The Adventure Kids go horseback riding at Gut Vorder Bollhagen in Vorder Bollhagen, Germany and fall in love with a one-day old foal named Anubia.

Gut Vorder Bollhagen has been breeding Stallions since 1928, and has a total of 70 horses, two Stallions, and 18 mares for breeding, and specializes in Holstein jumping horses.

We took a tour of the facilities with Karen Schuessler during our visit to Gut Vorder Bollhagen and had the opportunity to meet two of their studs, Cefalo and Queno, handsome creatures with impeccable pedigrees. Cefalo, a Holstein Stallion, born in 1999 (162 cm/5.3 feet) is the offspring of Carentino and (mother's father) was Laurin. Queno, also a Holstein Stallion, born in 2005 (165 cm/5.4 feet), father is Quindam de Revel SF of Jalisco SF and his mother is Konletta of Contago of Corrado I/Calypso I from Winnipeg III of Caletto II/Sacramento Song xx.

We both love horses, however (Debra) is crazy about them, so when Karen opened the door of Queno's box and invited us to have a better look, Debra could not resist entering his box and petting him. Towering above her, Queno bent his head to enjoy a rub, and when she offered him a sugar cube became an instant friend of his.

Although the Holstein Stallions were incredible, we lost our hearts completely to Anubia (born on March 3, 2008 at 8:15 pm) who was one day old when we saw her. The offspring of Cefalo and Tracy [Esteban xx (Prince Map xx) Lanka (Contender)], she was absolute perfection, and proud mother Tracy kept a close eye on her foal as we looked into her box.

After taking a tour with Karen, it was time to meet our instructor, Nadya, and Loreka, a very beautiful and tall Mecklenburg horse. The day was bright and sunny, windy, and with a light dusting of snow on the ground it was a bit too cold to enjoy a ride outside, however with their indoor riding academy we were able to not only take a ride but also maintain our body heat besides.

Anubia

Since we are most accustomed to riding Western, we took this opportunity to have a refresher course on the proper seat and techniques of riding English-style. Nadya, a patient instructor, had us up to speed in no time. English-style riding varies from Western-style riding in a number of ways from the type of saddle used, to mounting and dismounting, and even to the way one handles the reins. For starters, English-style saddles do not have a "horn" or a "handle" like their Western-style counterparts so riders need to learn how to put one foot in the stirrup, bounce on the other leg and then boost themselves up and onto the saddle without having something to hang onto.

Debra: This is definitely easier said than done if you are not very tall, which I am not. With the saddle way over the top of my head, I wondered how I was going to manage this, but true to my name, The Adventure Kid, I put my foot in the stirrup, which was now around chest level and had a great laugh trying to figure out the next step. Nadya came to the rescue by lowering the stirrup and it worked like a charm as I bounced onto Loreka's back and onto the saddle. After a quick readjustment of the stirrup to the proper length I was ready for the next lesson.

Edward: Properly seated on an English-style saddle, you need to keep your body close to the front of the saddle, and to lean slightly backwards, with your shoulders relaxed and even, and your heels down in the stirrups. Unlike Western-style riding where you control the reins with one hand, with English-style riding you control the reins by holding them in both hands with a short lead for the horse. Once we had learned the basics of riding English-style, it was a very comfortable experience.

After an enjoyable morning of riding, we walked the pastoral grounds of Gut Vorder Bollhagen and lavished ample affection on the horses. It was definitely a most memorable day.

The Horses of Gut Vorder Bollhagen

In addition to English-style riding, Gut Vorder Bollhagen also offers instruction on jumping and Western-style riding. Karen, a former show jumper, and her husband, also a former show jumper and polo player are passionate about horses, and that passion clearly comes through in the care of the horses. Together with trainers, Denise a show jumper competitor and Holger Wulschner, an international jumper champion, Gut Vorder Bollhagen offers an amazing experience.

Located near the oldest racecourse on the European continent in Bad Doberan, and only a short 5-minute drive from the Kempinski Grand Hotel Heiligendamm, visitors to the oldest Baltic Seaside resort have yet another compelling reason to experience Gut Vorder Bollhagen.

Gut Vorder Bollhagen
Hauptstraße 1
18209 Vorder Bollhagen
Germany
Telephone:      +49 38203/7 33 591
Fax:                 +49 38203/7 33 593
Contact:          Horst Schuessler
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Email:             This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.GutVorderBollhagen.de

Read other articles on the Kempinski Grand Hotel Heiligendamm the Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Spas, Restaurants, and Chefs' Recipes sections.

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