Chico
Happy 50th Birthday
Not only Gut Aiderbichl is celebrating an anniversary this year (20 years), but also little Chico. He will be 50 years old, believe it or not. Congratulations!
When Michael Aufhauser opened the Gut Aiderbichl Iffeldorf sanctuary in 2010, the pony Chico and his friend Schorsch were already living at the farm in Iffeldorf. According to the documents, Chico was born in 1971 and Schorsch, the Haflinger stallion, in 1975.
Chico and Schorsch were a great team
Chico says: "Me and Schorsch had many nice years in a circus. They were good to us. We were in the ring in the evening and not on the lawn, but they were good to us. At some point the money ran out. Schorsch lost more and more weight and I didn't want to walk in circles any more. I had Cushing's disease and was tired. And I had laminitis and eczema.
So we came to Martina and Hansi on their farm in Iffeldorf. They supplied the circus with hay for some time. The circus people regularly asked how we were doing. They were also sad when they learned that Schorsch was no more there.
They say I'm 50. My lips don't close so perfectly any more, I have wrinkled eyelids, a low back and protruding hip legs. I'm doing very well, even if everything is getting a bit more difficult! And Martina sometimes says that I'm a stubborn person. Whatever that is. I am not aware of any guilt".
The circus act
In the ring, Schorsch walked in a circle and Chico with him. Then the act began: Schorsch put his front legs on a big stool and little Chico ran under his belly.
At the age of almost 45, Schorsch passed away almost 2 years ago. Since then, Chico has been doing his rounds with the other ponies at the Gut Aiderbichl Iffeldorf farm. He is wise, proud and sometimes stands by the path with a dreamy expression on his face to see what is going on.
Children used to ride on Chico's back. Today, they stroke his white face, his still thick mane and Chico enjoys it.
Chico and many of our old animals seem to think: "You are as old as you feel!". Happy birthday, dear Chico.
