Das Pferdemädchen (1979)

Twelve-year-old Irka and her mare Raya understand each other perfectly—literally, since the old horse can no longer see. Only the previous autumn, Irka’s father had bought the former competition horse from a stud farm near his small estate, and people laughed at him, since an old, blind horse is normally bought only by a knacker. Irka, however, lovingly cares for the mare and rides out with her, carefully going around and describing every stone and tree along the way. Despite her care, Raya’s condition worsens in the spring. She is sweating heavily, even though she is well-fed. The old horse expert Möller finally realizes why: Raya is pregnant. On a stormy night, the mare gives birth to a foal, but won’t let the little colt nurse. Only after staying awake all night do Irka and her father manage to bring mare and colt together. The nighttime effort and the fear for the newborn foal have brought Irka close to the young animal. The girl now devotes more and more time to the colt, training him and teaching him tricks. Her father has promised to keep both animals, and although the little colt is too high-spirited for the blind Raya, the family keeps finding ways to give both animals a suitable life alongside each other. Only the old Möller bluntly points out that Irka’s family cannot possibly keep both animals together. Once grown, the colt would become unpredictable, and Irka’s father is no horse expert. Besides, the two animals cannot be kept in the same stall, so Irka’s father would have to build a new stable. Her father has known these facts for a long time, but hasn’t yet had the courage to tell Irka. He evades her questions, but one day Irka sees him negotiating over the foal with workers from the nearby stud farm. Nevertheless, he leaves Irka with a choice: either the family keeps the foal or the mare. When Irka learns from Möller that Raya would be taken to the slaughterhouse if she were sold, she flees into the forest with the mare and foal, but her father finds her. The next day, the foal is taken away. Irka is left with the blind mare, whom she takes riding again, telling her about every cluster of stones and every tree along the path.