Germany's Hidden Gems for Equestrians REVEALED!

Welcome to Equestrian Journeys! I'm Sandy Colling, your guide to the captivating world of European horse culture, and each episode we'll talk about century-old traditions, rich history, and the vibrant modern horse scene. You'll hear great stories, get insider tips, and we'll meet wonderful guests who share our passion. So whether you're planning your next adventure or exploring from home, Equestrian Journeys offers a unique perspective on travel and equestrian, as well as non-equestrian, culture all around Europe. So join me each week as we uncover gems and stories from Germany's magnificent equestrian heritage. And today we're diving into the topic that's perfect for those of you equestrians who are thinking about visiting Germany, travel tips to get you the most out of your trip. And I actually worked on a product called Travel Toolkit that you can get for yourself. And I'll link it in the show notes so you have it right at your fingertips. So whether you're heading to Germany for an event like the CHIO Aachen, which is the big, big tournament usually in July, or planning a visit to the Marbach Stud farm, which we've talked about before, or just simply want to go explore the amazing equestrian culture in the country that is so well known for horses and equestrianism, you want to make sure that you bring everything that you need to set you up for success. So today I'm sharing some essential tips that you have a smooth and enjoyable journey to Germany. So packing, right? The weather in Germany can be— well, what can I say? You can have 4 seasons in a day, like in many places, right? So depending on whether you're going in spring, in fall, in winter, or in summer— my favorite time in Germany, to be honest with you, is the spring. I absolutely love the spring. We had this tree outside of my kitchen window growing up with a Fliederbaum. I don't know what it's called in English, but every time it came to bloom and it blossomed, it was so beautiful and it reminded us of spring. So you wanna pack smart. You wanna ensure that you're prepared for horse-related activities as well as general travel. You know, there's some great places that you can take some treks, some rides in Germany, or you could take a lesson, but you wanna make sure that you're set up for success. So packing your essential riding gear, obviously you can rent a helmet. I actually like having my own helmet because you never know how many times people have fallen with the helmet, and we know what that does. So I do like to bring my own helmet, gloves, and paddock boots or tall boots. I like to travel with paddock boots because I can use them just to walk around. A lot of times they're comfortable, obviously not in the hot summer months. You want to bring your flip-flops or your Birkenstock, but I like paddock boots because they can go either way. And then you can bring some half chaps. As I said, you can also rent helmets in many places, but again, I'm kind of funny like that. So it depends on where you go in Germany. And it depends, like I said, the time of year. You definitely want to bring layers. Like many equestrians, we love our vests. A vest is always a great thing to pack and a warm jacket. And of course, waterproof gear is a must. We know it rains a lot, not just in Ireland. And talking about Ireland, I'm actually headed to Ireland on Thursday. So I'm super excited to be bringing back some great shares and some great information as we gear up for our actual trip to Ireland next June 2025. So stay tuned for that. Let's talk about Germany's versatile landscape. And we know that this country is a horse lover's paradise, right? Some key destinations include Marbach. Marbach, the state stud farm, which is the oldest in Germany, and it has some of the most picturesque studs in Germany. It's located in Baden-Württemberg, and it's surrounded by the Schwäbische Jura Mountains. If you want a real true VIP experience, get a guided tour there, which we did in July, which was amazing. And we learned about some of behind-the-scenes things and got to walk into a field where the Arabs where the babies were running around. It was absolutely phenomenal. It is truly a wonderful, wonderful place to visit. Now, for those of you who want to see a competition or, you know, like to go to see events, or even if you don't, CHIO Aachen is really truly one of the most beautiful and biggest equestrian events in the world. It has world-class jumping, dressage, eventing. It usually takes place in July, So if you are traveling around at the time, it's definitely great to attend. However, tickets sell out way in advance, so you will want to get those early, especially if you're wanting to see something in specific. Etiquette and traditions. So when you're visiting German equestrian establishment, there are a lot of traditions of discipline and respect in place. And that's something you really should keep in mind. If you're visiting a barn or taking part in an event, You really want to greet everybody, including the horses, with a lot of respect, right? Germans, we tend to be a little more formal. That's eased off over the years, but we are still generally more formal. We still have the Sie and the Du. So the Sie is the formal. If you don't know somebody, you want to say Sie to them, and Du if you know somebody on a closer level. Again, that's loosened up over the years. But especially with the old generations, it is a little more formal. And, um, Germans can be a bit reserved initially, especially in the equestrian world. We're all very protective of our horses. Also, punctuality is key. So you want to respect everybody's time. If you are scheduled for a lesson or go on a tour, make sure you arrive on time, 5 to 10 minutes early. It's really truly a sign of respect for everybody. Another big question I get is transporting riding gear. So if you really wanna bring your own equipment such as saddles or larger items, you wanna check with the airlines ahead of time. Most will allow you to check in these items, but it's always good to confirm, get the prices for the size and the weight limits. And of course, that varies from airline to airline. Now, if you're just going for a trek here and there, you obviously will not wanna bring your own gear. But you never know. Or you may even want to purchase a saddle over there in one of the many, many tack stores. The 2 big ones, the franchise ones, are Lösdau and Krämer. You may even want to not bring one over with you because you're riding, but bring one back, especially right now in 2024. The exchange rate is pretty good, so it may be advantageous. For smaller items like boots and clothes, I like to pack that stuff in my carry-on so it ensures that it doesn't get lost. But it just Depends on how much you bring. I also always love to bring an extra little tote in my suitcase because of the shopping, right? So it's always good to have that extra little just-in-case overflow because it's cheaper sometimes as a second carry-on, but it's also cheaper sometimes checking a second piece of luggage rather than paying overweight. Again, that depends on the airlines. That's something that I like to stress. Some of the must-see equestrian destinations in Germany besides Marbach and Aachen are the Horse Museum in Verden, V-E-R-D-E-N. So das Pferd, P-F-E-R-D, is the horse. Das Pferdemuseum in Verden, that's a tongue twister, is absolutely fascinating for anybody who's interested in the history of horses. You don't even have to be an equestrian, but it really covers Everything from breeding to horse-related art, horse-drawn carriages. It is an absolute must. There's also the Hanoverian Stud in Celle that's deeply, deeply rooted in the history of German horse breeding. It produces some of the most beautiful Hanoveraner, Hanoverians. It's really just a gorgeous place to visit. And trails. You can go riding in the Black Forest or along the Rhine River. There's so many places that you can go. Trail riding, you know, for an hour or two. And of course, there's also the several-day riding trips where you can go from A to B to C and spend the night and the car brings your stuff. There's many of those. In fact, there's a great place called Wanderreiten, and I can put the link in the show notes. It's a place in the Schwäbische Alb. The girl Nadine, I actually had chatted with her. She is Amazing. She has some great horses and they do do hour-long rides, but they specialize in 2, 3, and 4-day rides. And you go to see castles. In fact, I'm building one of those rides into an upcoming trip next year to Germany. So if you want to go in a group, stay tuned. You can get on the email list. I'll link everything in the show notes so you can stay connected to what's happening soon. And of course, we want to combine some culture. So one of the greatest things about traveling to Germany as an equestrian is you can combine your love of horses with the incredible cultural experience that Germany has to offer. All the historic towns, castles, and of course the great food, right? So after a day spent at the barn or at an event, you want to take time to explore the local culture. For instance, if you're in Baden-Württemberg and you go to Marbach, which we did, Why not visit the town of Tübingen, which we did, with its half-timbered houses and the beautiful riverfront and such great food? Tübingen itself, even if it's not equestrian related, is a great place to visit. It is a university town and it is just so charming. And we had some great food when we were there. If you're up in Aachen, Tio Aachen, Aachen itself is packed with a lot of history. The cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Traveling as an equestrian doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the other incredible cultural, historical things that Germany has to offer. So those are some of my top travel tips for equestrians as well as non-equestrians, just horse lovers who are visiting Germany. Pack smart. Explore some must-see destinations, and really truly combine your equestrian passion with the rich cultural experiences, which is what Equestrian Journeys is about. Next year, we have 3 trips planned to Ireland, to Germany, and to France, northern Germany. So stay tuned. Whether you're planning to attend an event, a major event, and you're traveling on your own like CHIO Aachen, or just exploring the countryside, This will give you some good insights, and I have created a tool travel toolkit for Germany that I'm going to link in the show notes that goes a little deeper in all of this. Maybe something you're interested in, especially as you plan a trip to Germany on your own. Thanks for tuning in to today's episode of Equestrian Journeys. If you have any travel tips of your own or questions about equestrian travel in Germany, reach out to me on the website equestrianjourneys.com, and don't forget to subscribe for more travel and equestrian. And if you have any suggestions for future episodes, reach out to me either through the website or on social media. So until next time, keep your passion for horses and travel alive.