Who am I?

My name is Sissel, and I run the company Horse Serenity/Young Horse Performance just outside Vejle. I take in horses for breaking-in and training, which can vary from very young horses that need to learn the basics, to horses in training, problem horses, and further education for young dressage horses. The training always takes place on the horse's terms, but what does that mean exactly? It means that the mental aspect is valued just as highly as the physical part of the horse, and there is always a focus on the horse’s work ethic and its willingness to try, rather than making things perfect, so that the horse remains happy and eager to work, instead of the opposite.

How did I start working with horses?

I think I've been passionate about horses as long as I can remember, and it has always been a big dream to be able to live from training them. After high school, I started at Blue Hors, where, after almost a year, I met Will Rogers – I was fascinated and saw a way of training I had never encountered before. Somehow, it just felt right – at least for me. So, I ended up going with him to Holland to learn more and worked for him and Tristan Tucker for about a year. After that, I went to Texas to learn from an incredibly skilled trainer named Dan Keen. He is a wonderful person, and whenever I face a challenge with a horse, I often find myself thinking, “What would Dan do?”

I then worked once again at Blue Hors for a period until I figured out where the next adventure and learning process would take place. The choice was Australia. I left without any concrete plans, but I was lucky to meet the right people and worked for a while with Jason Leitch – one of the best cutting horse trainers in Australia and a very skilled horseman who had trained with Ray Hunt. I had attended a clinic with him and wanted to learn more, so I spoke to him and asked if he needed a hand in exchange for me learning. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there as long as I had hoped because I was unlucky enough to break my collarbone, which resulted in a long healing process, and when I was ready again, I went back to Dan Keen to learn more.

After my visa expired, I returned to Denmark with thoughts on what the next step should be – I had several job offers, but after traveling so much and learning other ways of training horses, nothing felt quite right. So, I decided to start my own business and set it up on the farm where I come from (20th generation on the place) near Daugård.

The indoor arena was there, but that was about it, so my father, partly my brother, and I got to work building stables, paddocks, and a round pen so I had a good place to be – much has been improved since I started, and I enjoyed the facilities and the peace of the place in the busy everyday life during the six years I was on the family farm. After six years, I have now moved from the family farm, as we have purchased a farm in Sellerup, just outside Vejle, with better facilities and even more potential for development, so my business can continue to grow in the coming years. My weeks are quickly booked up – whether it’s horse training, courses, lectures, or teaching. Training the horses at the site always comes first, and everything else is scheduled after that.

The horse in focus

I place great importance on having time for each individual horse, and it means a lot to me that they feel good – if they don’t feel good, I don’t feel good. That’s also why I value the fact that most of the horses I work with have great significance for each owner, and that often many dreams are tied to each horse. This makes it much more rewarding for me to invest so many thoughts and so much time into each horse, because I know it will hopefully make a difference for the individual horse and rider. Great emphasis is also placed on making sure all aspects of the horse’s life are in balance – I try to ensure it stands next to the right horses in the stable, gets enough turnout with the right companions, has the proper feed, and I bring in specialists like skilled farriers, experienced veterinarians, and ensure appropriate training based on age, level, and growth, etc.

There are so many things to consider, and if just one thing isn’t working, the rest won’t work optimally either. This also means that it’s not just the owner who sets expectations for me, but I also expect the owner to have the horse’s best interests at heart, whatever that may be, and that we can have an open and honest dialogue about it.

A good start is not just half-done!

I constantly strive to improve myself and stay in the present moment with the horse, and especially to maintain my own balance – because, as I mentioned earlier, many factors play into whether the horse thrives and feels good, and this also applies to us. Our mood and mindset are crucial for how successful the training with the horse will be, and that can be the biggest challenge in working with a horse. Therefore, I draw inspiration from all sorts of places – both within and outside the equine world – and I try to turn what I see into something I can use in the horse’s training.

A solid foundation is essential for a good future. One must remember that a young horse has very few experiences to base its view of the world on, so if these experiences are not positive or align with what the future will bring, confusion, nervousness, or fear may arise, which can show in various ways, both in handling on the ground and training under saddle. The horse is a bit like a ship – if you skip a step in building the ship, water may get in, and it may only be a small leak at first, but eventually, the ship will sink. It might be possible to keep the ship afloat by constantly trying to bail the water out, but how much easier and more enjoyable would it be if we didn’t have to worry about that and could simply enjoy the journey?