A community that includes an unattended horse roaming about freely may sound unusual, but these locals think nothing of it. She roams through town, nibbling grass here and there, greeting those she meets with a flick of her ears. Everyone knows this horse named Jenny, and they accept her as a member of their community. The locals don’t complain though the occasional visitor might make a report to the police. The police inform them, Jenny is harmless, and her owners know where to find her. In the past, the local police said they received many calls from people concerned about Jenny, but those calls have declined over time. Nowadays, they might get one call a week, and they explain that Jenny is well-known locally, wholly harmless, and her owner is aware of wanderings. When individuals approach jenny, they will notice a belt with a red tag hanging loosely around her neck that says, “My name is Jenny, I didn’t run away. I’m just going for a walk. Thank you.” Jenny’s human also includes his phone number on the note, in case she may need him.
The owner of Jenny, a 25-year-old Arabian mare, is Werner Weischedel. At 80 years old, he can no longer ride her or even take her for walks. Years ago, Werner and his wife Anna, along with their dogs, two shepherds, regularly rode their horses Jenny and Charlie around the area. Over the years, everyone became used to their presence. However, when Jenny’s owner could no longer ride or walk her, he didn’t want to take away her regular routine. He decided for Jenny’s sake to open his gates and allow her to take herself out for daily exercise. For over 14 years, Jenny has strolled along the banks of the Main River in the Fenchenheim district. She knows every street, alley, nook, and cranny, even the railroads, where she takes the time to be careful. As this amazing mare enjoys her daily walks, she happily accepts treats from folks and enjoys the pats and hugs from anyone willing to show her affection. In all the years’ Jenny has roamed around completely unattended; she has never caused any mischief; actually, she probably behaves better than some humans.
Jenny is quite the celebrity in town, and residents look forward to getting a chance to interact with her every day. They probably provide Jenny with more treats and goodies than they should, but she is so loving and friendly; they can’t help themselves. The love and affection the locals feel for Jenny includes happily cleaning up after her. This unusual mare has become so famous that one of the locals decided to share her story on Facebook. Keith Anderson wrote, “She enjoys greeting all of the familiar faces along the way, and she stops and gets treats and pettings from some of her favorite humans. The locals treat her like a superstar and happily clean up after her.” People used to take photos with Jenny and post them on social media before today’s COVID pandemic. As an equine member of a human community, Jenny’s life is one any of us should envy. To have the love and support of your entire community during this troublesome time is indeed heartwarming for everyone that crosses Jenny’s meandering path.
