We recently connected with Alexandra Saidac and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alexandra, thanks for joining us today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?
Living in the US I was very involved with the plight to save the Wild Horses of America that are getting killed for land because of the conflict with the cattle industry. I myself had a mustang named Si’ma that I tragically lost in a terrible accident that was the fault of a trainer I had hired to help me train my horses in loading because I was about to fly all three of them to Sweden because my horses are my family. I left everything behind but my horses and my truck. This trainer was supposed to be one of the best with Mustangs in California so I trusted him. Which I shouldn’t have done and it’s something I blamed myself for for the longest time. It’s not until now that I can speak about it because Si’ma died in my arms.
I myself was very ill and had to leave everything behind because of my health complications. I didn’t know if I was going to survive day to day. My entire life fell apart.
Losing Si’ma was the last straw that broke the camels back. I had to move back to Sweden to get the right health care and leave everything I had built behind. My business and my relationship. It was a matter of life and death. I was in a constant battle that had been going on for 7 years and was drowning in hospital bills.
When I came to Sweden I was severely depressed and didn’t see much meaning in anything. Especially after fighting for my health for so long and losing Si’ma.
One day I was driving around and came across a ranch that really stood out. It looked like the Yellowstone ranch and in Sweden they don’t look like that at all. Pulling up I saw all of these beautiful mustangs looking just like Si’ma and my heart stopped.
Somehow I got the contact to the owner of the ranch and I went to visit. The owners name was Jessica and she herself was very involved with the wild horses and imported them from the US. She had a smile that would light up any room and is the type of person that makes people feel like home.
She showed me the horses and I was teary eyed the whole time but tried to keep it in.
We went to the pasture that was full of mustangs looking like Si’mas siblings. They were happy mustangs roaming on 15 acres. Very different from America where they are in holding facilities only to get sent to slaughter by the Bureau of land management that are bought by the big cattle ranchers. Even though president Nixon made a law that still is legit that is supposed to protect the Mustangs .
It moved me deeply to see them free and I couldn’t believe that I ever would see that many mustangs happy in one place. It gave me hope again.
I asked her what herd they were from and her answer almost brought me to tears in front of this stranger I didn’t even know; they were from the same herd as Si’ma.
The tears were welling up in my eyes and I told her about Si’ma, how important he was to me and my light in the tunnel during the last year of being in the US.
As I was talking and telling her the story in the pasture this cute little stallion not more then a couple of months old walked up to me and I couldn’t stop looking at him. He looked just like Si’ma. Their demeanour was exactly the same and had the same soft eyes. He wouldn’t leave me alone.
Then she told me “you can have him”.
This woman that I didn’t even know got so moved by the story that she gave me him to me.
Somehow I think he came back to me. I know I lost him, but I named the little guy after Si’ma and now I feel like he is with me everyday. I feel his spirit through little Si’ma. Maybe it’s true what they say.. Animals choose their person.
Today I am healthy and happy and the most at peace that I ever have been and a lot of it is because of Little Si’ma and my horses. They are the best medicine.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
From the beginning I am a polo player and dedicated my life to polo from age 12-20. I played on men’s teams and at the time was one of the best female players in Europe, but for me the horses was always more important. I went into heart mind connection with the horses and started teaching people how to ride with the horse and not only use them as machines. My business flourished during corona and I had more work then what I could handle.
The reason I came to America was because I had a record deal and was signed to Universal. I left and started making soul music with a 10 piece band but during Covid we couldn’t play shows so I went all in with my horse business. I was lucky I had another leg to stand on.
It later developed to some form of therapy for humans as well. I call this horse medicine. Horses have that effect on people and help people with trauma to drop out of fight or flight so they can process what they have been through in a gentle matter. All of the people that came to me started to open up about their traumas and I showed them my techniques that have helped me through the roughest times with horses. In some way I guess im some sort of medicine woman but with horses and a very hands on way. Not this airy fairy new age spiritual LA stuff. Haha!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I had just made a biopsy for cancer in my uterus and I knew I would make my last good ride before leaving with my friend Em and had to hold a retreat in horse medicine the day after and probably should have rested but we rode for 3 hours just to make sure I would get one last ride in in the mountains before leaving. It was the most beautiful ride I have ever had but I was in severe pain and still bleeding. The next day I did the retreat with a smile on my face. I think only 2 people in my friend group and surroundings actually knew how bad it was because I didn’t show what was really going on with me, I didn’t want to burden people with it. That ride was one of the most important rides in my life because it was me refusing to let the sickness take over me and it was my horses that helped me find the strength to do it.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
It was when I was working with the Wild Beauty foundation and we were supposed to do an interview with Monty Roberts the OG horse whisperer and first man that got a wild horse to want to be with him. His name is Shy Boy and the book about Shy Boy is probably the one book in my life that have influenced me the most. To meet Monty was like meeting Michael Jordan for a basketball player. Not only that, he took me to see Shy Boy!! Still alive and kicking. To see them walk together side by side both old and gray made me cry.
He also used to play polo and have trained some of my friends horses so we became good friends and he invited me to his house.
He gave me a pat on my back and said “you are good kiddo, you got this”. It was unreal to get the acknowledgment from the one person which I have studied since I was 12. It was a big moment for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: Gypsyonahorse.com
- Instagram: Gypsyonahorse
- Facebook: Gypsy On a Horse
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/wlAtKaegOa8?si=vAJJ03pSalbDai1b
- Other: You can listen to my music here : https://open.spotify.com/artist/1bnQefIvf3ZtmGvsu8DVOC?si=TTJlXe_VSUKZ_hUdy7c2pA A day in my life: https://www.facebook.com/reel/768755735259961?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V
Image Credits
Peter Askergren Tom John Kubik Sofia Draco Kai Krause