Meet The Guides - Tertia | Wild Coast Horses

Meet the Guides - Tertia

Nicky Hoseck

Having ridden 60 trails and covered nearly 10,000 km, Tertia van Zyl is arguably one of the most experienced horse trails guides the Wild Coast has ever seen. In this blog, we're going to find out what motivates her, why she fell in love with her favourite horse Tazman, and what she thinks makes the best kind of trail horse.

Tertia didn’t necessarily see herself becoming a horse trails guide, although she admits that, as soon as she started riding at the age of 14, she wanted to work with horses, and that’s pretty much what she’s been doing since leaving school.

With several years of endurance experience under her belt, Tertia was more than ready for the challenges of trail life when she joined the company seven years ago. Since then, she’s blossomed into a knowledgeable horsewoman and dependable guide.

The horses are still her primary passion, especially now she’s come to know each member of the Wild Coast herd so intimately. “They’re just amazing, and I love them all so much,” she says with a smile.

A Strong Bond Leads the Way

Despite that, one horse has secured a special place in Tertia’s heart. Torstone Tazman is a 16-year-old homebred Anglo-Arab who was bred as an endurance prospect but quickly established himself as an exceptional trail horse.

Too spirited to be ridden by clients, Tertia soon adopted Tazman as her own.

“I feel like we understand each other very well,” Tertia says. “We’ve spent many hours together, so I guess you build a relationship over the years.”

As reliable as he is, Tazman’s not the easiest of rides, and Tertia admits, “There’s never a dull moment with him - I’m never bored when I ride him.”

His good traits far outweigh his bad ones, and he helps Tertia out by bravely leading the way across rivers and over challenging terrain. He’ll also wait patiently while she attends to other riders and ensures their safety.

It helps that Tazman’s also one of the more dominant horses, so the other herd members trust him to lead them safely into the unknown.

The Makings of a Good Trail Horse

Tazman has many qualities Tertia believes a trail horse needs to be successful, the most important being “good feet and a level head.”

Although she admits that no trail company would invest in anything “too crazy or highly strung,” she also believes that “a lot of horses could be trail horses” if they lived in a herd environment and received appropriate training.

“People always say, “Oh, my horse would never do that or go over that,” but I think it’s more about how you keep them and train them than about the breed or temperament."

Advice for Future Guests

Having spent so many years leading trails along the Wild Coast, Tertia is a great source of information about the area and what it takes to tackle it on horseback.

Fitness is critical, she says, advising future clients to “come riding fit and make sure you ride quite a bit before you come here, then you’ll enjoy the holiday more.”

She also suggests wearing quick-dry riding clothes “because you’ll get wet either by rain or in rivers or splashed by the sea water while cantering, so you’ll be more comfortable if your clothes dry quickly.”

The rough seas and deserted beaches set Wild Coast Horse Trails apart from its rivals and attract people from all over the world. Even after seven years, Tertia says, “it never gets old.”

Hard Work and Holidays

Keeping people and their horses safe in this environment is a challenge and one Tertia takes very seriously. For her, matching each rider with their ideal horse is crucial to the safety of the group. “If the rider is on the right horse and they work well together, everything is safer.”

She also emphasizes the importance of letting the lead rider go first so they can assess the terrain and any potential hazards and adjust the speed accordingly.

With a range of different holidays and trails available, it can be difficult for clients and their guides to pick the best one, but for Tertia, the signature 7-day Wild Coast Trail is by far the best.

“It’s just the right amount of riding, with lots of variety, so you never get bored. It’s also breathtakingly beautiful!”

With the horses covering nearly 200km along beaches, over rocks, and through steep river valleys, they must be in tiptop condition.

To ensure their health and well-being, the guides take the horses' temperatures every day, enabling them to “quickly pick up on any infections or diseases, like African Horse Sickness.”

“We also ensure they’ve got lots of roughage, like good lucerne and grazing,” Tertia explains, adding that they also live out in a herd, “which is very good for their mental health.”

While working as a horse trails guide is hard work, Tertia’s favourite thing about the job is, she claims, “feeling like I’m on holiday my whole life!”

Tertia works hard and enjoys the challenges but says, “I can look through the guest’s eyes and appreciate the scenery through them. When they’re loving it, it makes me appreciate it all over again.”

Conclusion

It’s a testament to the Wild Coast that, after so many trails, Tertia still feels like she’s on holiday! Despite that feeling, she works incredibly hard ensuring the well-being of our horses and the safety of clients, and we hope she’ll be here for many years to come.