zhenyaswan I’ve never actually shared the story behind my wedding entrance on horseback. And I know what you’re thinking… of course she did. Horse girl. Dreamy….On brand. That would make sense and you’re partly right. But you’re also completely wrong!

It wasn’t even my idea. It was Julius who proposed it. Surprisingly!!!

And I resisted it for a long time. My first thought was - I love horses, but this is insane! You need to find a blind and deaf horse that would not buck me off in front of so many people in my wedding dress….and even then I’d be too scared to do that. I kept telling him it was too much, too theatrical, maybe even a little cheesy.

But he wouldn’t let the idea go and kept installing it in my head. So half a year before the wedding, during our scouting trip in South Africa, we started visiting different stables close to our wedding venue. And that’s when we found her, this insanely beautiful palomino mare Dixie who would eventually carry me down the aisle. I rode her for the first time and she felt so natural and she was sooo good. She had been born for this role!

On the wedding day right before the ceremony I panicked a little again - what if it’s really a bad idea and I’m so nervous and the horse will feel it?? But the moment I sat on her 10 minutes before the entrance I knew - she was about to enjoy this moment just as much as I did. She gave me confidence and almost whispered: hey girl, just send it!!!

It was the best idea my husband has ever had. Because in that moment, everything I feared it might be, disappeared.

I remember cantering towards all the people I love, towards him, feeling something I can only describe as flying. Like I had wings and the world opened for a second just for me…

It’s one of the most beautiful, overwhelming, unforgettable moments of my life. So maybe this is your sign to listen to your partner’s slightly crazy ideas :) and sometimes they are not as crazy as you think!

Sometimes they turn into magic. ✨

zhenyaswan I’ve noticed that a majority of riders who come for riding holidays are women. I don’t even fully know why, maybe we’re just a bit more adventurous or love riding more, or maybe there are simply more female riders out there. But it doesn’t have to be like this!

This year Julius @julius_hne joined one of my expeditions in Patagonia and fully embraced the gaucho lifestyle for a week. Learning how to drink wine from a saddle, eating morning crêpes with dulce de leche, galloping through the vast pampas, and somehow ending up dancing in the middle of nowhere.

I’m honestly so grateful to him for this, because I know that not many partners would say yes to something like this. It’s a demanding experience, physically and mentally, and definitely far outside of what most people would call comfortable.

And Julius is not really a rider. He did take a few lessons before, but I don’t think he expected how humbling this experience would be. There were days when he could barely get up because of how stiff his body was, and at some point wine and a bit of whiskey became the main form of painkillers.

But with an incredible team and such a special group of riders around, he really leaned into it. He pushed through, expanded his limits, and allowed himself to be part of something completely new.

And honestly, I hope this won’t be the last time we do something like this together. There’s something very special about exploring the world from the saddle side by side.

Maybe this video is also a little sign for you to take your partner on a ride next time, because trust me, it’s absolutely worth it!!!

Tag the one you would bring with you 🐎🤙🏼👯

zhenyaswan Tag a friend who could be found on slopes right now?)

I mean, March is a great time to ski, isn’t it?

zhenyaswan These kind of “girls trips” just hit different!!! Exclusive horseback safari in Africa with a group of incredibly courageous, fun, interesting and warm female riders feeling like true heroes of the journey - that’s my kind of trip I wanna do with girls 🎠🦒🐆 👯

If you want to know more details and itinerary of the next horse safari we are doing in Tanzania in October 2026, comment “Tanzania ride” below and I’ll send you all the details!

And this is from@the last trip we did with @roxyboyes @passagetoafrica in Kenya led by one and only @meghodgson11 🐎

zhenyaswan Six years ago, I rediscovered a passion that had quietly been sleeping in my life for more than a decade. Horses.

When the pandemic started in 2020, I had just moved to Germany. Almost overnight, the projects and work I had built disappeared. I suddenly found myself in a new country, with very few connections and a lot of uncertainty about what would come next.

So I asked myself a very simple question: What do I actually love? The answer brought me back to horses.

At that time, my love for travel, and especially Africa, was already deeply rooted. That’s when I discovered something that completely changed my path: you can go on safari on horseback.

I started from the beginning again. Volunteering in stables in South Africa, spending months around horses, rebuilding skills, riding across South Africa, Kenya, Botswana and other counties...

Over the years, this passion slowly turned into something more. I began hosting intimate and carefully curated horseback expeditions, bringing together adventurous riders who share a love for wild landscapes, meaningful travel and horses.

Six years ago I never imagined this would become such an important part of my life.

But now it feels like the most natural path.

This October we will ride beneath Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, across open plains where elephants still roam freely.

And perhaps this story is just beginning for you too 🐎🦒🦏🐆🐘🦓

zhenyaswan Exploring the wild land of Patagonia with my friend @anita.explore - what else can you wish as a horse girl? ✨

Location @estancia.lajosefina

zhenyaswan Patagonia is not for the faint-hearted. It does not try to comfort you or perform for you. In a single day it can move through four seasons, testing your patience with wind, rain, and sudden bursts of blinding sun. Out here, you don’t control the elements, but slowly learn to move with them.

When you travel this land on horseback, everything shifts. The wilderness feels less intimidating, more intimate. A horse doesn’t fight Patagonia; it understands it. It reads the terrain before you do, finds the steady path through rough ground, senses the change in weather before it reaches your skin. Riding here becomes less about covering distance and more about entering into a quiet partnership….with the animal beneath you and with the land itself.

There is something profoundly humbling about surrendering to that rhythm. Patagonia reveals itself slowly, not as a dramatic postcard, but as a living, breathing presence. And if you approach it with gratitude and respect, it opens in ways you never expected…. softening your edges, steadying your heart, and leaving you with a quiet, enduring joy that feels both grounding and expansive at once.

zhenyaswan Even despite being a snowboarder, I gave a chance to ski touring. The experience was……. Surprisingly amazing!!!!

So now I know that even non-skiers can do ski touring and have a lot of fun :) 🏔️

zhenyaswan One thing I learned from my travels: the way you think, the way you dream, and the way you see the world will shape your travels. It will determine the people you will meet, the places you’ll see and the experience you will live.

And my mindset is built on fairytales in real life, dreams lived alive, and scenes and visions I was inspired by as a kid that are now brought to my eyes so I can photograph them and share them with the world 🐴🐴

Here in Gstaad we really dove into pages of some old books where I feel like a princess in an enchanted forest….and @thealpinagstaad is our castle 🏰

zhenyaswan Can we agree that men are built different? In winter I’m cold all the time and Julius is like “I’m sweating, it’s too warm here” 😂

Therefore he’s happy to take an ice bath everyday during our stay at @priesteregg_premium_ecoresort 🧊😎☀️