Every Hair Strand Tells a Story - part 2

Falling in Love with Horses as an Adult

Gardening. Work. A dog. But what about the horses?

"I wouldn't say owning a pony was my biggest childhood dream," Nanna laughs. "I wanted to be an Indian. I spent my time building tipis and practising how to sneak silently through the forest."

Her passion for horses didn't begin until adulthood. After she and her husband moved to the countryside, she received riding lessons as a gift for her fortieth birthday.

"It certainly wasn't love at first sight! After every lesson I promised myself I'd never set foot in the stable again. I was terrified. The horse seemed the size of a mountain, and every movement felt unpredictable. But after my seventh riding lesson, not even wild horses could have kept me away." At first Nanna rode school horses. Before long, however, she had the opportunity to buy a horse of her own. The horse was an eighteen-year-old Oldenburg-Hanoverian mare named Anitte Stensgård, affectionately known as Nitte. Once a successful show jumper, she could be quite a diva on both her good days and her bad ones. Her owner hoped she would find a peaceful, loving retirement home, and Nanna didn't hesitate for a moment.

Anitte Stesgård aka Nitte at home

"I was both thrilled and terrified," she remembers. "I knew owning a horse meant enormous responsibility. It takes time, commitment and money, and I had very little experience back then. But with the help of good friends, everything worked out beautifully. Nitte and I shared many wonderful years together. She taught me so much, and we truly loved each other." "One of the saddest days of my life was having to let her go. But I also knew that her final years with me had been happy ones."

Nanna and Nitte, bracelet Shoe-shoe made from Nitte´s tailhair

Horshair bracelet Shoe-Shoe

Nanna and Tuisku

"After Nitte I initially thought I could live without a horse. But as every horse lover knows, that is very difficult," Nanna laughs. "I found a wonderful Finn horse mare named Tuisku. Tuisku was a remarkable horse who also worked as a therapy horse with children. She had an extraordinary intuition and a unique way of connecting with and comforting children who had suffered even severe trauma." "She also came back to me in a dream..." Read "Dream Horse in a Dream".

The Danish-Swedish Farmdog Otto (Calle’s grandfather), the Jack Russell Terriers Hauke and Pauhu and Tuisku.

"All my pets — dogs, cats and horses — have been very important to me and have brought so much joy to me and my entire family." An Idea That Quietly Took Shape We move out onto the terrace overlooking the little garden. Although it's already late September, the afternoon is still pleasantly warm. I want to know when the idea of creating jewellery from horsehair first appeared. "It didn't happen all at once. The idea grew slowly, but it never really disappeared. Sometimes, while brushing Nitte's tail, I'd find myself holding the hairs in my hand, wondering whether it might be possible to weave them into a strong, durable band. The thought fascinated me — to create something no one had ever made or even seen before. But I never actually tried. I had so many other projects going on at the time. The idea was like a misty morning... it would appear for a while and then quietly fade away." Nitte lived on a nearby farm together with fifteen other horses. One day, the people at the stable were discussing what they could give the farm owner for her fortieth birthday. They wanted to give something truly special. "It just slipped out before I'd even thought about it," Nanna smiles. "'Perhaps I could make a piece of jewellery using the tail hair from three generations of her mares.' Everyone loved the idea immediately. In that moment, the perfect gift had been found." And just like that, it began—a bold promise, and a beautiful vision. Tell us in the comments how horses have changed your life! To be continued... Wish to read Part One? Klick!