A horse who has spent the last two years plodding the land at Happy Heart Acres rescue farm in Scappoose will soon be galloping in the fields of Germany, having been adopted by a nonprofit called American Mustang Germany.
“Lil’ Buck” is a three-and-a-half-year-old Roan Mustang gelding who has been raised by Happy Heart Acres and “Chief Executive Wrangler” JJ Duehren since he was one year old.
“When we rescue these animals, especially the mustangs, if we can get them pretty young, a lot of them are born in [Bureau of Land Management (BLM)] corrals, we get them out of a bad situation,” Duehren said. “We get young, 6-month or year-old animals, and then we just let them be horses for a few years. They get to hang out in a herd; they get training. For us, as a rescue, we really want to make sure those horses are as safe as possible and as good of a family as possible.”
Duehren said that Happy Heart Acres has adopted out 20 to 30 horses over the past ten years but that over 56,000 mustangs are held in BLM holding facilities throughout the U.S., and without a caring adopter or rescue, it can be “a pretty grim existence for animals who roamed free on the range.”
One recent trend Duehren has noticed is that there is a demand for the iconic American Stallion in Germany. Duehren finds it fascinating that a country that is a “consistent leader” in Olympic Dressage with “well-bred horses costing tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars” has developed a fascination with mustangs.
“There is something about America’s hardy mustangs that has captured the hearts and souls of these German Equestrians,” Duehren said.
According to Duehren, horse lovers from Germany can spend up to $15,000 for purchase and transport to a quarantine area where horses stay for six weeks and are flown in a jumbo jet to Germany to connect with their new adopter.
For Duehren, the most rewarding part of the process is helping animals that otherwise would have a low quality of life. Duehren explained what it means to care for a horse and why the transition is important.
“Being able to unite them with people who are passionate about horses, who are well-vetted, and who can really provide these animals with a high quality of life and a partnership for horsemanship,” Duehren said.
Lil’ Buck will be making his journey at the end of this week, and Duehren is excited for him and his new owners. She wants people to know that if they are interested in adopting a Mustang, they should pursue it; Duehren said it is amazing to own and care for these free-spirited animals.
Visit the BLM Wild Horse site at https://www.blm.gov/whb .
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