Cristina Zabala is an example of how passion and perseverance can open unexpected paths. Although her academic background seemed to distance her from the equestrian world, destiny had other plans for her. Ever since she was little, Cristina was always drawn to the world of horses, even though she did not come from an equestrian family. However, old habits die hard and her love for these animals led her to Italy, where she completely changed her life and that of many young horses.
Working with young horses is not straightforward. Cristina highlights that the biggest challenge she faced was not the horses, but the people. ”I had to unlearn many traditional methods and find my own path. I realised that if the foal wasn't enjoying the process, everything became much more complicated,“ she tells us. "You have to keep an open mind, be alert and quick-witted, intuitive and, above all, the most important thing I would say is to have a lot of emotional stability; it is essential not to take the horse's reactions personally. Ignorance breeds frustration, and frustration can lead to anger, which is counterproductive." Furthermore, she advocates an approach that resembles natural horsemanship. Her aim is to apply respectful techniques without losing sight of the demands of high performance.
Thanks to the freedom she is given on her block, she can explore alternative methods that nowadays allow her to work with horses in a calm and effective way. She surrounds herself with professionals such as Paolo Torlonia, Gabriel Pellicer, her “spiritual guru”, Elena Cortés and Abel Muñoz, who have given her advice and support in her development as a horsewoman and breaker of young horses…
Cristina's work is varied and depends on the physical and mental state of the horses. "I go on long hacks across the countryside, flatwork or jumping sessions, and I always set aside the afternoons for breaking in and leading foals," she explains. Adapting to the needs of each horse is essential for their wellbeing and progress.
Cristina stresses that the way a foal is broken in has a huge influence on its future sports career. “I've worked with horses that compete at a high level but have irrational fears due to poor initial backing,” she remarks. Her philosophy is simple: to make the process safe, calm and fun, for both rider and horse. "It has become normal to sedate young horses just to ride them or even to lead them by the lead rope, we've all seen someone hit a horse to get it to go into a trailer, hearing the sound of whips in a stable, whether professional or not, doesn't shock anyone. I've ridden horses that jumped 1.50m, but couldn't enter an arena unless they were in draw reins and backing up. I see wonderful horses that their riders can't mount or take out into the countryside, can't turn out in a paddock, can't put with other horses... These are unnecessary risks created by humans that make the horse's life very unnatural or, I would dare say, very unhappy."
Cristina has achieved spectacular things with young horses, yet her greatest satisfaction is seeing horses that used to fear humans regain their confidence. “I’ve also competed in the Italian Young Horse Championship, but if I’m being completely honest, my biggest achievement is making the production of sport horses safe, calm and fun.”
Now, with their first international competition just around the corner, they are facing a new challenge with Bughi Bughi del Terricio 7y/o, a horse she has trained herself since it was four years old. "The vets said it didn't have much of a sporting future, but here we are," she says proudly.
Cristina Zabala is the clear example that, in the horse world, with patience, respect and love, limits do not exist and above all, that modern dressage models for young horses are entirely compatible with high performance.
