On a reserve about 25 miles north of Germany’s industrial heartland, a single wild herd of horses roams. The small equines, which stand only about 13-14 hands tall (52-56 inches), are an ancient breed known as the Duelmen (or Dülmen). They are left undisturbed to forage for food all year—except for one day in late May. Then wranglers come to corral the animals and catch the herd’s yearling stallions.
The Duelmen are sometimes referred to as horses and other times as ponies, due to their small size and stocky build. Their home, the Merfelder Bruch reserve at Duelmen in western Germany, lies north of the densely populated Ruhr industrial region. It is the last of what were once many places where wild horses could roam in the area known as Westphalia. Documents mention wild horses there as far back as 1316.
As lands were divided for human use and occupation, the herds lost much of their natural habitat. In 1850, Alfred, Duke of Croy, established the reserve. His act almost certainly preserved the breed from extinction. According to local authorities, the Merfelder site is the only wild horse reserve on the European continent.
Today, around 400 horses live in a roughly 1.35-square-mile area. Trees and bushes are their only shelter. It may sound harsh, but those living conditions have made the Duelmen breed particularly robust. The strongest animals survive to reproduce. Only during heavy frost or snow is hay provided for them.
In fact, as a rule, humans intervene only once yearly: Wranglers come to catch the young stallions by hand on the last Saturday each May. Like the Chincoteague Pony Penning in the United States, the Duelmen roundup draws horse-loving spectators. This year, about 15,000 came to watch volunteers separate out the one-year-old stallions. The yearlings are sold at auction that weekend. This year, 36 young males were caught and sold.
The roundup is the best way to manage the herd while allowing it to remain wild. Removing the yearling stallions keeps the herd at a sustainable size. Choosing which stallions remain is key to warding off inbreeding—which can weaken a species. Removing males also reduces territorial fighting that can occur as stallions compete to lead the herd.
Those that are sold find welcoming homes. In captivity, the breed is known to be good-natured, docile, strong, and teachable. They’re excellent children’s steeds for riding as well as harness horses for pulling carts and working farmland.
