Teen Twins Advocate for Wild Horses Through Mustang Movie

Many 13-year-old girls love horses, but few become advocates for their welfare. For West Linn twins Abigail and Audrey Minch, their passion for horses has evolved into activism, gaining momentum as they engage more deeply with these majestic animals.

Thanks to their dedication and a little help from their mother, more people may learn about the plight ofmustangsthrough the documentary filmAmerican Mustang, screening in Portland next week.

Abigail and Audrey, seventh graders atRosemont Ridge Middle School, have been riding horses for four years. As part of their Bat Mitzvah, they beganvolunteeringwithOnce Upon a Rescue, a Sherwood-based organization that rescues horses from auctions, kill pens, and county seizures.

The twins also launched a small business calledPolished Ponies, selling handcrafted polo wraps and donating all proceeds to Once Upon a Rescue.

Their mother, Michelle Bombet Minch, discovered a Kickstarter campaign for a film addressing the removal of wild horses from their natural habitats. Executive producer Ellie Phipps Price explains that the film explores various management options for these horses, which are rounded up by theBureau of Land Managementand placed in holding pens.

Eventually, these horses may be auctioned for rescue or riding, or tragically sold for slaughter in Mexico and Canada. "They lose their families and freedom and get stockpiled at taxpayer expense," Phipps Price says. "Rounding them up and stockpiling them is a broken system."

Portland was chosen as a screening location by Kickstarter funders. Upon learning this, the twins reached out to the producers via Facebook, eager to assist in any way possible. "We didn't think it was really fair that themustangshad to be captured," Abigail says.

Abigail and Audrey now share alarming statistics: 35,000mustangsare in captivity, while only 20,000 remainin the wild. The land available for them to roam has decreased by 25 million acres since 1975.

The twins rallied their school principal to host an assembly with the producers, speaking to 720 students. "They have been our on-the-groundambassadorsextraordinaire," Phipps Price praises.

The producers will return next week for Q-and-A sessions at the film's April 18 opening. Abigail and Audrey have been promoting the film through social media and setting up information tables ateventslike a recent horse show in Washington.

The upcomingeventswill also feature a hands-on horsemanship demonstration with an Extreme Mustang Makeover horse by Stacey Riggs ofRiggs Trainingand wild horse photographer Mustang Meg.

The family hopes the film will educate viewers and inspire action. "We want people to go to the movie and open their eyes to what's happening basically in their backyard," Bombet Minch says. "The government needs to hear our voice and know that there are people who care and that there are other options rather than putting these horses in holding pens and sending them off to slaughter."

Meet-and-Greet Details:

Lake Oswego Hunt Club:6:30-8:30 p.m. tonight at the Lake Oswego Hunt Club, 2725 S.W. Iron Mountain Blvd. in Lake Oswego.

Abundant Life Church:6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday at the church, 17241 S.E. Hemrick Road in Damascus.

American Mustangwill open in Portland on April 18 and will be showing through April 24 at the Regal Fox Tower Stadium, 10846 S.W. Park Ave. in Portland. Tickets: $11.50-$15;purchase tickets here.

Originally Posted By Oregon Live