Horse Goes On A Daily Walk Alone For 14 Years, And People Offer Pets And Treats To Her

Outdoor cats are famous for wandering, and dogs are expected to get lost – yet, in Frankfurt, Germany’s Fechenheim district they've grown accustomed to a different kind of ‘outdoor pet’ – an Arabian mare called Jenny. The effervescent white horse strolls lazily through the streets every morning, on the same route, with no handler in sight. For those who aren't familiar with the animal, she wears a card which reads: “I’m called Jenny, not a runaway, just taking a walk. Thanks.”

Jenny has been taking that walk alone for the last 14-years, because her owner, 79-year-old Werner Weischedel can no longer ride her. Each morning the old man opens his gates and she trods along the paths they used to take together.

Before Jenny was a solo traveler, she used to be part of a “caravan.” Weischedel told FNP, “We used to have a second mare, Charlie, and a second white shepherd. There we went as a white caravan through Fechenheim. Almost 15 years.” The “we” that he refers to is him and his wife, Anna. Their riding group is now down to Jenny and their German shepherd Evita, who sometimes joins her for part of her daily jaunts.

Jenny walks her route eight times a day before coming back home for the afternoons for lunch – just like clockwork. Perhaps that is because, according to her owner, she's got a “clock in her stomach” and “knows exactly when there is food at home.”

The residents have come to expect and enjoy meeting Jenny and despite the worries of some pedestrians police spokeswoman Isabell Neumann told German news agency DPA she presents no danger. Weischedel works with the police to ensure both Jenny, and the other citizens are safe he told "Maintower": “The police know. When someone calls in, the police ask me: ‘Werner, do you know where Jenny is?’ Yes, I say. ‘Ok, then everything is in order.'”

Jenny has friends and guardians everywhere; even the tram driver has become familiar with the mare and welcomes her visits. Several people on social media have criticized Jenny’s freedom, calling it negligence for her safety as well as the safety of people on the roads and streets. However, her veterinarian Maren Hellige said that the mare “seems very relaxed and satisfied.” According to the police, there've been no incidences in all her 14-years of walks.