A white horse named Jenny cheers up the citizens with his presence in the streets
What would you think if you saw a white horse that walked in your town without a rider? You would think that that animal has escaped from a riding stable. That creates havoc among the inhabitants of the town. Instead, this is quite the opposite of what happens in the Fechenheim district, in Frankfurt, Germany.
In Fechenheim there is an Arabian horse named Jenny who is now accustomed to taking a daily walk. He walks through the neighborhood streets. The owner, a man of over eighty named Werner Weischedel, can no longer ride her as in the past, which is why he trained her and then habituated her to going out through the courtyard gate every day alone, without the man accompanying her.
Jenny the Horse is now a permanent and distinctive presence in the Frankfurt district. Passersby are delighted by her presence. “She likes to greet all the familiar faces and stops and receives treats from some of her favorite humans. The locals treat her like a celebrity and get along very well with her. ”
The fact is that many tourists or strangers might think she is a horse that escaped from a riding stable. So, every time Jenny walks the streets of Frankfurt, she wears a sign with a message. The message says: “My name is Jenny, I’m not a runaway. I’m just going for a walk. Thanks.”
In addition to the useful message, there’s Werner’s mobile number, so that passersby can contact him when they need it. Or they can call in case Jenny the horse gets too close to the railway!
With the arrival of the global pandemic, many of the locals have remained close to home, deprived of everyday human contact. Jenny’s reassuring presence was the perfect therapy for all those who for too many months have felt alone and sad.
This extraordinary specimen of Arabian horse was also sad and lonely for a long time. Years before she was always accompanied by Charlie, her best horsey friend; in fact it was possible years before to see Werner and his wife Anna trotting through the streets and parks of Fechenheim together with two white horses and two shepherd dogs.
Now, Werner is too old to ride her as he used to, but he has certainly never lost sight of Jenny when she goes out every day to go for her solitary walk. Every day Jenny finishes her walk in the open air at 4 pm on the dot, when Werner goes to retrieve her on his electric scooter and tells her that it’s time to go home.
Should you happen to pay a visit to the green district of Fechenheim in the city of Frankfurt, you will surely meet Jenny the horse going for a relaxing solitary walk, entertaining passers-by and locals with her presence and reassuring appearance.
