Three horses, called Arrow, Pina and Terry, are peacefully enjoying their retirement at a farm in Germany that allows animals to grow old without fear of slaughter.
The horses just moved to the historic farm, founded in 1725 and now being managed by the 10th generation of farmers – vegans Philipp and Verena Kienle, in southern Germany.
The horses are now getting to know their new neighbour Rudi, a pot-bellied pig who is also enjoying freedom at the site in the village of Sigmaringen.
“The animals don’t need mercy, they should simply continue to live,” he says, explaining why he called the farm “Lebenshof,” meaning life farm, rather than “mercy farm,” say. His farm’s full name is “Lebenshof Farmony.”
Other residents include several cows, taken on from a dairy farm that shut down, according to Philipp Kienle, who works full-time in a nearby metal foundry.
Farmers in the industry are struggling financially, says Kienle, a former cattle farmer himself.
“Dairy cattle farming became increasingly unprofitable due to the high animal husbandry standards that farmers are required to meet. The quality standards were getting higher and higher, plus the rising energy costs. It was just unprofitable at some point. I decided, I don’t want to do this on a voluntary basis, we’ll stop dairy farming’.”
Farmers throughout Europe are facing growing challenges as consumers seek reassurance about animal welfare and demand higher standards for animal care.
On top of that, the market for their products is challenging, as consumers have a growing preference for dairy alternatives with many switching away from diets that include a lot of meat and milk products.
These trends, coupled with regulatory burdens, see incomes falling on farms and have led to violent protests in many countries including Germany and the Netherlands, as farmers seek support from governments and a reduction in what they view as cumbersome bureaucracy.
The European Commission has sought to placate farmers by partially easing some demands and offered to clarify laws about natural disasters such as floods and droughts to help farmers access funding more easily.
Overall, Kienle finds the system deeply flawed. In today’s farming practices, animals are treated more like products or machines that must perform. When they can no longer do so, they are simply discarded, he explains.
“First they give you plenty of milk, and then they go to the abattoir and are slaughtered,” says Verena Kienle. She persuaded her husband not to give away all their cows, but to take in other animals, as well as continuing the farm as an animal-free enterprise, running it for its meadows.
They were helped by a non-profit organization TransFARMation Germany, which supports farms who seek to try out animal-free farming.
The couple also launched a fundraising campaign for their farm on their website.
Verena Kienle wrote, “It is our wish to see our cattle happy and to show as many people as possible how valuable an animal’s life is and that so-called farm animals have the same souls as pets. We want our farm to set an example and show both within our industry and to consumers that animal-based food is always associated with suffering.”
They plan to use donations to fund minor renovations and to purchase items like accessible toilets, a peeling machine, and a pigeon coop.
They aren’t seeking vast sums for their two-hectare farm, which, along with 40 hectares of meadows and fields, supports their mission.
The Kienles also have a new idea to boost income: partnering with a Berlin company to host tiny rental houses for holidaymakers on some of their land.
They hope this venture will attract more visitors to their sanctuary for retired animals—and perhaps even inspire a broader trend.
