Merfeld, Wildpferdefang -- 2014 -- 0639

About this work

Herd in the Wildpferdebahn (Wildpferdefang 2014), Merfelder Bruch, Dülmen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany The capture of wild horses in Merfelder Bruch is a centuries-old tradition in the Münsterland region and is closely linked to the so-called Dülmen wild horses. The history of wild horses in Merfelder Bruch probably dates back to the Middle Ages. Written records of wild horses in this region can be found from the 14th and 15th centuries. For centuries, the animals lived largely undisturbed in the heath, moor, and forest landscapes of the area. Since the 19th century, the area and the herd have been owned by the noble family of the Duke of Croÿ, who still cares for the horses today. The so-called wild horse capture developed out of the need to regulate the size of the herd. Therefore, once a year – traditionally on the last Saturday in May – the one-year-old stallions are captured from the herd. These young stallions would cause rivalries as they grew older and disrupt the social structure of the herd. The capture itself is a spectacular event: in a large arena, the yearling stallions are caught individually by hand. Despite the tourist interest, animal welfare is the main…