Off grid, offline, and in sync with your breathtaking surroundings is the only way I can describe The Land of the Long White Cloud Ride with Wild Women Expeditions. On this ten-day ride hosted by Adventure Horse Trekking New Zealand in the South Island, one quickly learns to trust their mount as it carefully manoeuvres the trails clinging to the mountainside with the lake below. Civilization and the realities of everyday life are left behind and soon forgotten as you bond with fellow riders lunching alongside a babbling brook, or belting out familiar songs around the crackling fireplace in a herdsman’s hut.

Along with my travel mates Ali and Heather, I leave the Calgary airport in our rental car, stock up with snacks and refreshments, and head to The Grandview Stage Inn just outside of Rocky Mountain House, AB, where we bed in for the night. The next morning, we start off for the Cutoff Creek Staging area in the Bighorn Backcountry. The herd of wild horses grazing in a small clearing at the side of the road is so complacent with our presence that the foals remain lying down as we snap photos. Upon arrival, we spot a group of women gathered in the staging area, their gear laid out on the grass. Introductions reveal that our fellow riders are from Manitoba, Winnipeg, New Brunswick, Ontario, British Columbia, and as far as Australia and New Zealand. Most are new to Wild Deuce Outfitters, and a few are repeat visitors like me, although it was eight years ago.

Fall Colours Best Seen from the Saddle - Autumn, one of the most colourful times of the year, is my favourite season for riding. The pesky bugs are gone, the air is crisp, and the horses are fresh and eager to head out on the trails. Nothing beats a good canter in the woods as the reds, yellows, and oranges of the leaves go whizzing by. Living in Ontario, we pride ourselves on the colourful vistas our province displays as the trees dress themselves in fall finery, but a hop across the border into Vermont provides the rolling hills of the Green Mountains as a scenic backdrop.

Several years ago I googled “Africa + Horses + Volunteer” and found myself travelling solo to Mozambique for two months. I volunteered with Mozambique Horse Safari on the shores of the Indian Ocean, billed as “the best beach riding in the world.” That first trip from my home on Vancouver Island was a big leap for someone who had taken up riding later in life. It was also the beginning of a relationship with horses and Africa that continues to this day.