Kudu Trail Horse Riding Experience in Oudtshoorn

The Kudu Trail

The Kudu Trail starts from a working farm on the Stompdriftdam Road outside De Rust and loops through the surrounding countryside on a mix of jeep tracks, farm roads and narrow game tracks. It is named after the greater kudu, the large spiral-horned antelope that browses in the thicket on these hillsides. Kudu, smaller antelope and plenty of birds may cross your path, although sightings are never guaranteed.

The ride lasts about an hour and a half, which is long enough to settle into the rhythm of the horse and enjoy the silence of the Karoo without getting saddle-sore. The guide matches the pace to the group, mostly at a relaxed walk, and stops at viewpoints for photos. It is one of the most authentic things to do in Oudtshoorn if you want to see the landscape away from the main roads.

The Klein Karoo landscape

The Klein Karoo is a long, semi-arid valley enclosed by the Swartberg mountains to the north and the Outeniqua and Langeberg ranges to the south. Its name comes from a Khoekhoe word often translated as 'land of thirst', and it receives far less rain than the green Garden Route coast just over the mountains. The result is a striking landscape of red and ochre hills, dry riverbeds and hardy succulent plants.

The region has a remarkable variety of succulents, many found nowhere else, and in spring after good rains the veld can be dotted with small flowers. From horseback you notice details you would miss from a car: the scent of the shrubs, tortoise tracks in the sand and the way the light changes on the folded mountains. Early-morning and late-afternoon rides are especially beautiful.

De Rust and Meiringspoort

De Rust is a small, peaceful village of Victorian cottages and tree-lined streets about 35 kilometres east of Oudtshoorn. It sits at the southern entrance of Meiringspoort, a spectacular gorge where the road follows the Groot River through the Swartberg mountains, crossing the riverbed again and again between towering red cliffs.

Many riders combine the Kudu Trail with a drive through Meiringspoort, where a short path leads to a waterfall in a side gorge, or with a stop at the farm stalls and craft shops of De Rust. The village is a good place for a relaxed lunch after a morning ride. If you start in the afternoon, the drive back through the Karoo at sunset is a highlight in itself.

Oudtshoorn and getting there

Oudtshoorn, the main town of the Klein Karoo, became famous during the ostrich-feather boom of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when grand sandstone 'feather palaces' were built with the fortunes made from fashion plumes. Today it is known for its ostrich farms, the Cango Caves to the north and the dramatic Swartberg Pass.

How do you get to the Kudu Trail? The farm is about two hours by car from Knysna over the Outeniqua mountains via George and Oudtshoorn, then a short drive towards De Rust. Hotel pickup is not included, but our team can arrange a private transfer and combine the ride with other Oudtshoorn sights in a full day. The best time to visit is autumn and spring, when days are mild; in summer choose an early or late ride to avoid the heat.