If you saw a horse rambling through town by themselves, your first thought would probably be that the horse was lost. But a horse in Frankfurt, Germany, shows this isnโt always the case. This horse, Jenny, has been taking herself for walks through her neighborhood for 14 years!
One of Jennyโs owners, 80-year-old Werner Weischedel, is no longer able to ride her due to his age.
So, every morning he opens the gates to their yard so the horse can go on her daily walk through the neighborhood. She happily trots off on her own, exploring the roadways, railways, and back alleys like she owns the place!
The Arabian mare has been a fixture in the Fechenheim district, a green part of Frankfurt near the bank of the Main River, for more than a decade.
All the locals know exactly who Jenny is, and they really look forward to seeing her every day.
Keith Anderson writes on Facebook:
โShe enjoys greeting all of the familiar faces along the way, and she stops and gets treats and pettings from some of her favorite humans. The locals treat her like a celebrity and happily clean up after her.โ
But, just in case a tourist might think sheโs a runaway pony, thereโs a friendly note attached to her halter that says otherwise:
โMy name is Jenny, I didnโt run away. Iโm just going for a walk. Thank you.โ
Werner also included his cell phone number, should Jenny need someone to ring dad on her behalf for some extra lunch money.
Even though sheโs totally unsupervised on her walks, this sweet girl has never caused a lick of trouble in all the years sheโs been quietly ambling around town.
The police department said that they used to receive up to 20 calls a day from people who werenโt familiar with Jennyโs special arrangement with the city, but now that sheโs famous the frantic calls have dwindled to about one per week.
Tram drivers are also quite used to sightings of the mare, and will make a conscious effort to slow down anytime she gets a wee bit too close to the railroad tracks.
Everyone has adjusted to Jennyโs schedule!
Jennyโs owners donโt have any hard and fast rules against hugging or petting the mare. In fact, they encourage it!
This horse has been given โcorona freedomโ by her owners and everything is allowed!
โIt makes us so happy to see Jenny, we miss her when we donโt pass her on our walks,โ quipped 61-year-old Gaby Marxen.
The photo below, which was taken before COVID, shows Jenny getting friendly with one of the newest little foals to make the rounds on her block.
Before 2020 forced the world to go into lockdown, this lucky Arabian mare had free โreinโ to run around and do as she pleased.
But with social distancing rules in place, Jenny plays a much-needed, therapeutic role in her community.
In the past, a cuddle with her was just plain fun, but now itโs a dream come true for folks who are desperate for any kind of contact. Sheโs quite the friendly neigh-bor when it comes to making people happy.
โPeople seem to notice her more because they have more time. A lot of passers-by stroke her, maybe because they are missing some human contact,โ said Anna, Wernerโs husband.
Thankfully, all of these hugs and kisses from all of her human friends havenโt affected the 25-year-old ponyโs health.
In fact, Jenny is โ for lack of a better phrase โ as healthy as a horse!
Some people donโt know that Jenny actually used to be part of a duo with another horse named Charlie back in the day. Werner and Anna would proudly ride the horses through town, with two white shepherd dogs trotting alongside.
โWe went through Fechenheim as a white caravan. For almost 15 years,โ said Werner.
Sadly, Charlie passed away a few years ago, and Jenny was left without a bestie. Still, she insisted on going for a stroll โ even if it was all by her lonely self.
Around 4:00 every day, Jennyโs stroll ends. At that time, Werner catches up to Jenny on his electric scooter and brings her home for dinner. Jenny truly has a great life!
Jenny is an incredible horse, and she brought her community some much-needed joy during the pandemic. Weโre so glad senior horse Jenny is still happy, healthy, and spreading joy in her town.
Check out a video about Jenny below!
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