Close to people | Stories from Bethel
Mayk, Mikesch and an hour of happiness
Riding as a sport for people with disabilities
The stable smells of straw and savoury hay. Hard-working helpers sweep the pavement - a fine dust swirls up and tickles the nose. Hooves clatter, horses snort and Mikesch, the black and white tomcat, creeps around on quiet paws. He inspects every nook and cranny of the therapeutic riding centre in Bethel. The large hall, financed by donations, is idyllically situated between meadows and the edge of the forest. Dieter Ramm is particularly happy here. Every Friday, the chronically ill man, who has severe memory problems and is therefore cared for in a Bethel centre, comes to ride. For him, it is the highlight of the week: "I feel good here. I love riding," he says and smiles.
His riding lesson begins with collecting the horse. Together with Kerstin Welge, who works on the "Riding as a leisure sport for people with disabilities" project, they go to the paddock to fetch Mayk. The bay gelding is the leader of the herd. However, the trained therapy horse is always patient and even-tempered when interacting with people. "Yes, Mayk is a real sweetheart!" praises Dieter Ramm. He grooms him carefully, and together with Kerstin Welge, he bridles Mayk. Mounting him afterwards is not difficult. Bethel has a raised ramp for this purpose. You can simply slide onto the horse's back from it. This is particularly important for people who are in wheelchairs or have physical disabilities.
On horseback, Dieter Ramm suddenly looks completely different. The 67-year-old, who is sometimes unsteady when walking, looks focussed and pays attention to his body tension. When he has a straight back, Mayk trots on the lunge. If he is slack, the horse only walks at a walk or stops. "More speed - more fun," says Dieter Ramm. There's only one thing to do: always keep your posture!
Text: Heike Lepkojis | Photos: Sarah Jonek
This story simply told
When Dieter Ramm sits on a horse, he is happy. He goes to the Bethel riding stable every Friday. The time with the animals does him good. Dieter Ramm has a chronic illness and memory problems. He is fully focussed when he is riding.
Would you like to find out more?
Address
Bethel.regional
Therapeutic riding
Remterweg 77
33617 Bielefeld
Contact
Antje Pyl
Head of department
0521 144-4639
therapeutisches.reiten(at)bethel.de
Therapeutic riding at Bethel is divided into three specialist areas:
- Curative education on the horse
- Hippotherapy
- Organised leisure time: riding as a sport
In addition, there are integrated workplaces for people with disabilities in the riding stable.
You can help!
Your donation will help disadvantaged people. Decide for yourself what your donation is used for and support a field or project of your choice.
Thank you for being on our side!
