He is known as the Spanish ‘horse whisperer’. Santi Serra Campswhich this year will open the Madrid Horse Week at Ifema with its show, defends a training method based on observation, patience and affectionate and respectful contact with the animal, which it handles only with its voice – without a bit or saddle or whip- to get him to do all kinds of pirouettes and figures.
The Catalan, 36 years old, usually says that he is someone “born among humans, raised among animals” and they are the ones who occupy all his days since he was little, when he discovered his talent for communicating especially with horses, although on the farm in Gerona where he lives with 50 horses he also raises falcons and other birds of prey and dogs.
His extraordinary abilities have led him to tour the world teaching them, and also to write a book, ‘The Animal Whisperer’. Passionate about music, he is only now daring to combine his work as an equine trainer with songwriting…most of them also dedicated to his inseparable companions.
Where does your love for horses come from?
From my family’s entire life. My parents, who breed Arabian horses, and my brothers too, always say that I started riding before I could walk.
How did you develop your own free-range training method?
Studying them. I was dedicated to training endurance, morphology and racing competition horses, but I saw that something was missing, there was not the bond that I like with animals. I began to study my parents’ herd at the stud farm, to see how each of its members behaved, and that’s how they taught me. He would take a horse, try what he thought, and release it again. But well, I also went to the United States to study wild mustangs with the Navajo Indians, to see if the language they used was correct. I haven’t invented anything, it’s just about trying to speak the same language that they speak. They have been the teachers. I like to say that you shouldn’t make the horse transform into a human, but the other way around.
But how do you get along with them?
Speaking to them through body movement above all, which is their language.
How do you see the dressage that is done in general in Spain currently?
It is neither right nor wrong, it is a base that has been made and is styled here. It has worked for many years, what happens is that now a lot of progress has been made and it can be improved because we have already studied horses more. There is much more information.
And horse riding?
I am happy because it is growing more and more and things are being done well, the regulations for animal welfare are being improved.
Santi Serra presents his free dressage show at Madrid Horse Week
What is your goal with the shows you offer?
I want the horses to be happier working with us and that is what I seek to convey to the public. That without abuse, with well-being and play, you can get what you want with them.
Are the same results obtained as with classical methods?
Much more, because the horse understands you and does not reject you. We are working with horses of great riders and with some with problems to help them and that is how it is. When they understand you everything goes much better.
Can you recover any specimen?
Yes, any horse can recover. In my documentary ‘Horse Brother’, on Amazon Prime, you can see how we rescued a super-abused animal in Morocco and in the end we made him happy, he is one of the artists of the show.
Is what you do a show?
Yes. I am an artist, like my horses. What we do is a show, but to also give a message. I think every artist has to give news to the public. For me, what I want to give is that without abuse you can tame, ride, etc.
What is the horse for you?
Everything, my life. Look, the horse is an animal that will not transmit anything bad to anyone, you may like it more or less, but it will never give you something negative, it always awakens feelings.
And now, the music.
I’m starting very strong with her, yes. I have sung and written music all my life, but in the end with horses I was afraid to jump into this. Now is the time to get it all out, to move forward. Dreams have to come true.
No horses?
My music has a good vibe and yes, horses, they are always in my video clips. I have already released three songs and the fourth will also be dedicated to Nika, a chestnut mare who left us this year as an old lady.
Was it your favorite?
It was super special, very complicated. She was raised by my parents, but then she developed a unique bond with me. There could be ten horses that ate up the show, the public loved her very much. It had a particular character, only I could work on it, no one else could touch it.
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