Hoppe-Stall stable

Built in 1987, the Hoppe-Stall stable is a typical GDR-era stable building. It became necessary as the broodmare herd increased in size in order to breed riding horses for lucrative export to the west. To blend the exterior of the stable in with the historic construction of the rest of the ensemble, Heinz Hoppe, the Stud Director at the time, organised the brick frontage and the window frames.

The Hoppe-Stall stable is a large barn without separate stalls that the horses all share together. But each horse has its own set place to eat. To make sure there are no disagreements at feeding times, the horses are tied to their feeding sections. Each is labelled by a stable board, which states the horse’s name as well as its date of birth and lineage.

The horse walker is located opposite the Hoppe-Stall stable. This warms the horses up before they move to the paddock, offering them a change of scenery as well as additional exercise. The walker’s speed is adjustable, and it allows the horses to freely move around in circles as the direction changes regularly. The horse walker obviously does not replace daily movement on the paddock or regular riding and lunging.