Katharina Freytag
We first met Katharina a few years ago at spogahorse in Cologne and have stayed in touch ever since via social media. On her social media channels, Katharina shares stories about life with her horses in the garden right next to her house, and she’s training her dressage horse, Django, all the way up to the M-level herself. We love her daily, down-to-earth glimpses into her life with the horses and are really happy that she is finally part of our partner team! ♥︎
Photo credit (from left to right): private
What am I reporting on my account:
It all started in 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown boredom during my first pregnancy. Back then, one of my TikTok videos featuring our horses at home suddenly went viral, and I began sharing glimpses - big and small -of our daily life. Then, in late 2022, a video went viral on Instagram as well, bringing my otherwise private account nearly 20,000 new followers overnight.
Since then, I’ve been sharing our life - from the horse stable to our daily family routine - with my community almost every day.
I quickly realized that when you keep horses at home on your own, you’re often “on your own.” That’s why I kept asking for tips and tricks on horse care on Instagram - and learned an incredible amount from my community. Now I really enjoy sharing these ideas and experiences with others: whether it’s bedding tests, new open-stall concepts, or practical pasture fence hacks. Many of these tips actually come from conversations with my followers.
For me, it's about:
- Real life with horses at home – the wonderful bond we share, but also all the hard work that goes into it
- Balancing horses and children
- My horse Django, who - despite a medical finding - will soon be competing in his first M-level dressage competition with me - as a dressage horse kept in an open stable
- The upcoming training of my young horse Dumbo
- Shetland pony content with our Sunny :)
Sometimes Grandpa Lothi, Grandma Anni, or my husband wave at the camera, too. We all live together in my parents’ house, which my grandpa built almost 70 years ago.
How did I come to horses / what is my "equine" career:
I come from a family of horse lovers - almost everyone in our family rides. I learned to ride from a young age from my parents and my grandmother: my dad was a show jumper, and my mom was a dressage rider. We always bought our horses young and trained them ourselves.
Back then, I actually had the chance to join a training squad. But to be honest, something else was more important to me: long rides and just spending time with my horses and friends.
Back in the early 2000s, I tried riding with a “neck ring” (a knotted rope). My favorite thing was hanging out with our “Biester Buschkinder” - that’s what our little group of horse-loving girls was called back then.
While I was in college, I rode my cousins’ and my mother’s horses and ponies until I was given Django as a gift in 2017. During my pregnancies, he showed me that, in addition to riding, there are other activities like groundwork that are incredibly fun.
My absolute favorite horse:
Django <3
My most beautiful experience in connection with the horses:
There are really so many: rides to Neuwerk, vacations in the Lüneburg Heath, competitions with my parents, group rides with my friends and my dad, my first competition and first ribbon with Django, and the 2023 district championships with Django.
But the absolute highlight: the moment when the horses galloped across our meadow here at the house for the first time
What is important to me in dealing, keeping and training with the horse:
Plenty of exercise in an open stable, plenty of good-quality feed, and fair but consistent training.
Life motto:
Sometimes it’s better to eat pasta than to worry :)
Personal tip for our followers:
Social media shows only tiny snippets of life, not the whole picture.
Greatest strength:
My best friend says: Empathy and optimism
Biggest weakness:
Chocolate (!!), Forgetfulness / Clumsiness, Making Decisions
Favorite Bense & Eicke product:
Sticky wax for boots for a smooth stride
Bense & Eicke products that you can't do without in your daily stable routine:
StarFinish, Natural Hoofoil in the brush bottle
Product from the equestrian sport, which I always have there or love to use:
My Brockamp-Pad
Compensatory sports and other hobbies:
YouTube Yoga and Dressage Fitness, Photography (Weddings, Horses, and Families)
Favorite food:
Pasta with Pesto, Nuts, and Dates
Favorite vacation destination:
I like being at home best :)
What would I take with me to a desert island?
My family and the animals