At the invitation of Regine Sixt, Ukrainian refugee children and their mothers visited the “Pferd International” horse fair in Munich on Friday, May 27th. It was a welcome change for the children and also for the mothers. The day began with a tour of the exhibition grounds, followed by a show program Equestrian sport is not as widespread in Ukraine as it is in Germany. So many questions came up, also about the many different horse breeds that could be admired on site.

During the show program, the children and mothers got an overview of the diverse tasks in equestrian sports and the use of horses today. Everyone was enthusiastic about the skills of the riders and horses, but also about the surprising appearance of a shepherd with his border collie.

After the show program, all the children were allowed to get to know the horses better and pet them. For many it was their first time getting so close to a horse, but in the end everyone braved it and enjoyed the experience. After these first approaches, there was also the opportunity to go horseback riding. The initial reluctance quickly gave way to the joy of sitting on a horse for the first time. The children returned to their mothers with beaming faces.

The day was rounded off with a meal together, where the children talked about their first riding experiences and the mothers got to know the work of the Regine Sixt Children's Aid Foundation in discussions with children's aid workers. As a farewell, there was a big and heartfelt thank you to Regine Sixt for the beautiful day, which the children will look back on fondly.