Soon we reach Robbesscheier. This is where the horses live and Charel Braquet works. “Prrrrr” - the stout horses come to a halt outside their stables. The modern, wooden-clad building melds perfectly with its pastoral setting. Charel Braquet expertly removes the harnesses before leading the horses to the rest of the herd. Time to relax.

“For the horses, at least,” he says with a grin. For Charel Braquet, the second part of the day begins. He is director of the workhorse centre at Robbesscheier, a nature adventure centre where children and families can explore the natural world through workshops.

Charel Braquet’s first stop? The paddock, of course. A glance is enough for him to know everyt­hing is alright. “If you spend a lot of time with horses you learn to understand them. Just as they see through us and our body language too. If I’m in a bad mood, they’ll know and behave accordingly. It prompts me to take a minute to cool off. Then I can go back to work feeling like a new person,” he says.

Next stop? The apiary. A group of apprentice beekeepers in ast­ronaut-like suits, led by apiarist Dana Ross, observe a comb full of worker bees. Suddenly, there’s excitement. “There! The queen!” a mini-beekeeper exclaims.

Charel Braquet grins. Here too, everything is going well. He con­tinues past the bunnies, goats and donkeys to the large vegeta­ble garden. Here he greets fellow horse-lover Romain Mores, the landscaper, and his son Simon, a Robbesscheier apprentice who wants to follow in his father’s footsteps.

The greenhouse is the home of tomatoes, cucumbers and chilis. Outside, red and white beets are almost ready for harvest. “This morning I already took carrots, zucchini and peas to the restaurant. You’ll probably find them on your plate in a minu­te,” says Romain winking at his colleague.

During lunch, Charel Braquet shares where his passion for Ardennes horses comes from. “My parents always had horses. I started horse riding when I was little but at some point, I didn’t like it anymore. Through my work with Robbesscheier I got to know about work horses. For me, working with these animals is genuine teamwork. It requires humility and a somewhat es­sentialist perspective. It’s much more gratifying than typical equestrianism,” he says.

The creation of the Robbesschei­er workhorse centre gave Charel Braquet a new purpose: educa­ting people about workhorses and reintroducing them into our lives.

Whether in tourism, forestry or landscape management, work­horses can be employed in many sectors. The biggest challenge is training people who prioritise animal welfare and work safety for both horses and humans.

After lunch, Charel Braquet prepares the Ardennes horses for the afternoon carriage rides. “During workshops visitors can help care for the horses. Chil­dren are often a little scared but I explain to them that they don’t need to be scared but they do need to respect the animals. I then suggest they simply hold their hand in front of the horse. When the horse lowers their head and sniffs the hand, something indescribable happens between them,” he explains, moved.

This is where he sees his work: “Children who grow up in the countryside have knowledge city kids don’t have. That’s where we come in!” he says and jumps into the carriage driver’s seat to lead a group of school kids on an adventure through the Munshausen greenery.

• “Um Knapphaff” is a family-owned agricultural business where children can and should pitch in. You can also host children’s birthday parties here.
• “A Schmatten” in Schut­trange is an educational farm that welcomes families and school kids alike. Learn about everything from bread baking to mucking out the stables. You’ll get a taste of country life both past and present.
• “A Mëchels” offers an insight into cattle breeding as well as three holiday flats. The speciality is the Wagyu cattle. They have a home here in the Our Nature Park in the north of the country.
• “An Neipéitsch” in Reim­berg is a modern milk farm with cows, calves, bunnies and ponies. Visitors learn about the milk production process and can also lend a hand.