About Michelle and her horses
When did you first come in contact with horses?
Since I was a little girl, I always loved horses and wanted to have one, but I was very scared of them. When I was six years old, I got some riding lessons as a present and even if I was very scared, I didn’t want my mom to give them away. I tried, and from the first contact with horses, it was a real passion.
Tell me about your horses and your goals moving forward?
I want to continue to improve at the international competitions. I want for example, to be successful in the “Bemer Riders Tour” and those tournaments. “Not only competing but competing successfully”.
What is your best memory with your horses?
The most emotional one was competing at the European Championships 2010 in Great Britain with the pony eventing team. We won silver and this is something you can never ever repeat. I was 14 years old, and everything was so big. My pony gave me everything and there was a very strong relationship between us.
Do you have any tips for someone who wants to be a successful rider?
A very important thing is to be fair to your horse. This is something I share on social media every day because you can never ever train a horse without loving them in a good way. I always focus on the individual character of the horse and train them in their way. Always keep your goal in mind, there will always be situations that go wrong or don’t turn out the way you think.
About Michelle and social media
How did your social media journey begin?
I didn’t use social media before because it was a place where everything needs to look perfect and there was no value for me.
At the end of 2017, I started to be active on social media in the way I wanted to, inspiring people with for example training tips and learning together.
What is the best thing about social media?
I love how social media has turned out now. You can learn from people and even from top-riders via for example online-training and it helps you improve yourself. I love that you can build your own community and be stronger together “learn together and grow together”.
Do you have any tips to someone who want to succeed on social media?
I think my best tip is to be unique, and not to do what all the others do. I think it is important to have strong partnerships that support the value behind the content you make.
About training / competition-tips
What are your best tips for correcting your seat?
I think it is very important to feel your horse and your seat, because every horse feels different. A good thing you can do is to close your eyes and focus on what you feel. You need to feel to be able to get the harmony.
Do you have any favorite jumping exercises that you can do at home?
I love to work with ground poles for the small gymnastics and dressage-work, but also to work with ground poles in front or after the jump because it helps the horse be more confident.
What are your best tips to finding the right distance to the jump?
If you want to improve the distance-feeling it’s important to just change one thing at the time, not everything at the same time. You can for example change the speed or the way you are keeping the speed. Always change one thing at a time to know what is helpful in the situation. Try to keep your eyes on, for example, the ground then on the pole or over the fence and trying to feel what is best for you.
How do you handle nervousness before a competition?
I am very nervous before competitions. It’s very helpful to have a lot of time before competitions because in more stressful situations there will always be more nerves. I always take a good amount of time to warm up before competitions and make sure to take breaks to calm myself down and my horse and to go through the course in my head. If I have time, I also like to watch the others ride the course.
Focus on you and your horse, your strengths, and your training at home. And again, feel your horse and your seat. How does your horse feel in the moment and how can you support your horse in this competition.
About Michelle and Equestrian Stockholm
What is important for you when you choose to work with a company?
It’s very important that a brand we work with has the same values as us and supports our journey, and that we can work together towards common goals.
I also think it’s important to have long-term partnerships, because trust between me, the partner, and the community always takes time to build.
What do you like the most about Equestrian Stockholm?
Equestrian Stockholm has very high-quality clothes and horse-products, and I think this is very unique. I use the products very often and wash them over and over again and the quality stays the same. The products are also very stylish but not too much, it’s always unique.
What are your favorite products from Equestrian Stockholm?
My all time favorite product is the Dark Sky Winter jacket. Everybody loves it, it’s so warm and I ALWAYS have it with me in the car to competitions, even in May haha. Other favorite products are the Sportive Navy Saddle Pad and the Dark Sky Brushing and Bell Boots.
This or That
Training / Competition
Not young horse / Young horse
Inside season / Outside season
Instagram / YouTube
TV / Book
