THE HORSE ALLERGIST WHO BECAME A HORSE MASSEUR

The love of horses was already born when Maria was a child, but since she always had an allergy to fur animals, she had to make do with posters in the girls' room (Orup got to join one corner - but otherwise it was just animals...) and asthma attacks after circus visits and pony rides. Cut to 2005 when she ventured on a tour riding on Icelandic horses and realized that there was an opportunity to start riding as she had no feelings.

What she didn't know then was that 25 years of suppressed longing to be with animals and especially horses would strike with full force..

Maria immediately started taking riding lessons and took tour rides as often as she could. The lessons were held outdoors and I armed myself with gloves and, in the worst fall period, also a mouth guard. Slowly but surely I sensitized myself and became more and more resistant to the allergen in the fur.

Over the years, she has left the Icelandic horses and during a tough period when Maria was on sick leave, she found a stable that had Bashkir horses that are considered hypoallergenic. There, Maria got the chance to recover and spend many hours in the woods and fields together with the horses.

In 2016, the dream of owning a horse came true and now she cannot see a life without horses.

Maria began training as an Equine Masseur and Equiphysiotherapist at Axelson's Animal Massage School in the fall of 2018 and received her diploma in December 2019. After that, she has continued to study and work with horses' well-being.

In the spring of 2020, Maria suffered a fracture in her hand and it resulted in her finally getting hold of the thoughts she had about a digital project around horse health.

Hållbara Hästar was launched and her digital courses are rolling out on an assembly line and are very popular. There are big plans going forward to develop the concept and the services offered.