Kerry Durston Equestrian

28/03/2025

Weekend plans: Gallop first, ask questions later. 🐴✨

Time to let loose and hope your horse doesn't have any wild plans of their own (like that time they decided to race the wind). Here's to fast rides, fun moments, and pretending we have it all under control!

Don't forget to have fun in between the hard work you put into competing and improving—because the best rides are the ones filled with laughter and joy!

28/03/2025

Dreaming of smoother rides and a stronger bond with your horse? 🐴

At KD Equestrian, we provide honest training, a lot of laughs, and a dedication to getting it right—one step (or gallop) at a time! 🌟

📩 [email protected]

24/03/2025

Riding is such a humbling sport. The solutions to our problems are so easy to understand, but so hard to implement! Whoever would have guessed it was as simple as doing exactly what your instructor said the first time? 😂

Tell me more, dear student! 😂

21/03/2025

Every ride is a step toward growth. Keep pushing forward, embracing each challenge, and trust that progress is built one stride at a time. 🐴💪

20/03/2025

When your horse is living the high life. 🐴💁‍♂️

17/03/2025

Take note, everyone: STIRRUPS matter! 🐴 It’s easy to overlook small details like stirrup length and even leathers, but they make a HUGE difference. Modern nylon-reinforced stirrup leathers don’t stretch, so if your stirrups feel uneven, it’s highly unlikely that the leathers themselves are different lengths. Adjusting them to different holes might seem like a quick fix, but it can actually create asymmetry and discomfort for both you and your horse in the long run.

Always check for even stirrups and keep things consistent for a smoother, more balanced ride! 👌

STIRRUPS!!!
1.) You CAN’T just look at them from the front and tell if they’re even. These stirrups are even, but badger is relaxing his right hip, and I told my student to let her hips match his.
2.) Leather stirrups stretch. Because I run a lesson program, and adjust stirrups constantly, I want to know that I can count holes and both stirrups be the same length, so all of mine are synthetic or nylon reinforced under the leather. I replaced any stirrup leathers that hand extra holes hand punched.
3.) Please please please, I’m begging, DO NOT purposely make one shorter or longer because you feel better that way!!!!
4.) Did your chiropractor tell you one leg is longer? She probably meant POSTURALLY, NOT ANATOMICALLY!!! It is so darn rare for the bones in one leg to be longer than the other, but it’s extremely common for your posture to cause shortness on one side. If you feel like your right leg is shorter, please do not shorten your right start up but instead scooch over to the right and drop your right hip down.

There is only two times that I actually let students ride with two different length stirrups - one had a prosthetic leg, and the other has an ankle that is fused at a weird angle (her knee can point forward and her toe point Way off to the side, and the stirrup leather, wrapping around her twisted leg, takes up a good 2 inches of length).  In both cases, they had something a typical going on below their knees, that required different lengths drops in order to keep their knees and seat bones at the same height.

If you’re not entirely sure if your stirrups are even, take your English stirrups off of your saddle completely, buckle them into the hole you typically ride in, and a hold them against each other to compare. For your western fenders, you’ll have to use a tape measure.

If there is something asymmetrical in you or your horse, accommodating it will only exacerbate it.

14/03/2025

Step out of your comfort zone and embrace the challenges. Push through the fear, because those moments are the ones that lead to growth, achievement, and unforgettable experiences. 💪🐴

12/03/2025

🌟 Ready to elevate your riding? 🌟

At KD Equestrian, we embrace —seeing every mistake as a lesson on the path to success. Whether you’re tackling obstacles or refining your skills, we provide expert coaching and tailored training to help you grow, gain confidence, and reach your riding goals.

Join us on the journey, learn from every moment, and experience the difference with KD Equestrian—where riders develop, horses excel, and every ride is a step toward success.

10/03/2025

Such an interesting comparison between the light seat and deep seat! Both have their place, but they require distinct approaches. The light seat relies on a shorter stirrup and a secure, weighted lower leg, like an inflatable clown that always pops back up. Meanwhile, the deep seat is all about stability through your glutes and core, with your legs relaxed and dangling.

The key takeaway? Don't try to blend the two! Each seat has its own unique security, and it's essential to master one for the right riding situation.

Which one do you find easier?

Two VASTLY different seats.
 The forward seat and the deep seat both absolutely have their places! But what you don’t want to do is smoosh the two together!
There is no in between- you either want to have a shorter stirrup, a very deep heel, and a tight “sandbag leg”, or you want to sit deep and heavy and plug in those seat bones with a long draped leg.
The Forward seat gets its security from the mid-thigh down. I compare it to those inflatable clowns 🤡🥊with the sand in the bottom that kids box- no matter what you do to those suckers they pop right back upright again because all the weight is in the bottom!!! That’s what it feels like in a secure forward seat.
In a good deep seat, your lower leg, just dangles. Heck, you could get cut off at the knees and it not change much, because your security comes from your glutes and core! In the deep seat, it is so important that your hips move with the horse, and that your core stabilizes your spine.

Both of these pictures are me and I’m riding the same horse.

07/03/2025

Ready to ride with confidence? 🐴✨

Book your lesson with KD Equestrian today and benefit from expert coaching designed to help you reach your full potential. Whether you’re a beginner or working towards your next goal, we’ve got the support you need to succeed.

Let’s fail forward together and make every ride a step closer to your best!

05/03/2025

Can you relate? Nothing like a warm-up ring to get the adrenaline pumping. 😂🐴

03/03/2025

Great reminder on managing equine athletes during competition season! From transport to cooldowns, every step matters in keeping your horse at their best.

01/03/2025

Join the KD Equestrian Adventure!

I am an Eqasa-qualified instructor and horse trainer with over 20 years of riding experience and a passion for helping riders and horses thrive. Having produced multiple horses from backing to the open grades, I specialize in understanding and working with "difficult" or misunderstood horses through a modern, psychology-based approach.

My lessons combine a focus on achieving correct basics in seat and horsemanship with a fun and light-hearted atmosphere—because learning is best when you’re enjoying the process!

Join the KD Equestrian team and take the next step toward a confident and rewarding equestrian journey. Let’s start Failing Forward together!

26/02/2025

Great reminder!

Your inside leg is key to setting up the bend before you even begin the turn. It acts as the anchor that helps guide your horse’s movement. Waiting until your horse is already falling in makes it much harder to correct the turn. A little early attention to your inside leg can save you a lot of effort later on!

25/02/2025

For anyone who’s ever wished their bike could have a personality and make questionable life choices—meet the horse!

19/02/2025

This is such an important point! A well-fitted saddle is key to achieving the proper pelvic position and maintaining balance while riding. When a rider can sit comfortably without clamping or pinching, it indicates that both their posture and saddle are in alignment. Finding that sweet spot where you can ride without effort—almost like riding bareback—creates the most effective and balanced connection with your horse.

18/02/2025

🏆 KD Equestrian at SANESA Qualifier 1.

A huge congratulations to our riders for their outstanding performances!

✨ Lua-Ché Johannes
1st – Prix Caprilli Level 1 - Test 1
1st – Dressage A - Test 1
1st – Dressage B - Test 2
2nd – Working Riding
5th – Working Hunter 50cm

✨ Ciara-Lee Johannes
2nd – Prix Caprilli Level 1 - Test 1 & 2
2nd – Working Hunter 80cm
2nd – Equitation 80cm
1st – Working Riding

✨ Mariska Brink
1st – Novice Dressage - Test 1 & 2
1st – Show Jumping 80cm
3rd – Equitation
3rd – Working Hunter

✨ Courtney
1st – Prix Caprilli Level 1 - Test 1 & 2
2nd – Dressage Level 1 - Test 1 & 2

✨ Carlien Coetzee
1st – Prix Caprilli Novice A
1st – Prix Caprilli Novice B
1st – Dressage Novice A
1st – Dressage Novice B
1st – Working Riding Level 1
1st – Performance Riding Level 1
1st – In-Hand Utility
3rd – Show Jumping 1 70cm
3rd – Show Jumping 2 70cm

We are so proud of all our riders for their hard work and dedication! 🐴👏

A special thank you to Marlizan Johannes for the lovely photos! 📸✨

18/02/2025

A reminder that growth comes from consistent effort, not flawless ex*****on. At KD Equestrian, we believe in failing forward—because let’s be honest, if perfection was the goal, we’d all be in trouble! Every missed distance, wobbly transition, or “creative” dismount is just another step toward becoming a better rider.

It’s not about being flawless—it’s about growing, learning, and strengthening the bond with your horse every ride,

Focus on the journey, not just the destination!