Thousands of people have flocked to the northeastern German city of Dülmen for an annual equine spectacle: wild horse wrangling, German-style.
Image: Reuters/L. Kuegeler
Advertisement
Wild horse wrangling attracts thousands of visitors in northeastern Germany
A wild horse round-up spectacle is Germany's decisive answer to the American rodeo.
Image: Reuters/L. Kuegeler
Europe's last remaining wild horses
The town of Dülmen, located in the Teutoburg forest, is well-known for its equine tradition. The horses here are known as the Dülmen pony - a prized breed and also Europe's last remaining wild horses. The animals are left to themselves most of the year across the 360-hectare site at Merfelder Bruch.
Image: picture-alliance/firo/J. Fromme
111 years of tradition
The equine event attracts about 15,000 visitors each year. Dating back to 1907, the round-up is intended to help manage numbers, while the auctioning of the animals is meant to finance their upkeep The breed of wild horses found in Dülmen is said to be easily domesticated.
Image: Reuters/L. Kuegeler
Community gathering
Local farmers take the day off to participate as horse wranglers. Their first task is to separate the mares from the stallions. The youngest male horses are then led to the next stage of the event, where they are rounded up and chased around, while those that are caught are sold at auction later on.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Kurek
Cowboys and horses
The wild horses at Merfelder Bruch are caught by hand, using a humane technique taught by veterinarians. In the past, the horses used to be pulled down by their necks - a practice, which was criticized by animal rights advocates. The trapping of the animals helps with preservation efforts, not only by managing numbers but also by limiting inbreeding.
Image: Reuters/L. Kuegeler
An outing for all
The annual event in Dülmen isn't only about the wild horses. Other animals occasionally get to feature as well. This year, a man performed this entertaining stunt with his dogs. And of course, there's also the usual summer festival atmosphere with sausages, fries and lots of beer.
Image: Reuters/L. Kuegeler
5 images1 | 5
Horse lovers from across Germany and beyond gathered at the Merfelder Bruch nature conservation area near Dülmen each May to be part of the popular wild horse wrangling festival. It's a spectacle like no other in Germany: several hundred non-domesticated horses roam through the vast arena, kicking up sand and dust while the wranglers get to catch the animals. Those that are captured are auctioned off later.
The annual round-up is a crowd-pleaser as much as it is an exercise in animal conservation: Rudolf Herzog von Croy, the owner of 360-hectare ranch where the horses roam, explains that without the spectacle there would be too many equines on his land, which would exacerbate rivalries, especially among males.
In 2017, about 10 percent of the 400 wild horses were rounded up and auctioned off. The returns from the auction helps with the ongoing preservation of the team of wild horses.
