Hurrah, your Globetrotting adventure in Dorset is about to begin! Today you’ll meet Rose, your inimitable guide and hostess, and your fellow guests at the Acorn Inn at 12pm. On your way, allow plenty of time to enjoy the progressively more picturesque and intriguing roads and tracks that wind through this corner of Dorset.

After a warm welcome and some light refreshments, Rose will lead the way to meet the horses, as well as your second guide, Tom. Tom knows and loves his horses like family; he will pair everyone with the perfect mount, and support both horse and rider as you get to know one another. If you like a claim to fame, Tom and his team used to take Princes Harry and William fox hunting!

You’ll return from this first thrilling ride in the early evening, no doubt elated and astonished at the dramatic beauty of the local scenery. The delightful team at the Acorn Inn will whip up a mouthwatering dinner featuring local produce, then you’re welcome to explore the options in the two on-site bars or simply chat by the fire before tumbling into your cosy bed.

After an emperor-sized breakfast, you’ll head out to meet the horses once more, covering around 15 miles (24 kilometres) of picturesque dairy farms, lushly foliated bridleways, ancient barrows and hilltop forts, Iron Age earthworks, headlands of springy turf just made for a good canter (or cheeky gallop), village greens, and postcard-perfect pubs. Lunch is a picnic, but knowing Rose, it will be a cut above – think real tableware, hearty, colourful salads, and a nip of crabapple gin or a delicious glass of wine. You’ll take your time to rest and enjoy genuine refreshment, the horses grazing contentedly nearby, before riding on. Should you choose to supplement the gentle high-blowing of your horse and the birdsong as the kites soar above you, Rose has some wonderful tales to share. Depending on the time of year, weather and group preferences, the route may be a loop, or A to B, with riders transferred back to their vehicles at the end.

You can expect to return to the Acorn Inn weary, exhilarated and brimming with joy and good humour. After a drink in the beer garden, you’ll scrub up for a fabulous ‘modern British’ dinner and more sparkling and conversation with the cast of locals and your new Globetrotting friends. If you fancy some extra indulgence, the Acorn Inn’s sister hotel, Summer Lodge, has a gorgeous swimming pool and sauna just a 5-minute walk up the road. You can buy a guest pass for £15.

Today follows much the same colourful, horse-centric pattern as yesterday, only this time, Rose will take you in a different direction and show you a completely new side of Dorset. This could very well be in the heart of the nearby Blackmore Vale (pictured above), known to Thomas Hardy as the Vale of the Little Dairies (home to his beloved heroine, Tess of the d’Urbervilles). Rose will lead you past landmarks from this famous novel and reveal the intriguing history of the land you’re riding across. Regardless of the route, you’ll enjoy great riding on high quality horses, with fabulous food at a secret lunch spot and a memorable cast of characters.

After all the delicious drama of your final day in the saddle, the warm welcome of the Acorn Inn will be irresistible.

This morning you’ll dig into one last full English breakfast, bid a tearful farewell to Dawn in the kitchen (we’re only half joking!), pack your bags and roll towards your cars, or take a taxi back to the train station at Yeovil, for your onward journey.

On this one-of-a-kind departure, you’ll experience the full English Rose Ride as per the standard itinerary, PLUS you’ll be joined by renowned American artist Julie Ferris, who will enrich your off-the-horse moments with a wealth of guidance on depicting the most majestic of animals – the horse – in art. Open to artists of all skill levels, this is your chance to tap into the inspiration and magic of globetrotting, and pour it out onto a canvas in your own unique way.

The itinerary includes the following art workshops facilitated by Julie Ferris:

Day 1 Evening Art Workshop: Drawing from Life: Equestrian Still Life & Canvas Prep
Ease into your creative flow with a relaxed, guided session led by Julie. Using pencil and charcoal, you’ll sketch classic equestrian objects – bridles, bits, boots, helmets – drawn from life. Julie will also demonstrate how to tone a canvas in preparation for oil painting. Guests who wish can tone their own canvas, setting the stage for tomorrow’s painting session.

Day 2 Lunch Art Workshop: Sketching the Journey
During your gourmet picnic lunch, Julie will lead a relaxed sketching session in the field. This is your chance to capture the essence of the ride: the shape and movement of the horse beneath you, the rolling contours of the English countryside, and those fleeting moments that stir your senses. Using pencil or charcoal, you’ll explore loose gestures and honest impressions – a study in energy, atmosphere, and presence.

Day 2 Evening Art Workshop: Introduction to Oil Painting
Tonight marks your first oil painting session. Julie will introduce the fundamentals: composition grids, layering techniques, and the unique pace and depth of oil paint. Using a photo from your ride (or one you’ve brought with you) you’ll begin transferring your chosen image onto your pre-toned canvas.

Day 3 Optional Early Morning Studio Time: Oil Painting Progress
Join Julie before breakfast for a final opportunity to work on your oil painting. This is your chance to add new layers, refine the composition, or simply enjoy some quiet, creative time in the studio. As the last oil painting session of the retreat, it ensures that your canvas will have time to dry before your journey home. While you won’t be expected to complete the painting during your time here, this session will serve as a perfect starting point to ignite your passion for oil painting and inspire future projects.

Day 3 Lunch Art Workshop: Not By Sight: Trust, Intuition & Connection
During the lunch break, Julie leads her evocative Not By Sight session. With your eyes closed, you’ll sketch by feeling alone – an emotional, imaginative practice that encourages surrender, creativity, and deeper connection, echoing the intuitive nature of riding itself.

Day 4 Morning Art Workshop: Reflect & Refine
Begin the day with a peaceful, reflective studio session. Julie will help you review your week’s creations, offer feedback, and support final flourishes to your artwork. Whether you’re adding finishing touches or simply seeing your journey through a new lens, this session brings it all together.

Julie Ferris is an avid equestrian and equestrian oil painter whose work transcends traditional representations. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), she doesn’t just paint horses – she paints life itself, using the horse as both muse and metaphor. Her work explores the visible and the invisible, capturing not only form and movement but also emotion, energy, and connection.
Through her art, Julie invites viewers to see horses—and themselves—with fresh eyes. Her goal is to spark a deeper respect for the equine form and for equestrian art as a vital, living genre that helps us reflect on our relationship with the world around us.

This is a self-driving holiday – each ride will have a different meeting point and riders are expected to organise their own transport between the Acorn Inn and the ride locations each day.

The Acorn Inn is an hour’s drive from both Bournemouth and Exeter airports, and 2.5 hours from Heathrow Airport.

On day 1, you’ll need to arrive at the Acorn Inn at 12pm.

On the final day, you can depart anytime after breakfast. If flying out this day, it’s important to ensure you reach the airport 3 hours before departure. Please bear this in mind when choosing your flights.

Globetrotting is happy to help arrange car-shares for guests booked on this ride, and our team of travel agents can assist with booking a hire car.

Eager to maximise your time in the saddle? We offer several UK rides with departures that align perfectly, allowing you to stack multiple rides to make the most of your time in the UK. Check them out:

The Cotswolds Ride, England

The Scottish Highlands Ride, Scotland

The Scottish Borders Ride, Scotland

The Thirlestane Castle Ride, Scotland

Trans Wales Trail, Wales