For 30 years, the Aschheim riding club has been combining horse wellbeing, social commitment and fun.
We paid a visit to horse and rider.
Aschheim
- While little girls groom a Shetland pony Jacky, an experienced dressage rider practices on the sand court with a fox-colored warm-blooded horse. “The most important thing here on the farm is that all horses are kept in a species-appropriate manner,” says Gudrun Altenburger (60) while a few dogs scurry around them. As the chairwoman of the Aschheim riding and driving club, she is the soul of the Birkenhof on the B 471. The riding stable is made up of a school and private hire companies and houses a total of 30 horses. That is quite manageable, especially compared to the stables in the area.
"We can hardly save ourselves from inquiries," says Altenburger, who has been chairwoman for almost 20 years.
Most people wanted such a familiar stable.
"Here the riders find a balance to everyday life", that was worth a lot, especially during Corona.
“In addition to the well-being of the horses, the stable climate for the people is also important to me,” she says.
Happy people and animals - that is the reward for their years of voluntary work.
"The children should really learn to ride and not just sit on it"
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The vice-chairwoman Katja Schepsmeier with sock (left) and riding participation Marie Deml with school horse Viva appreciate the coexistence between humans and animals.
© Dieter Michalek
The municipality of Aschheim is the sponsor of the riding and driving club, alias Birkenhof. Founded in 1992, the association initially leased the property from E.ON. In 2004 the community bought the site and thus secured the future of the riding stables. And the well-being of the horses. Because the extensive paddocks would not be sustainable in the Munich district without this security.
Seven of the club's own horses live at the Birkenhof today, which run as school horses during the week (Tuesday to Friday) and are otherwise looked after by so-called riding participations. On the one hand, this is good for the horses, as they are not only ridden by beginners and have a caregiver. On the other hand, it is an inexpensive option for women from Aschheim to realize their dream of (almost) their own horse. "With us, the schulis are seen as living beings and are not only used to earn money," emphasizes Altenburger. Often it happens on other farms that school horses, the "Schulis", have to run in circles seven days a week and never come to the paddock. At the Birkenhof horses are a way of life and not a source of income. “The children should really learn to ride and not just sit on it.We also focus on dealing and providing care, ”emphasizes Katja Schepsmeier (33), the association's second chairwoman.
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The horse wellbeing and cake baking are the two passions of the chairman Gudrun Altenburger, here with the Haflinger gelding Stanley.
© Dieter Michalek
In addition to offering riding and vaulting lessons and the daily stable operations, the Birkenhof ensures social cohesion on various levels: for several years now, social pedagogue Eva Weszycki has been offering hippotherapy on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The horse-assisted form of therapy can help multiple sclerosis patients to improve their movement sequences.
It is hard to imagine life in the community without the “Schulis” and their riding participation. Whether it's leading a pony at the forest festival, taking part in the maypole parade or the Aschheim 1250 year celebration - the riding and driving club is always there. Once a year there is an equestrian festival with a horse show, which attracts numerous guests. There is also the opportunity to take off various riding badges from the German Equestrian Association. The construction of the riding arena in 2005 and a general renovation by the community have further upgraded the riding facility - before that, female riders galloped with their four-legged friends on the outdoor clay court in wind and weather.
Even if there is now a chic hall, the down-to-earth attitude at the Birkenhof remains unchanged.
Even if the area around the riding stables has lost traction due to the overfly roundabout on the A 99 and the riders with their ponies and horses first have to pass the B 471, roundabouts or guardrails for idyllic rides.
You can find more news from Aschheim and the district of Munich here.