As a child, Chris Hannes was always especially interested in horses, and later competed in several disciplines (dressage, jumping, eventing). In 1989, he graduated as veterinarian from the University of Ghent in Belgium, followed by a year of specialized study in animal medicine service surgery. He practiced in a group animal practice in Lille, Kempen, The Netherlands until 2005, when he resigned and started his own independent practice specializing solely in dentistry for horses.