Portraits by Melissa Fuller
Dressage rider and content creator Lana Kandybovich balances her time between training horses, creating videos and running a growing business while displaying excellence in all aspects.
“I’ve started realizing that being able to train a horse correctly is a huge achievement. Keeping your horse sound, happy and able to spend time outside being a horse is a form of success, too,” Lana said. “Right now, success also means balance. My business has been growing, and I spend a big part of my day working, so I don’t always have as much time to ride as I used to. Finding a way to manage it all and still stay connected to the horses feels like success at this stage. I think the definition keeps changing depending on the season of your life.”
Before dressage, before social media and long before life in Wellington, Lana was already laying the groundwork for the career she leads today. She grew up in Russia surrounded by the arts, rather than horses. Much of her early childhood was spent dancing, following in the footsteps of her mother. “When I was in fifth grade, I realized I was completely sick and tired of dancing,” Lana said. A friend of hers had started art classes, so she decided to switch to art school.
There, she began developing an eye for detail, composition and storytelling—skills that would later inform both her riding and her content creation. She spent four years learning about visual arts, honing an attention to nuance that would become a hallmark of her videos and motion design work.
A defining moment came when her older brother, a professional filmmaker, suggested she take her interest further. At just 15 years old, Lana moved to Moscow to attend film college, stepping into a new level of independence at a young age. “I was lucky enough to receive a grant that allowed me to study there,” Lana said. “That’s how I ended up in the video production world.”
Her career in motion design began almost immediately. She started working professionally at 16, building a portfolio that included television projects, commercials and corporate work. “I’ve been doing it ever since,” Lana said. Over time, her background in animation and editing shaped the way she sees the world. From storytelling to rhythm, humor and composition, her approach to content was formed long before social media became central to her life.
Animation also instilled a love of humor in Lana. Even as a child, she filmed her pets doing silly things and imagined storylines for them. This playful sensibility carried over into her content with horses, where she mixes whimsy, reality and education in equal measure.
While creativity shaped Lana’s early life, horses had quietly been part of her story for years. Her fascination with them existed more in imagination than reality. “I grew up in cold Russia, and horses weren’t really part of my family background,” Lana said. “My parents weren’t riders, and it definitely wasn’t an obvious path for me.”
Yet from a young age, she was captivated. “For as long as I can remember, I was completely obsessed with horses. I collected horse figurines, drew horses constantly and anytime I saw one in a park I would beg for a ride. Of course, like many little girls, I was also obsessed with unicorns.”
Unlike many riders who start as children, Lana didn’t ride until she was older. That late start made her entry into the sport intentional and purposeful. “The funny part is that I didn’t actually start riding until I was 20 years old and by then, I was already an adult with a job and clear intentions,” Lana said. “The moment I took my first lesson, I didn’t need to think about it; I immediately knew it was what I was meant to do.”
Despite the late start, Lana quickly developed a love for the details of horsemanship, gravitating toward dressage for its emphasis on precision, patience and the slow reward of correct training. “I generally am a pretty impatient person in life, but strangely enough, with dressage I enjoy the slow development,” Lana said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to look back and see the difference that correct training makes over time.”
Lana’s early support system, though not comprised of riders, helped her flourish. Her family instilled a love of animals from a young age, creating a foundation of respect and comfort around horses. “My family has always been very supportive. No one in my family rides, even today, but they have always supported my passion,” Lana said. “They cheer for me during competitions, and of course they love my horse, Mousse.”
Lana’s relocation to Wellington marked a significant shift. Known for its intense winter circuit, top trainers and high-level horses, it tested her resilience and ultimately transformed her riding and her perspective. “Moving to Wellington has probably been the most transformative experience of my riding life,” Lana said. “The amount of tears I shed during competition season, the fears I had to overcome, and honestly the number of heat strokes I had riding through the summer heat were things I had never experienced before.”
The environment pushed Lana to grow, riding multiple horses while managing training, care, and competition. “Being surrounded by so much high-level riding naturally pushes you to aim higher,” Lana said. “When I moved to Wellington, I met my trainer and at the time she had two incredible horses with very different temperaments, movements, sizes and personalities. They were both high-level, very well-trained horses, and I was lucky enough to ride them for a couple of years. One of them I leased for my first competition season, and for some time I was also taking care of both horses while my trainer was away.”
Those experiences taught her not only how to ride technically but also how to take responsibility for horses at a high level, building confidence and skill in the saddle. Competing in Wellington, where the standards are high, pushed her mentally and emotionally, helping her grow as both a rider and a horse owner.
Within months, she began working toward her USDF Silver Medal, a milestone representing both ambition and dedication. “I’m not sure exactly when it will happen,” Lana said. “But the path has definitely started.”
Over the years, Lana has ridden multiple horses, each shaping her development in different ways. Her main partner, Mousse, an off-the-track Thoroughbred, was never destined for the racetrack. “When they first tried him on the track, he wasn’t even close to being fast enough, so he was written off pretty quickly,” Lana said.
Mousse plays a central role in both her riding and her content. “At this point, he’s basically my social media partner,” Lana said. He has a distinct personality, providing both challenges and inspiration for her creative projects.
“My favorite characteristic of Mousse is definitely how goofy he is. He’ll curl his lip, shake his head, make strange faces,” Lana said. “He’s just completely silly.” Yet despite the antics, he is eager to learn. “When we’re training, he understands things quickly and he’s very eager to please. He’s a total sucker for praise.”
The other horses she worked with have also left a significant mark. Getting to lease both a Danish and Dutch Warmblood from her trainer, Lana was able to gain experience with different horse types, adapt, problem-solve and grow as a rider. “The Dutch horse I rode was a Vivaldi, so he definitely had plenty of pizzazz and energy,” she said.
One of the most defining experiences in Lana’s relationship with her horses came when Mousse was diagnosed with kissing spine at 5 years old. The diagnosis forced her to step back from riding temporarily and focus on the horse’s well-being.
“For me, a horse is never an asset. They’re a friend, they’re family,” Lana said. “One of the strongest connections I’ve ever felt with Mousse actually came during the time when I wasn’t riding him. It showed me that you don’t actually have to ride a horse to feel deeply connected to them.”
That perspective informs all her partnerships with horses. She emphasizes the importance of connection over achievement, a philosophy that influences both her riding and her content. “The connection has to come before the movements, the scores or the results,” Lana said.
Like all riders, Lana has faced challenges and self-doubt. Early competitions in Wellington did not always reflect her training. “The more it happened, the more it started affecting my confidence,” Lana said. Eventually, she and her trainer made an unexpected adjustment: moving up a level.
“The tests suited the horse more, and mentally it gave me a reset,” Lana said. The change boosted both her confidence and the horse’s performance, eventually shifting her goals toward the Silver Medal instead of the Bronze.
She approaches setbacks with perspective and resilience. “Riding is never a straight line. One day is amazing, the next day is terrible, and the day after that is somewhere in the middle,” Lana said. “Sometimes you cry in the stall, but then you wipe your tears and keep going.”
While her riding progressed, Lana’s content creation grew alongside it. Initially, social media served as a creative outlet, blending her professional skills in motion graphics and animation with her passion for horses. Over time, Equestlana expanded into a full business. “I started mostly as an influencer collaborating with brands,” Lana said. “Since then, my work has expanded to include consulting, content production and social media management for companies across multiple industries.”
Authenticity is central to her approach. Because horses are not her primary source of income, she can show both joys and challenges openly. “Most of my content is simply me being a horse girl with my horse,” Lana said.
“He was actually the one who encouraged me to buy Mousse,” Lana said. While he is not a horse person, he contributes significantly to the business side of her creative work. “He brings very structured business thinking, and I bring the creative side,” Lana said.
Small rituals help them maintain balance, like morning coffee together before the day begins. “We always try to have coffee in the morning without our phones,” Lana said.
For Lana, the future is about growth, both in riding and in content. She dreams of continuing up the levels in dressage, including one day riding Grand Prix, but her goals remain flexible.
“My goal is simply to keep improving and keep learning,” Lana said. Her vision for Equestlana is similarly expansive, helping brands and creators tell their stories visually while bringing joy to her audience.
Through humor, honesty, and horses who are as expressive as they are talented, Lana has created a world where the connection between rider, horse and audience comes first. “I just hope to make people smile,” she said.
Follow @equestlana on social media or visit equestlana.com
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com
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