AMSTERDAM'S LIVE HORSE MUSEUM: MANEGE

Thank you to Justus Valk for his permission to use this photo on my blog.

The Enterance

If you thought Amsterdam was all about the red light district and cannabis coffee shops you might be surprised to learn about The Hollandsche Manege, live horse museum, right in the heart of the city.

I had always hoped to rent a car in Amsterdam and drive north through Friesland to explore the area where the beautiful Friesian horse comes from, then perhaps hop across to Copenhagen.  On my latest trip to Amsterdam there wasn't time but I was fortunate enough to get my horsie fix by visiting the Manege.  The English translation of manege seems to be, the drill hall in a riding school, or Carousel in French.  I took the 1 tram from Central Station on what was to be the hottest day of the year thus far.  I think it reached 70 degrees and people were out all over the canals and sites.
Near a huge park, the Vodelpark on Vondelstraat,  in a nice neighborhood was the elegant entrance I would never have taken to be a stable.  Manege is actually the oldest inner city riding school in Europe and the oldest riding school in the Netherlands.  I hadn't imagined it possible to ride but had I planned better I could have. For insurance purposes you have to first take a private lesson before you can join in a group.  Since it was a Saturday and I hadn't made an appointment in advance they couldn't fit me in.  Next time I'll be prepared because it is rare that an experienced rider finds a suitable place with good horses to enjoy while traveling.
The staff where very nice and accommodating.  They let me watch lessons and training sessions, hangout in the balcony bar above the arena and go back into the stable area.  I took lots of pictures unfortunately the new sports venue approved camera with it's fixed lens doesn't handle chiaroscuro light very well and wasn't fast enough for the indoor arena or the barn.

The building is the main character in the story as it was inspired, of course, by the famous Vienna Spanish School of Riding (another bucket list must see) and built in 1882.  There was an original school dating back to 1744 but it was demolished in 1881. The current structure, in the style of the renaissance, was designed and finished in 1882 by A. L. Van Gendt, who also designed the roof of the Central Station in Amsterdam.
Natural light floods the Manege arena through a glass roof resting on cast-iron columns.  An impressive staircase winds to the viewing balcony at one end of the arena and has a long entertaining hall behind glass doors with a bar at one end.  The Manege host weddings, children's parties, workshops and other events to help with preservation costs as it was extensively restored and reopened in 1986.  What a wonderful save I was so lucky to find.  It would have been tragic to lose this establishment to demolition as had been threatened.

The staircase

Part of the art collection

My ticket entitled me to a free coffee or tea in the bar where I met a group of ladies all in jodhpurs and dressage boots.  They were in their 50's (my age) or 60's and some kept their own horses at Manege.  They were drinking espresso after riding and one told me about her competition level horse, Action Boy, who I met in the barn later.  He was friendly and wanted to eat my camera.  Another was an instructor who told me the horses all go for a two week spell soon on a farm in the country as they do every year.  I asked if they ever rode in the park nearby but they said their were too many fighting breed dogs now days.  I checked out the park on my way home and it was far too busy for horses.  Though, they do sometimes van them to the beach or the forest to ride.

How civilized I thought and how much I would love to have a riding school like that near me.  I would go every week for a lesson or two; contact with horses is very healing and for some of us better than a trip to a spa.

The bar

Above the bar

The entertaining hall in the bar set up for a children's party

The viewing balcony

A children's lesson

A proud dad

On the viewing balcony were more tables and parents drank coffee and watched their children having riding lessons.  Then, a single horse and rider of great skill and experience came into the arena alone to train and I studied the perfection of a master horseman.  Later in the stables he let me take photos of the horse he said was named, Finn Mac Cool, and he graciously let me have a picture with his beloved Finn.  I have now leaned that the rider was Justus Valk, an international eventing competitor.  I bought a calendar in the gift shop because of an incredible photo on it of a horse jumping over another horse.  The rider was Justus and gave me permission to scan the picture for my blog.

Justus Valk, international eventer.

Justus and Finn Mac Cool

Me and Finn Mac Cool

The horses were mostly big Dutch Warmbloods with magnificent top-lines and graceful movement that could bring me to tears; balance, elegance, discipline and the riders still, their aids unseen.  Oh, I wanted a lesson like that in the worst way, a classical riding lesson at a European School on a KWPN as they are known (the warmblood stud book), a Dutch Royal Sports Horse.  I am so going back with boots and jodies and a reservation.

Thirty-five horses and fifteen ponies are stabled at Manege.  Most of the horses are from the KWPN warmblood crossbred studbook.  A breed developed from the Gelderlander Horse Studbook in the south and Groningin Breed in the north, mixed with some thoroughbred to refine them, and there you have the perfect hippic (equestrian sports horse--that's my new word, I hope I got it right).  They excel at dressage and show jumping and the striking thing about them to me is their long neck, elegant high carriage with a deep bow and neat short back.  They apparently have calm temperaments also, strict breed standards discourage the breeding of roughs.  KWPN is the acronym for the breed society in the Netherlands where the horses are bred, Koninklijk Warmbloed Paard Nederland.

Nelson

Carriage Horses in the court yard watching the neighbors

One very large cheeky horse named Irish Blue was the first Irish Warmblood I've ever encountered.  He had the biggest head I've seen on a horse and was trying to steal treats out of a bag on the stall door.  He was mouthy and amazing but way too much horse for me.  I take it the breed is Irish Draft crossed with thoroughbred.  I like my horses closer to the ground and not quite that strong these days, thoroughbred racehorses have humbled me.



Irish Blue

Riders Up

A group class taught by Vincent Valk, Justus Valk's father and owner of Manege.

Viewing balcony above arena

Royal Box above entrance to arena

In the barn I found a Tobiano too, that's my new word for Pinto. You never stop learning about horses and I love discovering breeds in different countries.  I've ridden an Andalusian in Majorca, Spain, a Gypsy Cob at Lochness in Scotland and of course Quarter horses in Colorado, all great breeds to add to the list.  I used to school a Hanoverian in California years ago, and I admire the toughness of the Argentinian Polo Pony, the Criollo.  The best horse I ever had was a Palomino, a color not a breed.  It is probably the same coloring that attracts me to Haflingers.  My first pony was a Welsh Mountain Pony, a beautiful taffy: liver chestnut with a cream mane and tail and a white blaze with two white socks, every little girl's dream.  She was a real Steinbeck's Red Pony, that's what hooked me forever.
Two other horsie musts if you are in Europe or England are: The Harness Museum in the stable building at King Ludwig's Nymphenburg Palace in Munich and The Queen's Stable at Buckingham Palace where you can see all of her carriages.  I'd love to hear of any others so please send me your special finds and check out the Manege at: www.dehollandschemanege.nl  And, like them on face book at: vondelcarrousel

Pricilla, the children's instructor

Court yard

Pony stalls

Inside main entrance.