horse blessing – Travels With Tricia

A Bavarian Horse-Blessing Ceremony

A man rides a horse with an elaborately-decorated mane, in a German village.

As we walked from the town of Oberammergau to the village of Unterammergau, Germany, numerous horses trotted past us. The animals’ beautifully decorated manes and tails blew in the late autumn breeze. Not to be outdone by the animals’ distinguished appearances, the horse owners also sported fine Bavarian attire. Men wore grey woolen jackets finishedContinue reading “A Bavarian Horse-Blessing Ceremony”

Tails from a German Horse-Blessing Ceremony

During the last weekend of every October, the village of Unterammergau, Germany honors St. Leonhard, the patron saint of agricultural animals. The event begins with a horse procession through this village of 1,500 people. It culminates in an open-air church service, during which more than one hundred horses are blessed. Unterammergau is the neighboring villageContinue reading “Tails from a German Horse-Blessing Ceremony”