His healing hands were big as frying pans:the East Frisian Tamme Hanken, who died five years ago, was a horse chiropractor - and a North German original. His fans knew him as "XXL East Frisian" and "Bone Crusher".
Tamme Hanken was a real guy and he attracted attention - no wonder considering his stately height of 2.06 meters and 160 kilograms of body weight. In the East Frisian town of Filsum, the equine chiropractor, who died on October 10, 2016 at the age of 56, ran a rehabilitation center for sick and injured animals. Because of his skills, the "Bone Crusher" became known far beyond the region. His knowledge of horses was even in demand among the English royal family and Arab sheikhs. From 2008, the NDR audience also got to know Hanken as "XXL-Ostfriesen". In the program of the same name, the giant gave an insight into how and where he heals with his hands.
Equine Chiropractor Hanken:Feel, See and Hear
Horses were Tamme Hanken's great passion, but other animal patients also came to him for treatment. With his hands the size of frying pans he could almost feel the nerves of a sick animal. To do this, he used unconventional methods:for example, he tested reflexes with a beer opener. But he watched and listened carefully. With just hearing, Tamme Hanken could tell which leg was lame from a horse's gait. In an interview, Hanken told NDR:"It's just fun for me to bend a bull or a hamster and get the same results".
Tamme Hanken:"Animals are more honest"
Tamme Hanken inherited his ability to heal with his hands from his grandfather. "When I touch something, pictures come up. I scan and I feel. Temperature, smell. Look, feel. That's the art of breaking bones," he described the art of healing. But of course he also needed a lot of instinct and a certain talent for this job. Almost every Saturday he organized a day of grief on his farm. Whether horses, dogs, cats or goats - Hanken tried to help everyone. People also came to his practice - not infrequently because of poor posture. But working with animals became more and more fun for Hanken. His reasoning:"Because animals are more honest."
For many pet owners, the gentle giant was the last hope. They came to his farm from all over Europe so that he could get lame horses galloping again. But Hanken also traveled the world himself to help and heal. He even visited patients in the US, Australia and Mongolia. The Horse Whisperer has touched people all over the world.
Widow Carmen Hanken continues to run the Hankenhof
On October 10, 2016, Tamme Hanken, known as "XXL-Ostfriese" and "Bonebreaker", died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Tamme Hanken's widow Carmen, who continues to run the Hankenhof, continues to let people participate in life at the Hankenhof via her Facebook page. "Now I'm grateful that the Hankenhof can continue to be my home and that of our animals," wrote Carmen Hanken on the anniversary of her husband's death. "That I can live here and continue to do my/our work - helping the animals."