  the tug-of-war between work and life. We’ve recently been on a two-night mini-break to the rural town of Goondiwindi (known as Gundy to most).  Buster, Finn and I, with Harry Noodle and our three polo ponies […]

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tides are shifting…slowly

After the weekend just gone I have to be honest with you, I’m second guessing my commitment to the world of polo now that I have a young family. The ground is absolutely sodden where I live, it squishes underfoot revealing rich, black mud. Polo has been cancelled over the last two weekends and our […]

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inspiration

“A horse is the projection of peoples’ dreams about themselves – strong, powerful, beautiful – and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.” Pam Brown This photo was taken by my lovely husband in a remote part of Mongolia.

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ducktail love

Buster and I fight each night over who is going to comb Finn’s wet, sweet smelling hair. I love this part of the day where our baby girl is smelling fresh, clean, slurping on a bottle of milk, sitting up in her pink jellybean wondersuit. I part her honeyed locks and comb the runaway curls […]

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saying goodbye to saffy

On a perfectly sun-bleached Sunday two weeks ago I decided to take the opportunity to work my three ponies while Buster was home to look after Finn. As I passed Sapphire’s paddock, my 28 year old Welsh gelding, he was lying down in the far corner of the paddock. On first site I wasn’t too […]

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to ride or not to ride when pregnant

I was a fence-sitter on this topic until I fell pregnant myself. Before broaching this subject I want to attach the following disclaimer: it’s different for each and every woman so please don’t take my word as gospel as I’m far from a medical practitioner. BUT drawing on my experience I rode and played polo […]

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These boots are made for…

I’ve had so many comments on my boots of late, I thought that you my dear globetrotters would like to hear about them. A couple of years ago I saw a client wearing these boots in Kenya but it wasn’t until Equitana last November that I found a pair to buy. They are made by […]

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a place to press pause

In December last year we embarked on a epic guided globetrotting journey through Patagonia in Chile and Argentina. This post follows on from the Chilean instalment. We spent ten blissful days traipsing around an estancia hidden in the sleeves of Patagonia under a big sky canopy. Our days consisted of roaming mountain tracks from the […]

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punched by polo

One, two, three, four, five, six – six purple bruises dotted on my legs and arms after the weekend’s triumphs. I’m currently walking like a 90-year-old hunch-back, limping with a sore leg and moaning in pain when bending down to pick up Finn. After two days of polo my body is absolutely destroyed. Clearly I’m […]

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dawn awakenings

I’ve been up before the sun even wakes from her slumber most mornings this week. You see I’m playing my first polo tournament this weekend since having my darling daughter, Finn, who is 13 months. It’s been a struggle to find the time to exercise three horses and get them ready for this weekend. They […]

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way of the horse

My father and I have just gotten back from a four day horse clinic hosted by Australian horseman Ken Faulkner. I first heard of Ken through a friend who had completed one of his clinics at his property in rural Queensland. She arrived a not-so-confident rider with a new horse and came away from the […]

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polo at puddle duck farm

With the start of May just around the corner the 2013 polo season is set to start and I must admit I’m getting quite excited at the thought of pelting up and down the polo field on my mares. Its going to be a interesting balancing act this year with Miss Finn in the picture. […]

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for the love of alpargatas – the BEST riding and travelling shoes

Don’t be disheartened if you can’t pronounce this peculiar Spanish word – al-par-gatas – all you need to know is they are THE best travelling and riding shoes you’ll need for your next riding safari or  holiday. Alpargatas are a jute-soled canvas footwear favored by Argentine’s for their comfort, durability and low cost, pretty much […]

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happy shiny people – the Maasai

A lovely client of mine recently shared a moving and powerful video of a young Maasai lady by the name of Kakenya Ntaiya. Kakenya with dogged determination well beyond her teenage years had a dream of becoming a teacher. Persistent as she was to the buck the trend of becoming a child bride, she cleverly […]

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patagonia and pisco sours

I first fell in love with Patagonia five years ago on a ten day horse riding holiday to Torres del Paine, Chile [sadly no longer available].  A wild, unkept region positioned at the bottom of the earth shared by Argentina and Chile where mountain peaks are craggy and treeless, rivers flow icy and translucent, the […]

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