The following story may not necessarily be a solution, but we hope it puts a smile on your face.
In the city of Frankfurt, Germany, there’s a horse named Jenny that locals see walking the streets alone on a daily basis. No, Jenny isn’t lost. The beloved Arabian mare is simply following the same route that her owner used to take her on. Her owner, Anna Weischedel, had grown too old to ride her, so Jenny has been leaving her stable and enjoying the same walk through town by herself for over a decade now, stopping traffic and greeting locals as she goes.
To make sure people don’t get concerned about a lonely horse walking through a bustling city, Jenny has a piece of paper attached to her halter that says, “My name is Jenny. I didn’t run away, I’m just walking. Thank you.”
The note hasn’t always been enough to stop people from calling the police out of concern for the horse, but the officers are well aware of Jenny and tell the callers there’s no need to worry.
In an article published by TRT World last year, Anna said Jenny has been bringing some needed joy to people’s lives throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
“People seem to notice her more because they have more time,” said Anna. “A lot of passers-by stroke her, maybe because they are missing some human contact.”
Jenny’s daily walk comes to an end around 4:00 pm, when Anna’s 80-year-old husband, Werner, hops on his e-scooter and rides through the city along Jenny’s route in order to find her. When he does, he simply tells her it’s time to go home.
“And then she slowly heads back,” says Werner, a retired flower shop owner.