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!

Geprüfte Transparenz, SSL - Sichere Verbindung

Close to people

More stories from Bethel

Ein junger Mann arbeitet in Bethels Gärtnerei

For people with disabilities

Bethel offers suitable forms of living and care for people with disabilities in many places. This includes not only good care, but also socialising, which makes life more enjoyable. Meaningful work is also important: the Bethel workshops offer a wide range of different activities.

Offers for people with disabilities

Press contact

Press + Communication

Looking for help?

Are you or a relative dependent on help or assistance and looking for support?

Would you like to help?

There are many ways to help at Bethel. We are happy about any support!