Learn about your instructor
My name is Laura Decou, and I joined the Equest team in August of 2020 as Equest’s Equine Coordinator. I was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was fortunate enough to start riding horses at age 6. I fell in love with Arabian horses and was able to help train and show them throughout my life. My heart horse CA Jethro Bodine++// was with me for 16 years before passing in 2019 at 29 years old. Our favorite class to show in was Mounted Native Costume, a wonderful Arabian heritage class. When I wasn’t helping at Jethro’s barn, I was volunteering at a therapeutic riding center in Baton Rouge. When I started volunteering in 2009, I would have never guessed I’d end up having a career in this industry. But one amazing thing led to another and before long I wasn’t just a certified instructor (2017), but an Advanced level instructor (Jan 2022). I am so excited to be working on getting my ESMHL certification but my goal one day is to be Vaulting Certified! My favorite thing at Equest is our horses. I love being able to help take care of them every day and make sure they are happy, healthy and ready to help our wonderful clients in so many different ways. My favorite horse in the barn is Remy (*shhhhh* don’t tell the others!).
Outside of Equest, I have a wonderful husband (Mike) and a dog named Chief. We are a sports driven family (Mike and I met on a football field in College) so you can often catch us watching or attending any kind of game (Football, Baseball, Hockey, etc). I also enjoy spending time outside (hiking, kayaking, running) and dabble in some photography as well. Mike and I are also expecting our first kiddo in November (2022) so we are so excited to watch our little family grow. 😊