Kerry Durston Equestrian

18/12/2024

Love this shot captured by my talented young pupil, Carlien Coetzee! 📸

This was 3 jumps from home, right after Sunny decided she wasn’t quite ready to answer a tricky question on course. We had two stops, lost our first place, and yep—it stung a bit. But hey, that’s horses for you!

At the end of the day, it’s all about putting the horse first. So, instead of chasing the win, we took a moment to school through the d**e (while my eventing watch beeped its heart out), gave Sunny a chance to rebuild her confidence, and crossed the finish with a proud, happy athlete.

No ribbon, but plenty of smiles and a horse ready to try again another day. 💛🐴 Eventing is all about the journey!

17/12/2024

A great breakdown of how different disciplines and moments in riding require different balances of weight, tension, and connection! It’s a great reminder that instructions like “don't grip with your knees” or “put all your weight in the stirrups” aren’t universal—they’re often meant to address specific habits.

The real skill? Developing an independent seat with the ability to adapt each individual aid as needed for the situation. Versatility and awareness are what make a great rider!

16/12/2024

Dreaming of better rides and a stronger partnership? 🐴

KD Equestrian is here to guide you with real, honest training, plenty of laughs, and a passion for getting it right—one step (or gallop) at a time! 🌟

📩 [email protected]

13/12/2024

Jumping into the weekend like… 🐴✨

Here’s to big leaps, clear rounds, and lots of fun ahead!

What are your riding plans this weekend? Let us know below! 👇

11/12/2024

Ride, Laugh, Learn – 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!

09/12/2024

When your horse decides to hit the brakes without warning...

'You good down there, human?' 🐴

06/12/2024

Pulling on an energetic horse might feel like the easiest solution in the moment, but it often does more harm than good. Instead of gaining control, it can disrupt balance, teach defensive behavior, and escalate tension.

Building skill sets for both horse and handler, staying observant, and learning to redirect energy calmly are far more effective—and kinder—ways to help an energetic or nervous horse.

No horse has ever been pulled into calmness. It’s all about meeting them halfway and working together for a better outcome.

Pulling on horses when their energy is “up”-

It’s the most common habit to observe worldwide: in any discipline or culture, people can be observed giving a yank or a pull to the head of an energetic horse.

Let’s take ethics aside, just for the sake of this conversation, about what’s right and wrong to do to the sensitive area of a horses head-

Pulling an energetic horse simply isn’t effective.
Best case scenario you get momentary control, at the expense of balance , physically and emotionally

Worst case scenario, and what I spend a lot of time fixing, is it gives the horse leverage and strength up front, teaches them to observe and look for human weakness to get the upper hand (humans fault, not horses plotting), and teaches them to defend themselves against people.

What this creates is a horse in a pattern of locking their body and looking for a way out, creating more instances of spooking from a dysregulated emotional state, and creates overall a more dangerous horse, more prone to mishandling from people.

It’s the hardest thing in the world, but the most important, to teach people to

A) teach horses skill sets so this is less needed
B ) teach people observational skills to avoid creating a problem
And c) teach people to go with the flow a little, integrate into movement, and then redirect in a more peaceful, but better yet, actually effective way.

No horse has ever been pulled on enough to be calm- it takes a person willing to meet in the middle and develop the calm and observational skills needed to help the energetic and nervous horse

04/12/2024

Ready to take the next step in your equestrian journey? 🌟 KD Equestrian is here to help you reach your goals, one stride at a time. 🐎✨

[email protected]

02/12/2024

Remember: the first step is always the hardest. Whether it's teaching groundwork, starting under saddle, or refining skills, progress begins with a single moment of courage and commitment.

Trust the process, stay consistent, and you'll be amazed at how far you and your horse can go!

Image credit: Russell Brunson

20/05/2024

Extremely proud of young Carlien Coetzee for her performance at Sanesa this weekend! 4 wins with some outstanding scores and just the best comments from the judges, describing her riding as "Talented and Secure" and "shows aptitude for riding leg before hand". These are exactly the qualities that KD Equestrian strives to achieve in riders, but how often do you actually see a 10 year old rider who can understand and apply this sort of ethical and educated riding? Very very impressed with this team!

Carlien achieved 3 scores over 71% this weekend. What an amazing improvement in such a short time! Well done Carlien and thank you Mom Lize Coetzee for being the best show Mom and for choosing KD Equestrian for your daughter's equestrian journey. 🐴

06/05/2024

Very proud of this amazing group of kids at Sanesa this weekend!! Everyone in the prizes! 🥳

Carlien and Mambo from a bucking bronco and brave barnacle to 2x 1st and 2x 2nd places including the best Prix Caprilli score of the day! 🥇🥇🥈🥈

Mariska and Liam, a young rider training her own horse and only Liam's 3rd Sanesa, 2x 1st places and the best dressage score of the day, cracking 70%! 🥇🥇

Annabelle and Milky from planting and not moving forward to placing in 3/4 classes 2x 3rd, 1x 2nd with LOTS of positive improvement! 🥈🥉🥉

Lua-Che and Lady Grey at their first Sanesa, 1st in dressage, 3rd in Prix Caprilli and Equitation with beautiful performances! 🥇🥉🥉

Ciara-Lee and Legend a 2nd in equitation and 1st in Prix Caprilli with very solid performance and a great attitude throughout! 🥇🥈

Best of all, every single one of these kids accepted both their victories and their defeats with dignity and sportsmanship. They were passionate, focused, dedicated and extremely polite and respectful to fellow riders, officials, coaches and parents, and every horse and pony got absolutely lavished with love and pats regardless of results. 🥰

I am an extremely proud coach of this wonderful group of young horsewomen and I can't wait to assist them further in their equestrian education. 🐴

15/04/2024

Some Sunshine for your Monday evening. 🐴💛

Thank you for my jumping pics! 📷
Pics on the flat courtesy of my youngest client Carlien Coetzee. 😁