- What?
- I have always dreamed of a place for kids
to just show them how one can live
side by side with the animals
side by side with the horses.
Lessons of life
Children’s horse riding in Deiderode
For me, it was very much important
that kids... you know
not that they just come to a stable,
have half an hour or, say
forty five minutes with the horses,
and then leave again.
I wanted kids to experience the animals.
To experience them, to be with them
to understand how they feel how they think,
what living creature the horse is
this is much more important
then riding, I think.
Because horse riding can be learned.
But what’s really worth is being
next to the horse.
- You have to push harder. Push here.
You’re strong enough
you’re going info sport,
aren’t you?
You see? Understood?
- Yes.
- Or this way. It’ll work out too.
- The grounds are huge. And no fences.
Kids may go freely wherever they wish.
The colors just add some diversity.
Less dullness.
Colors have influence upon a soul.
Anyway they affect kids
they do like bright colors, but
the horses like them too.
These are beautiful colors, aren’t they?
- Would you take Tashina?
- … put it on in here. We’re taking Tashina,
Cheyenne and…
- Now we’re brushing the back
where we’ll put the saddle
so that if the saddle moves a bit
it won't couse a corn.
- She is offering her mouth so willingly.
- Yes, she is quite a bit aged now and knows
what you want from her.
She’s been saddled a lot of times already,
because the horses are often on the move.
Ok, here you are.
- To try and be open to others - nowadays
it’s important in itself.
There’re so much children with 
no brothers or sisters.
And here they have to share everything.
And they all have responsibility here,
alltogether.
And they do share. The grown-ups
care for the little ones.
- You have to put the saddle-cloth
the other way round.
The shorter end is always ahead.
- They know it, they grow into their groups.
They want to come here. They’re here
because they like it, so they do it.
- Many children have fear.
But through their faith in the animals...
They lead the horse, they go ahead
and ahorse follows
and they bring them to the meadow,
they take them back
they are close to the horses for hours!
This way the faith comes.
- Oh, I forgot something.
- Time to leave!
Many children have fear, but If you have 
faith 
in a horse the fear goes away.
- When a child overcomes this fear and 
suddenly rides a horse all on his own
he becomes self-confident, he gains faith
in his inner strength.
- We’re taking Tashina...
- Luna! Come here please!
- And where’s Neo?
- Ok, ready. Are you coming with us
into the forest?
Usually children come, take horses
from the meadow
brush and saddle them. Then we
ride into the field.
At the end the kids communicate with each 
other and the horses are always nearby.
- Yes Emma, now Aron will come too...
- And then you take this end and
wind it here… Wait a bit…
- Each group consists of 10-13 children
who are always together.
They meat each other once a week.
I think children need other children. Especially
teenagers, but the little ones as well.
This is just boring if there’s no other kids 
around to play with, you know.
Children need other children. Some kids are
more active, some quiet.
The active ones manage to become
even more active in time.
- Bend your finger and make like this.
- But there’s no knot.
- If I still manage to do it at all.
- And vice versa – the active kids
become calmer.
These are our rules here: to take
and to give in return.
- What are you doing?
- It should be a special horse knot.
- No, you did something wrong.
- They all understand each other. They are 
all together. And they know it.
- Anna-Mary, wait a moment.
- Ok, here comes a loop first. There was
everything right here.
But now you need to take this end
and wrap round.
Now pull it Neo, will you?
Done. Now the horse is free.
You see?
- I want to try again!
- Fasten it again so that Neo can have a look
one more time. Look, first comes a loop.
Yes, that’s right. Now bend it, will you?
- My daughter studied ecological agriculture
in Wizenhausen.
But she didn’t want to be a farmer.
Now she is preparing for her horse riding
trainer certificate.
She is having her examination
next year.
And she really wants  a trainer. This is her life
with the horses – and with the children.
- Here you are. Now take the loop
Neo, will you?
- Frankly speaking we have fun 
most of the time.
We gallop and rejoice! 
That is the life energy!
Astride – galloping through the meadows!
And all are shouting with laughter
and outrun each other!
This freedom – this complete, prefect freedom
I think it's the most important feeling.
Many thanks to all children and parents
- Ananda, stay here, you beauty.
- Oh, this is the heavy one.
to the course supervisors
A film by 
- Now we can go and have some food.
Production of Curriculum Visual Anthropology,
University of Goettingen, Germany
