ANIMAL WELFARE
Life is (not) all about horsing around
Horses are with me every day
For as long as I can remember, horses have been my most faithful companions. I sat in the saddle for the first time at the age of five, later on competed successfully up to the highest level, and now I breed Holsteiner horses on my own farm. My life has been shaped by a deep connection with these majestic animals and each day I spend countless hours caring for them, working with them and enjoying their company.
My farm is a place full of life. We have a total of 14 horses, including home-bred foals, weanlings, Holstein breeding and showjumping horses, and three miniature Shetland ponies who roam the farm in the summer. They are the real kings on our little farm because they have not only found their way into our hearts but also into our everyday lives. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful scene than these little ponies strutting around among the big horses, basking in the sunshine and enjoying their day in complete freedom.
Alongside our fun Shetland rascals, my favourite horse – my mare Karlotta – occupies a special place. Not only is she an outstanding horse with a lot of talent, she is also my faithful companion in everyday life. She looks out her window directly onto my terrace and into my kitchen. Every morning as I make my coffee I hear her soft snort and feel her curious gaze as she waits for her morning carrots.
Our colourful herd and family life
Horses calm me down in a way that’s hard to put into words. There is no better therapy than spending time in the stables. When I’m sad or stressed, I just go to my horses. I brush their coats, braid their manes or just stand next to them and breathe in the scent of hay and horses. The world may rage outside, but here in the stables everything seems to stand still. Around them I find peace, order and a deep connection that keeps me grounded.
Our evening feeding is a special ritual. In my pyjamas, I quickly head out for the evening round to end the day with my horses, listening to them steadily chewing the hay. It is one of the most soothing sounds I know – a gentle, peaceful background noise that reminds me of the originality and permanence of life.
When the warm summer months arrive, the gates to our vast pastures open. Our horses spend day and night outside, enjoying the fresh air and soft grass under their hooves. In the evenings we often sit at the edge of the paddock with a glass of wine and watch the herd go about its business. It is fascinating to see the structures and friendships that develop within the group – a colourful family of strong characters, yet a harmonious whole.
Through thick and thin – the eleven most famous horses in history
Horses have been with mankind for thousands of years. Domesticated over 5,000 years ago, they have become faithful companions in agriculture, transport, leisure and (sadly) war. Whether as the proud mounts of great rulers or as tireless workhorses, horses have had a significant impact on our history. Here are the 11 most famous horses in history:
1. Bucephalos – Alexander the Great’s horse, who carried him through countless battles and formed a deep bond with him. After his death, Alexander even founded a city in honour of his beloved horse.
2. Incitatus – the favourite horse of the Roman emperor Caligula in the 1st century AD, who is said to have had his own palace, marble stables and even a political office.
3. Marengo – Napoleon’s legendary horse, who accompanied him to the Battle of Waterloo and was renowned for his stamina and endurance.
4. Cincinnati – Abraham Lincoln’s magnificent horse, which often accompanied him onto the battlefield and became a symbol of his leadership.
5. Marlow – horse of the famous English circus director Philip Astley and one of the first horses to be used in modern circus performances, famous as early as the 18th century.
6. Hans, the clever horse („Clever Hans“) – became famous in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century for his alleged mathematical abilities. The horse seemed to be able to count and answered by tapping its hoof.
7. Trigger was the famous horse of Hollywood star Roy Rogers in the 20th century. Known for his extraordinary intelligence, Trigger proved his acumen and loyalty on several occasions. On one occasion, Trigger saved Roy Rogers during a film shoot by spotting a fire and drawing attention to himself, allowing him and the crew to escape safely.
8. And there was another heroic horse who saved human lives in the 20th century: Misty of Chincoteague – a famous wild horse who lived on Chincoteague Island in Virginia, USA. She helped save lives when a powerful storm flooded the region. Misty became a symbol of the rescue of both horses and people to safety.
9. Secretariat – a racehorse considered one of the greatest sporting horses of all time, winning the Triple Crown in record times in 1973.
10. Kaiser was a horse who became well known in Austria in the field of equine-assisted psychotherapy. As an empathetic therapy horse, he helped people suffering from anxiety and other mental health problems.
11. Frederik, the elegant black Friesian stallion, has become a social media star as „Frederik the Great“.
There have also been famous ponies, such as Queen Elizabeth II’s Emma, a Falabella pony who was one of her favourite animals and accompanied her into old age. And the aforementioned Misty, who later became a film heroine, was also a pony.
Horses on the screen and in books
Just how much we love horses is shown by the fact that they also become heroes in novels as well as on television and the big screen. As in real life, horses often embody unforgettable and extraordinary characters in literature and film. And not just since the movies Windstorm and Wendy and the Heartland saga came out.
- After all, who doesn’t know Pippi Longstocking’s strong but loving horse Old Man, who symbolises freedom and independence. With a steady step, he carries Pippi and her friends safely through many adventures.
- You’ll no doubt also remember beautiful Shadowfax, Gandalf’s majestic horse from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, who rides faster than the wind. In the film version, the actor who played Aragorn, Vigo Mortensen, developed such a close relationship with his horse Brego that he bought him after completion of filming!
- Another horse we all dreamed about was Black Beauty. One of the most famous black stallions in literary history, he made at least as many girls‘ hearts race as any successful boy band of the 1990s. This world-famous literary horse protagonist, whose story raised awareness of animal welfare and denounced cruelty toward working horses, remains a beloved classic to this day and has been adapted into films multiple times.
- Literature lovers will be familiar with Don Quixote’s horse Rocinante, the famous character from Cervantes‘ work of the same name. The animal is described as old and rickety, but it symbolises the ideal relationship between a knight and his faithful companion. The name comes from „Rocin“, which means „hack“ or „thin horse“, underlining the modesty of this noble knight.
- Iltschi, which means „wind“, is Winnetou’s faithful horse. Old Shatterhand was given a horse called Hatatitla, which means „lightning“, by his blood brother, the chief of the Apache Indians.
- And do you remember Lucky Luke? If so, you probably remember his horse, Jolly Jumper. Considered the smartest horse in the Wild West, he is sarcastic, extremely talented and can even play chess.
- Ponies have also been immortalised in film. Applejack (My Little Pony), for example, has become a cult figure in the cartoon world.
The list could go on with Fury, Flicka, Mr-Ed, etc. – all iconic TV characters. But now let us take a look instead at how horses accompany us in our everyday lives today.
Horses today – sport, leisure and therapy
In our part of the world, horses are no longer used as much for work. However, they have not lost their importance in the modern world. They play an important role in equestrian sports, be it dressage, show jumping or racing. For the horses, however, this is probably work. They are also invaluable as therapy horses for people with physical or mental disabilities. But their strength and calmness can also be put to good use in situations of danger and tension. As stately, unflappable police horses, their mere presence at major events or other operations helps to de-escalate the situation peacefully while providing a reliable helping hand to their riders. Horses too, of course, accompany many horse enthusiasts in their leisure time.
From our point of view, the fundamental question is, of course, to what extent it is legitimate to use horses for work, be it in therapy, sport or otherwise.
Do wild horses still exist?
A herd of horses, their manes flowing freely across a magnificent landscape, is the epitome of freedom. This is exactly how horses used to live in the vast steppes and grasslands of North America, Europe and Asia. Probably the most famous wild horses of this era were the Przewalski’s horses of Mongolia and the Tarpans of Europe. They roamed open landscapes, feeding on grasses and herbs and constantly moving in search of food and water.
Today, only a few truly free-roaming horses remain. Przewalski’s horses have been successfully reintroduced to the wild in Mongolia and are considered the last true wild horses. In North America, there are still a number of mustangs roaming the open plains, originally descended from European domestic horses but living in freedom for centuries. There are also small populations of semi-wild horses in Europe, such as the Konik horses in Poland or the Camargue horses in the south of France. Peneda-Gerês in northern Portugal is home to the Garrano horses – small, robust descendants of ancient breeds. In Germany there are semi-wild horses, for example in Brandenburg, and most notably the famous Dülmener wild horses in the Merfelder Bruch in North Rhine-Westphalia. These horses are considered to be the only true wild horse population in Germany. They have lived in a nature reserve for centuries without any direct human influence.
11 facts you didn’t know about horses
You can see right away that horses are wonderful animals – especially if you’re a horse lover like me. But to the ’neutral observer‘, they also have amazing abilities that you might not necessarily know about.
1. Vigilant vision:
Horses have laterally placed eyes, giving them an almost 360-degree view, with only small blind spots directly in front of and behind them.
2. Knowledge of human nature:
Horses have a fascinating ability to read emotions.They can read human facial expressions and remember whether someone was friendly or angry.
3. Sense of rhythm:
Horses‘ breathing and walking are linked. Because they can only breathe through their nose, their breathing rhythm automatically adapts to their movement. Some horses also move in a way that adapts to external rhythms, such as music, as can be seen in „musical dressage“. Some resemble real dancers!
4. Keen hearing:
Perhaps their sense of rhythm is related to their excellent hearing. A horse’s ears can rotate independently up to 180 degrees to pick up sounds from all directions.
5. Sensitive:
Horse skin is extremely sensitive.They can feel even the smallest fly on their coat and will twitch individual muscles to repel it. In general, they have a very fine nervous system that allows them to perceive and react quickly to anything. Unlike donkeys, they are flight animals, which means they need to be able to react quickly. This also makes them susceptible to stress, although this varies from horse to horse and breed to breed – and not to mention the owner!
6. Sleeping while standing and lying down:
Horses can sleep standing up thanks to a special tendon structure (the „stay apparatus“). But for a really deep sleep, they need to lie down.
7. This is how fast you can run with horsepower:
Horses move at around 5 to 7 km/h at a walk, while they can reach 10 to 20 km/h at a trot, depending on their speed. At a gallop, speeds of up to 60 km/h are possible, but only for short distances. Racehorses can even reach speeds of over 70 km/h at a stretched gallop.
8. Heart strength:
A horse’s heart can adapt to extreme stress. While it only beats about 30 times per minute at rest, it increases to over 200 times per minute at peak performance.
9. Emotional intelligence:
As mentioned above, horses are very good at reading people’s moods and emotions. They respond specifically to body language, tone of voice and energy, which is why they are often used in animal-assisted therapy.
10. Learning, remembering, responding:
Horses are intelligent and can learn complex tasks. They remember places, people and procedures for years – even after a long period without training. Their situational awareness and ability to react are remarkable. They seem to have a constant trade-off between trust and flight, making them very alert animals.
11. Social sensitivity:
Horses live in herds with clear hierarchies and complex social structures. They communicate subtly through posture, facial expressions and vocalisations and can develop close friendships with other horses (and humans).
Species-appropriate – how to keep horses happy
A happy horse needs more than food and care. Proper husbandry is a key factor in their physical and mental health. Horses are naturally herd animals and need contact with other horses to express their social behaviour. Keeping horses alone without sight of or contact with other horses quickly leads to stress and behavioural problems. Having them in well-structured groups with plenty of space promotes well-being and encourages natural instincts.
Freedom of movement is also important. Horses are runners, covering many kilometres a day in the wild. They should not be kept in cramped stalls around the clock without sufficient exercise. Daily access to pasture or a large paddock is ideal to accommodate their natural need for movement. Horses confined to a small stall all day tend to become bored and often develop stereotypical behaviours such as cribbing or weaving.
Naturally, the right diet also plays an important role. Horses are continuous eaters and are designed to consume small amounts of roughage throughout the day. That’s why it’s important to give them round-the-clock access to hay or a fibre-rich alternative feed. Long feeding breaks of more than four hours can lead to stomach ulcers and digestive problems. Feeding should also be tailored to the horse’s age, breed and workload.
In addition to feeding, grooming is crucial to the well-being of horses. This includes not only regular grooming and trimming, but also checking for health problems. A horse kept in an appropriate environment will also have the opportunity to roll in the sand or mud, which is not only a basic need but also contributes to good skin health.
Another important aspect is mental and physical activity: Horses that are not sufficiently challenged quickly become bored. Varied activity through groundwork, cross-country rides or targeted training not only ensures good physical fitness but also strengthens the relationship between horse and human. It also promotes trust and contentment in the animal.
Ultimately, appropriate horse husbandry is a combination of exercise, social contact, appropriate feeding, health care and intellectual activity. Anyone who keeps a horse has a great responsibility and should always strive to provide the best possible life for their animal.
Freedom, strength and loyalty
Maybe you’ve already experienced the following, just as we have on our farm: Horses are much more than just mounts. They are our companions, our teachers, our comforters. Their history is deeply intertwined with that of mankind – from the war horses of the past to the faithful companions of the present. They have fascinating abilities and embody qualities that we humans always long for, such as a sense of freedom, but also strength and loyalty. Anyone who lives with horses knows that they touch the heart and enrich our lives in a special way. They deserve to be cared for in a way that reflects their nature. Wherever you meet them – in history, literature or on the pasture – show them respect and affection, for they are irreplaceable companions and simply beautiful animals.
