The "Forever-Home" at Gut Aiderbichl
They could no longer be cared for. Now two former vaulting horses from the Egbert Gymnasium in Münsterschwarzach are allowed to spend their twilight years at Gut Aiderbichl.
Vaulting inspires many children and young people. For the students at Egbert-Gymnasium in Münsterschwarzach (Bavaria, DE), a dream came true when teacher Annette Müller-Kaler made vaulting a school sport. Not only the sport itself, but also the stable work, is in the students' area of responsibility. The children and young people spend several hours a day with their horses. The animals are a big part of their lives. It was all the worse for the children when the number of horses was suddenly to be reduced.
The two friends must stay together
There was room for eight horses at the school's own vaulting facility. This included the old horses that were no longer used for vaulting. Until now, all of them were allowed to stay at Egbert-Gymnasium in Münsterschwarzach until the natural end of their lives.
When founder Annette Müller-Kaler went into well-earned retirement, teacher Mona Schwanfelder, also an enthusiastic vaulter as a child, followed in her footsteps. But in 2022 came the shock.
Despite intensive efforts, no suitable employee could be found for the vaulting operation, so the number of horses had to be reduced. Which horses did they want to part with with a heavy heart? The corona pandemic had torn a hole in the competition sport due to the loss of training sessions. The two top horses Prometheus and Waldez would no longer be used in vaulting due to their advanced age with the young build-up teams. They are not suitable for the beginner operation. The two friends have to stay together.
Around 700 horses live on the farms of Gut Aiderbichl
Prometheus and Waldez were two horses that were no longer used for sport, but they were inseparable. To whom should two dearly loved animals be entrusted? Finally, the choice fell on Gut Aiderbichl. Annette Müller-Kaler and Mona Schwanfelder both drove personally to Gut Aiderbichl to see if the horses could be well cared for.
Around 700 horses live on the farms of Gut Aiderbichl. In addition, Gut Aiderbichl is particularly concerned with the health of older horses and their diseases.
Since 2020, VetMeduni Vienna has also been working in cooperation with Gut Aiderbichl on a major joint project researching the living conditions of horses: "Quality of Life". The goal of this project is to sustainably improve the quality of horses' life. Since 2020, Gut Aiderbichl has been cooperating with the Sandgrueb Foundation in Egg, near Zurich, too. A medical research team is looking into the state of health of older horses and their diseases, particularly with regard to parasitology.
Through these cooperations, we are constantly expanding our knowledge in terms of animal welfare. This ensures that even older horses such as Waldez and Prometheus receive the best care at Gut Aiderbichl.
Farewell with one laughing and one crying eye
Annette Müller-Kaler and Mona Schwanfelder were reassured: Waldez and Prometheus are in very good hands at Gut Aiderbichl.
To say goodbye to their two charges, the children put on a great vaulting performance. Very emotionally, all the vaulting students said goodbye to their animals personally. They let the horses go with one laughing and one crying eye and will visit them as often as possible at Gut Aiderbichl.
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