November 2024
Helmut Stütz,
my great mentor and extraordinary horseman, has left us forever. Exactly one week ago, and I am only now finding the words.
During a break after training with horse and rider at friends’ place, he lay down to rest briefly and never woke up again. A great book of life has closed, filled to the brim with more than seven decades of profound equestrian experience, anecdotes, stories, and dramas. That’s how I knew him: a walking encyclopaedia of hippology, a first-hand witness to the equestrian world of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. From now on, we can no longer leaf through these pages, nor seek his advice.
To me, Helmut was the epitome of a horseman – with every fiber of his being. And the horses loved him; I was privileged to witness it – again and again. I was touched and fascinated – again and again.
Balanced, healthy, content, attentive, in peak physical shape, curious, and often remarkably old because of his care – that was Helmut’s horses. All of them. This always left me deeply impressed. That’s how I wanted it to be for me as well.
What connected us soon went far beyond friendship. He let me partake in all his knowledge and experience without reservation. At first, I almost didn’t understand it – on the surface, he seemed to focus on training horses only in a very sportive manner.
But I soon discovered the depth of knowledge behind his work. Hours, days, and weeks we spent training horses together, discussing, debating – and yes, sometimes arguing, as we didn’t always understand each other immediately. Over the years, Helmut patiently demonstrated to me how horses could be trained to reveal their true beauty. He indirectly, yet no less poignantly, taught me that knowledge without skill is worthless, and skill without knowledge is just as meaningless. It took me years to grasp not just what was visible and tangible in his work but to truly understand its essence.
Helmut taught me that kindness toward horses is more than just a virtue. When you take a horse by the hand, you take on responsibility – for the horse, but also for yourself. It demands reflection, self-awareness, and growth in your own abilities. Through his daily work with horses, he gave me so much fulfillment, because he ultimately showed me that what is good is beautiful, and what is beautiful is good.
And the horses, they are so grateful for that.
I am so grateful for that.
Helmut will remain not just in my mind but, above all, deeply in my heart as my role model and guide in the work with horses. For as important as skills are, it is ultimately the soul that shows the true way – the good and just way for the horses.
Dear Helmut, your life had great value on so many levels. Until your last hour, you were able to stay in your element. It hurts; we are shaken and grieving.
But we will see each other again. It can’t be any other way. And there will be horses.
