Start-up idea at 15 years old:

My name is Karina Kondratiev, I am 17 years old and I would like to make it easier for children to get started in equestrian sports

A heart for horses

I realized early on that I preferred spending my time with horses. I was very ambitious and promised myself that I would always do my best. That paid off, the successes accumulated quickly and before I knew it, I had the first winner's ribbons at home. Since I was only seven years old, I needed my parents' support, which they gave me unconditionally. They were proud of their little girl and did everything they could to support my successes.

Development of the learning game - insights into the first sample games

The years passed and the Corona time came. Lock-down, home schooling. The recipe for boredom was created. However, everything changed when I spoke to my father one evening and he pointed out that there was no game about equestrian sports yet.

I was thrilled, the first ideas came to me immediately, and GISI was born.

I present the idea of ​​the brand "GISI" to my mom

The pattern of the instructions

My first own horse GISI!

By the way, I chose the name GISI because that's also the name of my mare, who has been by my side since 2020 and has experienced many adventures with me.

The work process - a hard work

I had a goal and I knew that I was going to see it through. The work process dragged on. I started with drawings, wrote down all my ideas, I worked non-stop, every day and took advantage of the time I was at home. The idea, which was initially recorded on Postits, became a real game. And before I knew it, my first goal was achieved, GISI was in production

When I turned 17, however, the first problems arose:

I started my high school diploma, started working on weekends, riding in tournaments and I started getting my driver's license.

In all this stress, GISI was my little ray of hope. The thought of it motivated me to keep going day after day.

In short, everything didn't work out so well, but I was still happy. I stopped school, started training instead and I passed my driving license. I'm teaching a few children to ride and most importantly: I finally have my game.

I am grateful for everything, for the help and support of my friends, but especially of my parents.

My mission: To make equestrian sport more popular again and to awaken children's interest in horses

Why did I start GISI?

That's the question I've been asked so many times. And then I didn't have to think long to answer. For me it was simple. I want people, especially children, to have fun riding again.

I noticed that equestrian sport is becoming more and more unpopular. And that has been the case for a long time.

Many of the smaller tournaments I wanted to compete in changed. The number of visitors shrank and with it the number of participants. Before I always had good competition, now I hardly have any. Many riding tests and tournaments were canceled because enough participants never registered.

It was pretty clear to me why that was. More and more children and their parents have lost interest in equestrian sports. They often start in childhood but stop just a few years later in adolescence. Reasons for this include financial or even time reasons.

It's no secret that horse riding is a very expensive sport, which is also the first problem. Especially these days, when you barely have enough money for food, you can hardly afford anything else. But there are ways and options to practice the sport in a more cost-effective way.

Riding is also a very time-consuming sport. Going to the stable every day, riding the horse, caring for it and cleaning out the stable. But there is a solution for that too.

Feel free to follow me on Instagram and Facebook to find out how you can manage it all.

The peculiarity of the learning game

I had experience with riding beginners myself and in my game “ Basic knowledge of the equestrian world ” I included methods that make it easier for children to learn complicated equestrian content in a way that is suitable for beginners.

This game aims to promote children's logic and concentration, and to strengthen teamwork and mindfulness. It can also make it easier for adults to get started with equestrian sports.

I look forward to hearing numerous questions from you about horses and equestrian sports.

Author of this text: Jamie Wilken (a good friend of mine who supports me diligently)