She’s got a ticket to ride
Kelly Wilson finds the world’s best travel destinations for horse lovers
See wild horses in the Snowy Mountains of Australia
If you’re a horse lover like me, there is nothing that beats seeing wild horses roaming free. I’ve photographed wild horses in the United States, Canada, Mongolia and of course New Zealand, but the place that tops the list for scenery is the Snowy Mountains of Australia. You can find the wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park between Long Plain Road and Three Mile Dam — just watch out for the wild horse signs that are marked on the road.
While you’re there make sure you also visit the stunning Jillabenan Cave (part of the Yarrangobilly Caves) and swim in the nearby thermal pools.
Visit the Przewalski Horses and the Genghis Khan equestrian statue in Mongolia
In 2018 I had a thrilling 300km ride across the Gobi Desert on camels, in Arctic conditions (temperatures as low as -43C). Though it was the ride of a lifetime, it was equally amazing to see the Mongolian horse culture and wild Przewalski horses and to visit the giant Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue. Since Mongolia is a long way to travel just to see wild horses or a sculpture, I fully recommend making an adventure of it and joining New Zealand adventurer Chloe Phillips-Harris on the Gobi Cold Camel or Ride to the Reindeer Expeditions.
Ride horses in the wild west of America
In 2015 we spent three months taming wild mustangs in the US, then riding them all over the Wild West. If you ever have the opportunity to go trail riding or stay at a dude ranch, they’re absolute musts. Sitting around the campfire, line dancing, seeing mustangs in the wild and riding out in Bryce Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks were some of our highlights. Visit the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation’s Wild Horse Preserve in Canada
Earlier this year I was lucky enough to spend four days photographing wild horses in the Elegesi Qiyus Wild Horse Preserve of British Columbia. A thousand wild horses live in the Chilcotin, of which about 300 semi-feral horses live in the Preserve. If you head out into the burnt forest you’ll find truly wild horses that have to survive in extreme conditions; not only in -30C snowstorms, but also against the constant threat of wolf and bear attacks. While we were with the First Nations we stayed in a remote lakefront cabin with no power, about 100km down a gravel road. The scenery, wildlife and vastness of the landscape were truly awe-inspiring; we saw bears, foxes, bald eagles and a wolf that was stalking newborn foals. Watch the Global Champions Tour
The Global Champions Tour brings together the world’s top show jumpers to compete in prestigious locations for millions of dollars in prize money. I’ve attended this event in Cannes, France, and in Estoril, Portugal. One of my highlights was having a photograph taken with Martin Fuchs and Ben Maher, just moments after they won the 1.55m/1.60m Global Champions League. Later that evening Martin went on to win the million-euro Grand Prix and Ben placed second, which made the photo even more special, . The Tour spans three continents and takes in amazing cities including Paris, Monaco, Madrid, Miami Beach, Shanghai, Rome and Doha, so if you’re ever in these cities have a look at the dates to see if you can attend.