Johanna Lassnack is a rider, entrepreneur, lecturer, mental coach, and Maya Delorez Brand Ambassador. At the age of seven, Johanna got on a horse for the first time and immediately fell in love with the sense of freedom it gave her. Besides competing in show jumping, she helps young riders with mental coaching and gives lectures that are appreciated by people all over the Nordic countries.

About Johanna Lassnack

• Age: 34 years old (born in 1990)

• Lives in: Ängelholm, Sweden 🇸🇪

• Occupation: Rider, entrepreneur, lecturer and mental coach

• Instagram: @johannalassnack 
  
  

How did it all start?

Let’s go back to where it all started. How did riding become such a big part of your life?

– For me, it started out of sheer curiosity when I was seven years old. A classmate of mine had horses at home and one day I tagged along and watched her ride. From that day forward, my parents had to listen to me begging all the time about how much I wanted to start riding! What fascinated me was being able to sit on an animal that had a life of its own, but who still chose to listen to you.

“When I was young, I was quite shy. So, it was perfect to be able to communicate through body language while riding.”

– Johanna Lassnack

Do you remember the first time you sat on a horse?

– At first, I was quite nervous, and I remember that the first thing I was supposed to learn was to ride at a walk. I wasn’t very interested in that, so instead I begged them to let me ride a trot right away. And they actually let me! Already, after the first riding lesson, I knew that I wanted to experience this sense of freedom many more times.

Would you like to tell us a little bit more about the horses you ride today?

– There’s one horse that I’m riding at the moment. He’s called Casallco, also known as Calle Cool, and I bought him about a year ago in Germany. Calle has been a bit behind in his training and needed some extra time, but I see a lot of potential and capacity in him. Then I have my older mare Saphira who I’ve had now for almost four years. She will hopefully become a mom soon, so a few months ago it was time for her to retire. Slowly but surely, I would like to invest in some younger horses!

Today you compete in show jumping, has it always been obvious that this is the discipline you would focus on?

– Oh definitely, 100%! The speed and adrenaline that jumping gives me was something I was drawn to from the very beginning; there was just something about lifting off the ground. Plus, the patience that you need for dressage just wasn’t really for me. When jumping, I need to make very quick decisions and be fully present from start to finish. Whenever I was watching show jumping on TV and Swedish rider Malin Baryard was on, I couldn’t help but dream myself away. At that time, I hadn’t even jumped 70 cm!

Johanna’s Tips for Young Riders Who Doubt Themselves

• You are never alone – We have all, at some point, compared ourselves to others and doubted ourselves.

• Learn from your mistakes – If you never fail, you never learn.

• Don’t judge others – A smile can go a long way.

• Get help from someone with more experience – No one knows everything. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

• Create your own opportunities – Don’t wait for someone else to create them for you.

• Create routines – That way, you will feel confident in what you are doing.

• Be patient – Whether you’re starting a new business or striving to become the best rider, it won’t happen overnight. Doing a little every day will eventually get you to where you want to be!
  
  

Johanna Lassnack x Maya Delorez

You’ve been with us almost from the start, can you tell us a bit about how you first came into contact with us?

– It all really started when a friend of mine was walking around with a beanie that had the Maya Delorez logo on it. At the time, there weren’t a lot of products, but I liked the beanie right away! By the time I got in touch with Madde, it was clear to me that I should try out the products. There was this new approach to riding clothes, and they were not like anything I had ever tried before. They were just beautiful and functional, and you could tell that there was a lot of passion behind the products. That was the start of a great collaboration that is still going strong!

What is important to you when you choose to collaborate with a company?

– For me, it’s about so much more than just the clothes. It’s the whole brand and what the company stands for. It’s important that the company has good values and is genuine through and through. I place a lot of value on realness, on being genuine and authentic. So, the company I work with needs to be the same. They shouldn’t be putting up a facade. Maya Delorez is real from the inside out.

Ryttarinspiration

You started Ryttarinspiration (‘Equestrian Inspiration’) in 2013 and have since become a highly regarded lecturer and motivator, would you like to tell us a bit about how you got into mental coaching?

– Initially, my interest in working with psychology grew simply because I found it exciting. I devoured all the knowledge I could get my hands on through lectures, podcasts, and YouTube. The more knowledge I gained, the more I realized how helpful it was also when on horseback – with everything from battling nervousness to focusing and performing at one’s best. After some years, I wanted to share what I had learned with other equestrians. Today, I have the great opportunity to travel and lecture about the topic and even coach young riders on an individual level. Besides that, I have also started the podcast “A mental half-halt” for horse lovers who want to develop mentally.

“Many riders spend an enormous amount of time and money on horse equipment, good training, competitions, and feed, but completely forget to take care of themselves. With ‘Ryttarinspiration’ I want to change that.”

– Johanna Lassnack

You primarily focus on young riders; how do you view the need for mental coaching in equestrian sports?

– There’s really not that much that’s been done in that area! Being a young person today is very much about comparing yourself to others and wanting to fit in. We see what our competitors are doing, we constantly see updates on social media, and the comparison can make it difficult to deal with setbacks and failures, which are natural and will always happen whether it’s in sports or everyday life. I find that the deepest feelings are often kept to oneself and that makes people feel very lonely. Many times, guidance is needed on how to approach difficult emotions when they take over. That’s where I want to be able to help.

One more question to wrap it up: Imagine everything on your busy schedule suddenly gets canceled and you have no plans at all for the day, what do you do?

– What an interesting question! Then I’d take the opportunity to go to bed early… Or maybe do a few more hours in the stable!

Five Quick Questions with Johanna

Your favorite emoji?
🤗 – The hugging emoji!

Podcasts or Youtube?
Podcasts! 

Morning person or night owl?
Hmm… Morning person!

Indoor or outdoor arena?
Outdoor arena!

Favorite riding season?
That would be spring!