Individual Training

Blick is a six-year-old Oldenburg gelding who has been part of my life for over a year and a half. When I bought him, he had already been started under the saddle. He was kind, but also fearful and deeply lacking in trust. As for me, I was a determined and stubborn 19-year-old girl who had loved horses for as long as I could remember.

After two months of training together, everything changed in a matter of seconds. One day, as I got on, Blick reared straight up and flipped over backwards twice. I was thrown off and rushed to hospital by ambulance, where I spent two days recovering. Fortunately, apart from a concussion, I wasn't seriously injured. In fact, I don't remember the accident at all.

What I do remember is the fear that stayed with me afterwards.

Six months later, I found the courage to ride him again. He behaved perfectly, yet my heart was pounding so hard it felt like everyone around me could hear it. Blick sensed my fear, and little by little he became more anxious too.

Another six months passed, and eventually he wouldn't allow anyone to mount him at all. The memory of those experiences had affected him so deeply that he would run away the moment I even tried to put my foot in the stirrup.

People told me it was hopeless. They said I was wasting my time and money on this horse. But I refused to give up. I knew there had to be another way, even if others didn't agree with it. What I did know was that I needed professional help.

I'd been following Nastja's work on Facebook for quite some time and had heard wonderful things about her, so I decided to ask for her help. There were other trainers I could have chosen, but I didn't want Blick to be tied down or forced into accepting a rider. What drew me to Nastja's approach was that it focused on the relationship between horse and human, built on understanding the horse's natural behaviour instead of overpowering it.

Blick is an incredibly sensitive horse.

He spent two weeks training with Nastja, who worked with him every single day. I also visited several times so she could teach me how to continue the work myself.

The transformation was remarkable.

Blick became a completely different horse. Calm. Relaxed. Willing. The fear and desire to escape disappeared from his eyes, replaced by trust and kindness. He finally understood that a person approaching with a saddle wasn't a threat.

Today, we continue practising groundwork together every day—and I've been able to ride him again. He now stands completely still at the mounting block, without taking a single step away.

But perhaps the greatest transformation wasn't just in Blick—it was in me.

Through this journey, I became more confident, more decisive, and the fear that once controlled me is gone. Nastja continues to support us as we work towards complete trust, harmony, and ultimately our goal of competing in dressage.

This experience completely changed the way I see horse training. Why rely on force when there is another way—one built on trust, understanding and partnership? Every rider should first learn to communicate with their horse on the ground before expecting that relationship to carry into the saddle. Trust, respect and connection should always come before pressure or control.

I truly believe every horse and every horse owner could benefit from the techniques Nastja teaches.

Thank you, Nastja!

Nastja guided me through entirely new ways of understanding my horse—through my body, my mind, and the subtle connection between the two. She taught me how to recognise my horse's emotional state and, through greater precision in my own body language and awareness, how to positively influence not only his emotions but also his physical presence.

For the very first time, I experienced my horse beside me—and beneath me—not simply as an animal to ride, but as a living being I could truly help. Yet along the way, I realised that it was the horses who were helping me.

Throughout the exercises, I learned to become more aware of my own thoughts, my breathing, and my body, while paying close attention to even the smallest details of my horse's body language. Those subtle responses became the greatest reward, revealing the depth of a relationship built on mutual understanding and partnership.

This journey became far more than learning how to work with horses. It became a journey of discovering myself, experiencing a profound sense of freedom, and feeling the countless invisible threads that connect my horse's heart with my own.

It is a path I know I will continue walking for the rest of my life.