What’s your name? Stasia Cramer
How old are you? I’ve lost count a bit. But I do remember I was born before the year 2000.
Where were you born? In the city of The Hague, in the Netherlands.
What color are your eyes? Blue.
What color is your hair? Getting less blond all the time, but luckily not gray yet.
What’s your height? My official pony measurement is 5 feet, 6 inches (1.68 meters). I’m shorter than Zanou—he’s 5 feet, 7 inches (1.71 meters).
What’s your weight? Huh?? I always lie about that, and I hate lying. But I can reveal I’m lighter than my gelding Zanou. He eats way too much hay anyway.
Where do you live? On a farm in Elim, a small village near Hoogeveen, in Drenthe, the Netherlands.
Are you married? Yes, to Martin. As you can see in the photo, we have a lot of fun together. But eh… we don’t always agree on everything!
Do you have any other housemates? Yes, Popeye, our dog. He’s an Australian Shepherd x Border Collie mix, full of energy. Oh, and there’s our herd of 12 ponies and horses. They don’t sleep in our house, though—they stay very close by. Did you know that horses only sleep about half an hour per day?
Do you ride horses yourself? Almost every day. I ride Zanou, but also Babeth and Zadok. My husband Martin and I ride our horses regularly to keep them fit and responsive for lessons.
Fun fact about Babeth When we bought her, we received all her trophies—not from dressage, but from shows. She was a champion foal, yearling, two-year-old, etc. She’s really pretty, right? But in the photo, you can see her thinking: “These trophies aren’t edible. What’s the point?”
I ride Zadok the most. We have lovely sandy paths between our fields, perfect for relaxed trail rides. Sometimes we canter around our pond or walk leisurely in the sunshine.
I love bling! In this picture, I’d just bought a baroque bridle, breastplate, and saddle pad.
Does your husband ride as well? Yes, every day—often two or three times. He used to compete in show jumping with Ismay, a mare we got from my youngest sister. She was fantastic at jumping. But together they were overly enthusiastic, and once they almost collided with a stroller when leaving the course. After that, Martin decided jumping wasn’t for him, so he switched to western riding.
What was your favorite children’s book as a child? There were several! Like the ‘Black Stallion’ series by Walter Farley, ‘Circus Child’ by Willy Corsari, and ‘Dick and Dalli and the Ponies’ by Ursula Bruns. And basically every heartbreaking animal story.
Do you have a dream wish? Definitely: Having one of my books translated into Chinese. That would be amazing! Although I wouldn’t even know if it was really my book—I can’t read a word of Chinese.
Haha, one of my fans fulfilled this wish and sent me this Chinese cover. The Dutch title is ‘The Wagon Ride.’ Is it correctly translated? I have no idea!
How many books have you written? I’ve published 45 books so far, 29 of them especially for pony enthusiasts. Most were initially published by Zwijsen Publishers in Tilburg. Six of my books have been translated into German by Ravensburger Buchverlag and five of my books have been translated into English. They are still available on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Additionally, I’ve published short stories in newspapers and magazines. Now, my books are being (re)published by Tadidom Publishers, the publishing house run by my husband and me.
Have you written any series? I created the series ‘The Mini Riding School.’ It was about a girl who had fallen from a pony and had to lie still all summer while her friends went on vacation. She had a toy riding school in her room, which she couldn’t even reach. She started making up stories in her head—and strangely enough, the toy riding school came to life! My favorite story in that series is ‘Save Beyaart,’ about a horse belonging to the legendary Four Sons of Aymon. Reinout, the owner, had to drown his horse. I still get chills thinking about it. My heroine obviously wouldn’t accept this and immediately took action to save Beyaart!
Another series is ‘Liberty Love,’ a four-part soap series full of love and rivalry at a boarding stable—such fun to write!
Which book you’ve written is your favorite? Oops, tricky question. Usually, the book I’ve just finished is my favorite. I’m currently writing a new installment for ‘Love Stories for Pony Lovers,’ a beautiful story about a girl overcoming great sadness. But one of my most special books is ‘Penned up in Paradise,’ about a girl kidnapped by a wealthy man. She ends up on an estate with stunning Arabian horses and develops a unique bond with a stallion. Initially, she tries to escape, but eventually wonders, “Do I even want to leave this paradise?”
What are your hobbies? Horse riding (surprise!); reading (horse magazines and spiritual books); watching Netflix; dining with friends.
How old were you when you started riding? About 9, I think. I joined my friend Jacky at a holiday park where you could rent ponies. We rode bareback all day long. I remember having sores on my bottom from my pony’s bony spine. I’m the girl on the left in the picture.
What’s the nicest horse in your life? That’s tough—I can’t pick just one. But I’d like to mention a few special ones:
Ivo, our Fjord, who lived to 38 years old. He could do everything—dressage, jumping, endurance, western riding. Most Fjords just graze endlessly and get fat, but Ivo was always curious, paying attention to his surroundings. He stayed relatively slim. I competed in several western events with him—trail, horsemanship, reining, and pole bending. As you can see, I even tried becoming a real cowgirl!
Then there’s Halling. He seemed tough—he was huge—but had a tiny heart. When we first got him, my father-in-law babysat the horses one night. Halling was so frightened he wouldn’t let him catch him. Martin and I had to drive home in the middle of the night because we felt sorry for Halling. Eventually, he settled in.
And Joost—we only had him for a year and a half. I bought him to create fun kids’ shows. He knew amazing tricks—lying down, sitting, Spanish walk. Unfortunately, he got melanoma and passed away. I was heartbroken because Joost was pure innocence—so sweet!
Do you have another job? I wanted to be a vet, but biology and blood weren’t for me. So, teaching it was! I taught social studies for thirteen years. Now I’m a part-time author and riding instructor. Together with my husband, we run a therapeutic farm offering weekend stays for kids with ADHD, autism, attachment issues, etc.
They care for horses, ride, play games, or even have mud-mask treatments in our pond! See Popeye supervising?
What are your working hours? In winter, I write and tidy the house; in spring and summer, I paint, maintain the property, and host B&B guests who come for riding lessons. And, well, in autumn, I just wait for spring again!