We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

In our previous post, we discussed the ongoing — and in many cases detrimental — changes occurring across Alberta’s foothills. As these changes continue, they are having a significant impact not only on the landscape itself, but also on the wildlife that call these lands home.

I have personally traveled these foothills since the late 1950s and have witnessed the enormous environmental changes that have taken place over the decades. One of the most troubling developments has been the dramatic decline in wildlife populations across their native ranges, largely due to the destruction and fragmentation of natural habitat.

Despite this, government officials within Rangeland Management and Fish and Wildlife — along with certain wild horse opponents— continue to argue that horses, rather than habitat loss, are responsible for the damage. However, during the Alberta Mountain Horse survey flight with Darrell Glover, I observed firsthand the extensive clear-cutting occurring in some of the most remote valleys. In one particular area I know well, the land was once home to wolverines — a species already at risk due to habitat loss. Yet, the minister responsible has suggested killing some in order to better assess their population status. This approach is difficult to understand, especially when habitat destruction continues at such a large scale.

It is encouraging to see that other individuals and organizations share the view that habitat loss — not wild horses — is the primary driver behind the decline of our wildlife and fish populations. An article from Let’s Go Outdoors Alberta clearly outlines how the loss of habitat is eroding the environmental treasures that make our province so unique. It is also encouraging to see a strong environmental advocate like Kevin Van Tighem agreeing with this viewpoint

Here is the post from their Facebook post. We thank them for allowing us to share this with you.

“We Don’t Have a Wildlife Problem. We Have a Habitat Problem”

“In Alberta, when wildlife numbers drop, we tend to look at the animal first.

• Too many wolves.
• Too many bears.
• Too few caribou.
• Declining trout.
• Struggling mule deer.

We debate seasons. We debate tags. We debate predator control. We debate allocations.

But we rarely ask the more uncomfortable question:

What’s happening to the land beneath them?

After decades of covering wildlife stories across this province — from the northern boreal forest to foothill cutblocks to prairie coulees — one pattern is impossible to ignore. When habitat is intact, wildlife finds a way. When habitat is fragmented, pressured, or degraded, no regulation can fully compensate.

• Caribou are not disappearing because they forgot how to be caribou.
• Bull trout are not declining because they lost the instinct to spawn.
• Grassland birds are not vanishing because they suddenly became less resilient.

They are responding — exactly as biology predicts — to landscape change.

The science is clear that linear disturbance now defines much of Alberta’s working landscape. Seismic lines, roads, pipelines, transmission corridors, recreational trails. Each on its own may appear modest. Together, they carve the land into pieces. Predators follow them. Humans access once-remote spaces. Water crossings multiply. Sediment reaches spawning beds.

And then we wonder why numbers shift.

This is not an argument against development. Alberta is a working province. It always has been. Forestry, energy, agriculture, recreation — these industries support families and communities. Access to the outdoors matters. So does economic stability.

But pretending that wildlife management exists in a vacuum — separate from land use — is no longer credible.

• You cannot manage your way out of habitat loss.
• You can adjust quotas.
• You can extend seasons.
• You can implement predator control.
• You can stock fish.

But if calving grounds are fragmented, if riparian zones are trampled, if migration corridors are narrowed to bottlenecks, the math eventually catches up. Science has been consistent on this point. Habitat amount and habitat connectivity are the strongest predictors of long-term wildlife persistence. Not politics. Not slogans. Not short-term population spikes.

And here is the deeper challenge: habitat loss rarely happens dramatically. It happens incrementally. A road here. A trail there. A small policy shift. A budget trimmed. Monitoring delayed. Enforcement stretched thin. Nothing catastrophic in a single year. But over a decade? Over twenty?

The landscape tells the story.

If Alberta wants healthy wildlife populations — the kind hunters, anglers, outfitters, photographers, and families rely on — the conversation must expand beyond species management. It must include serious, measurable commitments to habitat protection, restoration, and enforcement.

That means:

• Funding biologists and field officers adequately.
• Supporting meaningful reclamation of legacy seismic lines.Designing recreation infrastructure with ecological limits in mind.
• Protecting intact watersheds before they become restoration projects.

It also means honesty. We cannot champion unlimited access and pristine ecosystems simultaneously without acknowledging trade-offs. Stewardship is not a marketing phrase. It is a set of decisions.

Wildlife in Alberta are remarkably resilient. They have adapted to fire cycles, harsh winters, drought, and predation for millennia. What they struggle with is speed — the speed of industrial expansion, recreational growth, and cumulative disturbance.

If we truly care about wildlife, the solution is not louder debates about predators or tags.

It is quieter, more disciplined conversations about land.

Because in the end, we don’t have a wildlife problem.

We have a habitat problem.”

So quit blaming the Alberta Mountain Horses!

We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

The Alberta foothills have long been known as wild horse country — vast, rugged, and resilient. But after spending three days in the air participating in an aerial horse count across the Sundre and Clearwater equine zones, one thing became abundantly clear: this landscape is changing, and it’s changing fast.

Aerial Insights: Counting Alberta’s Mountain Horses

Recently, I had the opportunity to assist in an aerial Alberta Mountain Horse count conducted by HAWS. Flying south-to-north grid patterns by helicopter over the Sundre and Clearwater zones, we surveyed the land under excellent conditions — solid snow cover, clear visibility, and warm temperatures.

Though officially referred to as a “minimum count,” the tight grid pattern, slow speeds, and low altitudes made it unlikely that many horses were missed. Against the snow, even horses partially sheltered by trees stood out clearly.

The results:

• Sundre Zone: 1,013 horses across 544,898 acres
• Clearwater Zone: 195 horses across 515,911 acres

That works out to approximately:

• 1 horse per 530 acres in Sundre
• 1 horse per 2,645 acres in Clearwater

While these numbers are higher than previous years, the increase appears tied to thorough coverage rather than a population explosion.

A Question of Balance

Now consider this comparison:

During grazing season, Alberta’s Rangeland Management Department permits:

• 7,285 cattle in the Sundre area
• 2,255 cattle in Clearwater

Measured in Animal Unit Months (AUMs), the scale of cattle presence dwarfs that of the wild horses. In parts of northern Sundre — where natural open valleys and meadows are nearly nonexistent — cattle graze primarily along manmade corridors such as pipeline and power line clearings.

This raises an important question: if habitat pressure is a concern, why does scrutiny fall so heavily on wild horses?

A Landscape Transformed by Logging

What struck me most from the air wasn’t the number of horses — it was the scale of clearcut logging.

In the northern Sundre zone, east of the Forestry Trunk Road, very little old-growth forest remains. Vast tracts have been harvested and replanted. While companies like West Fraser deserve credit for thorough cleanup after logging operations, the replanting often results in monoculture forests — uniform stands lacking the biodiversity of the original ecosystem.

In contrast, practices by Spray Lakes Sawmill show a different standard of site restoration.

Even as we conducted the horse count, active clearcutting was underway in areas of mature forest still standing. West of the Forestry Trunk Road, logging now extends deep into previously remote valleys such as Limestone and Cutoff Creek. Areas once considered untouched winter refuge are now threaded with new roads and heavy machinery.

It is difficult not to feel a sense of loss witnessing this transformation from above.

Wildlife Displacement: The Silent Impact

In recently logged regions of northern Sundre, wild horses have migrated east and south to avoid disturbance and noise. Their adaptability is remarkable.

But many species are not so fortunate.

The destruction of mature forest habitat impacts:

• Pine squirrels
• Pine martens
• Canadian lynx
• Wolverines
• Weasels
• Numerous small rodents

These species rely on complex, mature forest ecosystems. When habitat disappears, many do not simply relocate — they perish.

From the air, another absence became evident: fewer deer, moose, and elk in areas where they once thrived. Habitat loss has pushed them elsewhere. Yet, public discourse often focuses on wild horses as the primary ecological concern, overlooking the cumulative impacts of logging and industrial expansion.

Remote Valleys No More

Consider the Limestone valley. Previously, access gates closed on December 1 to protect winter wildlife habitat. Today, new logging roads and active operations extend deep into this once-protected area.

In parts of the Clearwater backcountry, elk once used these valleys as wintering grounds. They are no longer there.

Small populations of wolverine — a species considered at risk by some experts — have also been reported in valleys now undergoing logging activity. These animals depend on remote, undisturbed landscapes. Once fragmented, such habitats are rarely restored to their original ecological complexity.

The question becomes unavoidable: what happened to wildlife conservation priorities?

Rethinking Responsibility

Alberta’s mountain horses have proven adaptable. They move, adjust, and survive amid ongoing industrial activity. Their resilience, however, should not make them convenient scapegoats.

Blaming wild horses for ecological degradation ignores broader land-use pressures:

• Large-scale logging
• Expanding road networks
• Intensive cattle grazing
• Resource extraction policies

If deer, elk, and moose populations decline in certain regions, it is worth examining the cumulative effects of habitat fragmentation before pointing to one highly visible species.

A Call for Balanced Management

The Alberta foothills are a shared public landscape. Management decisions should reflect long-term ecological health, not short-term economic gain.

Effective stewardship means:

• Protecting critical wintering habitats
• Maintaining biodiversity in forest regeneration
• Evaluating cumulative industrial impacts
• Managing wildlife populations based on comprehensive data

Wild horses are part of this ecosystem — not apart from it.

From the air, the story unfolding across the foothills is not simply about horse numbers. It is about land use, habitat loss, and the future of Alberta’s wild spaces.

The Alberta foothills are changing. The real question is how we choose to manage that change.

We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

The above picture of a wild horse mare wearing a tracking collar was just taken this past week by a wild horse advocate. This poor mare has been wearing this collar for eight years now. As you can see the collar seems way too tight on the mare as there are folds of skin behind it. Right now she has a foal beside her and she may be pregnant again. So at this point I just want to put out the facts surrounding the collars being part of a research program.

In 2018 a research project was undertaken by the University of Saskatchewan’s Animal Science Department of Biology. Under the supervision of Dr. P. McLoughlin and with a graduate student, Paul Broyce, who would write his theses on this study of Alberta’s wild horses, the project began.

The proposal was called the “Ecology and Management of Feral Horses in the Alberta Foothills” and was to run from 2018 -2021. Its purpose was to gain insight into various aspects of the ecology of the wild horses roaming the Alberta Foothills. This project included the setting out and monitoring of a very large number of trail cameras and the collaring of several mares. The objectives outlined were: #1 – to over a three year period collect and use data from 30 GPS tracked adult females, one per band, #2 – forecast occupancy of habitat by the horses, #3 – Model the niche overlap between horses, elk and free ranging cattle, #4 assess the size and trend of the Alberta feral (wild) horse population, and #5 – was to be about contraception but it never, at least not at that point, was undertaken.

The thesis which Boyce on the Alberta wild horses was completed, peer reviewed and approved by scientists was an excellent document and gave very good insights into our Alberta Mountain Horses. It showed that what has been stated by so many other experts and authorities, that the impact of the horses on their environment is not as severe as the government would have you believe. All this information has been ignored by the government along with other scientific research that they just refuse to acknowledge.

Both the original proposal by Dr. McLoughlin and the final thesis by Boyce contains so much information that it cannot be fully outlined here.

All in all, I truly believe that the whole purpose and results from this research program were good, except for this. As noted above the original intent was to collar at least 30 mares, but this did not happen as it proved too difficult to undertake. In order to collar a wild mare, she had to be tranquilized in the field and the collar then fitted to the particular horse. Only 5 mares were collared with these satellite tracking devices. One of the reasons was that at least 2 other mares that were tranquilized did not recover and died in the field. This procedure was done by veterinarians from the University of Calgary. This was never made public.

Of the 5 collars applied 3 (yellow) were of a newer make and two were older (black), this is one of them. All of the collars worked well and provided the information the researchers were looking for. Also all of them were programed to drop off at a regulated time and 3 of them did. Unfortunately, by truly a part of nature, one of the mares wearing a yellow collar was killed by cougars. The collar was recovered from her by HAWS and returned to the university. The collar this mare is still wearing quit transmitting before it dropped off.

My question is why was the mare not captured then, the collar physically removed and she then turned back to freedom? Instead she was left to wander about like this. Several attempts to address this both by myself and other concerned wild horse advocates were met with the same answer by the U of S and that it would eventually break off. Guess what!

This was one of my earlier emails in March 2025 trying to have this problem resolved:

“Good morning.  I am writing to express our society’s concern over a wild horse that is still carrying a tracking collar that was put on it several years ago.  

The background is that under the supervision of Dr. P. McLoughlin, student Paul Boyce and two veterinarians from the University of Calgary, Dr. Nigel Caulkett and Dr. Bruce Stover and these collars were put on the horses in the winter of 2018/19. ((University of Saskatchewan AUP – 20170117; AEP HCL: RDNS 003 2018; AEP TFAs: 182578, 185269)  These collars were allegedly only to stay attached on the horses for 3-4 years according to McLoughlin and Boyce.  The wild horse mares were sedated, in the field, by the veterinarians in order to apply the collars, but even then with their experience 2-3 wild horse mares did not recover from the sedation administered and died in the field.  Not very ethical in our opinion. 

Our concern is that one of the mares is still wearing the collar seven years later.  Although it is starting to show signs of wear the thing is it is still on the poor animal.  Not right!  We would like to know if there is something that can be done to remedy this situation soon.  I have attached a picture of the mare and this photograph was taken in early October of this year.  She does not look happy at all and neither are we.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter and our’s as well as a very large number of concerned citizens.

Bob Henderson, President”

This is the response I received back from the U of S in response to my inquiry;

“Dear Bob, 

Thank you for your message.

The main goal of this work was to gain insight into various aspects of the ecology of the horses using a small number of GPS-tracking collars and a network of non-invasive trail cameras. The collars were specifically designed to cause no duress to the animals.

The use of the collars, as well as the research project, was reviewed and approved by the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Animal Research Ethics Board (AREB).

One final GPS collar from the project remains on a horse due to a timed mechanical release malfunction. In January 2025, the continued wearing of the final collar vs. physical intervention to remove the collar was reviewed by the USask AREB. It was decided that methods of recapturing and handling the animal to physically remove the collar may result in greater distress to the horse compared to waiting for the collar’s failsafe leather link to break away. The horse was observed in June 2025 with a healthy foal, and the collar was fitting as designed. From observations in summer and autumn 2025 the research team and USask veterinarians can confirm that the collar continues to fit the animal appropriately and is not causing distress nor an inability to move and forage. The animal will continue to be monitored to assess the situation and the AREB will continue to evaluate this horse to determine next steps.

USask is a Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) certified institution; USask research is held to the highest standards, and our protocols undergo rigorous ethical reviews. The well-being of the animals involved in any such research is of top priority.”

So these collars were reviewed and approved for use by the ethics board and allegedly have a fail safe leather link to breakaway. Mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!! This picture although very distorted came with the explanation that one of the bolts is working loose and that the collar should break off in the near future.

Now in all fairness at this time the mare did have a foal at her side making it harder to do anything with her and right now in February of 2026 the foal is still with her and she looks pregnant again.

I again have been in contact with the university but, again got almost the same reply stating in October of last year;

“I am aware of the information that you shared. This has been brought to the University’s Animal Research and Ethics Board and university veterinarians. My understanding is that this has been discussed at that level, options considered, and a decision has been made in the best interest of the animal’s welfare, following Canada Council on Animal Care guidelines. I am inclined to trust the experts, who are arms-length from Dr. McLoughlin’s research program.”

So considering that she is allegedly being monitored to assure that she is in no discomfort, I ask who is doing the monitoring? To myself and a large number of other wild horse photographers and advocates, she does appear to be in some discomfort and the collar appears to be irritating her. The fold of skin behind the collar indicates that. What do you think?

So what can be done to get this collar off of her? I am not in any way an expert but surely with all the expertise at the university’s disposal they could come up with a plan. I know in the past some horses have been sedated to a point that they could be approached and restrained. Would this harm the foal at her side or the unborn one she is carrying? I do not know but have to ask? How about a catch pen and a squeeze chute, where she is run in, the collar cutoff and she is then released right away. Or is she left alone and the collar left on until she dies? Well how ethical is that?

We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

The Alberta Mountain Horse Preservation Society is dedicated to the preservation of the wild Alberta horses. This preservation would allow them to continue to roam free & wild for all future generations, in their natural environment located throughout Alberta’s foothills & mountains.  I have been a wild horse advocate for decades and was naturally very troubled when the current President of WHOAS, Jack Nichol, announced that we should stay tuned for a big announcement in January of 2026, that they were to begin a rescue management program (The Albertan, Sept 27, 2025).

Most of us are now aware that the current WHOAS Board of Directors and the Alberta government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), allowing not only for the capture and removal of horses from designated Equine Zones, but also for delivery of a contraception vaccine to a large number of wild horse mares.  We outlined all of our concerns in a previous post “Turmoil in Alberta Mountain Horse Country” March 20, 2025.  It now appears that this program will begin in 2026.  This is quite simply wrong, and it is completely uncalled for. Despite all the reputable evidence to prove how unnecessary a cull is, it looks like it will begin.

The MOU states that WHOAS will undertake and operate an adoption program.  That said, it is an undisputed fact that there are several wild horses already in WHOAS pens at their facility west of Sundre. Some of those horses have been there for well over a year, some on their website have in fact been living in pens there for several years.  If they capture another 20 horses this upcoming year, in accordance with the MOU, what will happen to the new captures? Where will they all be housed if the pens are already full? How long will they be left penned up?

The MOU lists WHOAS as being responsible for the actual setting up of capture pens to remove horses in the designated geographic areas.  This action alone goes against everything WHOAS was originally organized for, which was to ensure the freedom of Alberta’s wild horses.  The MOU between WHOAS and the Government also states that the capture of horses can also be undertaken outside the time frame for the Alberta Horse Capture Regulations, November 1 – March 1.  To add to this conundrum, we have become aware that rather than just gentling and halter training the horses for adoption, WHOAS is now training these horses with the intention of then selling them for thousands of dollars. Case in point, a horse used in the previous Trainer’s Challenge in August 2024 is still living in pens at WHOAS and they are asking $4,000-$5,000 for him. This is NOT an adoption program. This seems more like a “for profit” business enterprise, and our fear is that the latest agreement with the government to capture and remove even more horses, will feed what we believe has become a hunger for profit, which will be filled through the eventual demise of Alberta’s wild horse population.

The second part of the MOU deals with the use of an experimental contraception vaccine on the wild horses.  The agreement reads in Item 2 (b): “To support the Fertility Control Project, the Department intends to issue to WHOAS, at its sole discretion, licenses as may be required to capture, treat and release up to a specified number of Horses in an identified geographic area, for fertility control.”   They will also receive grant money to assist in this attack on our wild horses.

“The SpayVac PZP vaccine is not fully licenced for general use in Canada. It can only be accessed through an experimental permitting process from Health Canada for specific field trials or research projects.”

The vaccine has not been approved for use in Canada and is still in trials on other horses and wildlife both here in Canada and in the US! From what we understand this part of the MOU will be enabled through the University of Calgary’s Veterinary Program.

The biggest thing wrong with all of this and the issue of the MOU with WHOAS is that it is all totally uncalled for and unnecessary.  There has not been a cull since 2015 and the population of the horses has stayed relatively stable.  In some Equine Zones, the government’s aerial surveys one year will show an increase and then in the next a decrease in the overall number of horses counted in that zone. 

For example;

• From the government counts in the Clearwater Equine zone in 2024, 156 horses were counted and it was stated after that count that the number had to be reduced.  But in 2025, only 77 horses were counted in the exact same area. With no reduction efforts carried out.
• In the Ghost Equine zone, the 2024 count saw 372 horses, but in 2025, 462 horses were counted and therefore, according to the government, the numbers need to be drastically reduced.

Is it just me or do you see something wrong here? An important note, specifically with the Ghost Equine Zone, is that there is a large Stoney First Nation Reserve, #1428, and the people of that band also have horses roaming free within that zone.  So, in the government’s zealous drive to remove horses, might they have included native owned horses in their aerial count?

The entire premise for coming up with this threshold number for each of the zone comes from the Feral Horse Management Framework.  The government states that these thresholds were derived and approved by all stakeholders in the FHAC.  That is a lie because I know that the horse advocacy groups really questioned where these threshold numbers came from.  They certainly did not come from science! 

In another post on our page, “Clarification Of Some Points” dated Sept 17, 2025, we showed a graph showing that without intervention the horse populations are predicted to stay fairly stable, with some increases but also some decreases throughout the years.  It also shows that with administration of the contraception vaccine a very sharp decline in overall population of Alberta Mountain Horses is likely to occur.  This point was brought up at a FHAC meeting, which we were not invited to attend. Another advocacy group present at that meeting was not given the opportunity to bring this point up, most likely because the government cannot defend it. The same group stated in their release that this was “Equine Genocide”. We do get a sense for why the government will not hear the science behind the horse populations though. In the MOU, it refers to the effect the “horses” have on the ecosystem. This is basically what the framework says about this: “Ecosystem Impact: Addresses potential negative effects on wildlife and rangeland health, emphasizing the need for sustainable management practices.”

The government blames the horses for all the damage to the west country and refuses to look at the true cause of the degradation of the range and ecosystems, which is a combination of the overgrazing of cattle, logging activity, industrial use and all of the other environmental factors that come into play in today’s world. Who will they blame when they have succeeded in removing all the horses and the ecosystem is still failing, I wonder?

In closing we ask ourselves: How can WHOAS, who’s mission statement is to keep the wild horses wild and who are a registered not-for-profit charity, take money from the government to reduce the number of horses in the wild, especially when there is no need? This was never the original intent of this society when it was set up over twenty years ago. As the original founder of the Wild Horses of Alberta Society, this is a fact I would know better than anyone. And as the original founder of the Wild Horses of Alberta Society, no one is more disappointed in the direction they are taking.

We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

We believe strongly that in order to get our beautiful Alberta Mountain Horses better protection and to have them managed properly, that it is time to have them recognized as a distinct and unique species. They are classified now under government regulations and ideologies as an invasive feral animal. This is so wrong and shows the complete lack of insight by government departments and those groups who want the horses gone, as to how these wild horses came to be on our Alberta landscape. They continue to refuse to listen to science and native oral history about the horse, how it arrived in this part of Canada.

As we have pointed out in the past, DNA research done by a University of Calgary genetic researcher and also by one out of the University of Texas, shows that the Alberta Mountain Horses are indeed unique to Alberta having evolved into their own distinct species, just like the Canadian horse.

According to a research paper submitted by A. Kincaid, North America is recognized as the cradle of all the original bloodlines of horses that have populated the rest of the world. This makes the case that horses were at one time “native” species to this continent. By having the wild horses given a distinct identity to afford them protection and inclusion, then research and science could contribute to this effort and thus it could be submitted to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, (COSEWIC). This committee recommends species to the Species at Risk Act and they deem a species wild if it is native and has persisted in Canada for more than 50 years. It is threatened if a 10% decline in population over 100 years occurs. With the current plans being considered by the government and based on the criteria of COSEWIC, the Alberta Mountain Horses are wild and threatened. Definitely a change in policy is needed.

In a recent post on her FB page Deb (De Dutch) posted an interesting one called “What’s in a name? More than you think.) with her permission, I am posting it here for all to read. It definitely points out everything that we have been saying surrounding the closeminded attitude of government officials toward these magnificent horses .

“Feral?

What’s in a name? More than you think.

Words have power. They influence our emotions, color our perceptions, spur us to action or weigh us down with despair. A single word can bring an entire story to mind.

For centuries the free roaming horses of the Alberta foothills have been labelled as ‘feral’. Nothing more than recently escaped domestic horses

DNA testing by Dr Gus Cothran confirms they trace their ancestry to the Canadian horse, the Spanish Iberian and Indian ponies.

The Canadian horse is a light draft breed developed in the province of Quebec and brought over to Alberta for logging and mining. The Spanish Iberian was introduced to the America’s by the early explorers. The presence of both these domestic breeds in the bloodlines of our Wildies would seem to support the theory that some of them escaped or were released. However, that was more than 400 years ago.

The presence of Indian pony bloodlines presents a different picture. According to Nakoda Indigenous knowledge keeper Barry Wesley, whom I interviewed, the horse was always here. He referred to the theory that horses went extinct on the North American continent after the ice age, as the ‘white man’s story’.

Dr. Claudia Noetzke, world renowned wild horse expert stated that archeological evidence which supports the Indigenous claim, has been suppressed.

Dr. Gus Cothran, who performed the DNA testing, found these horses bred true, indicating they had become a breed unique to Alberta.

Why do names, labels or classifications matter?

If horses never went extinct, they would be classified as a native species, which means they would have legislated protections in place.

If they did go extinct, they would be classified as a reintroduced native species, brought back by European explorers. This classification would also come with legislated protection.

Alberta Wildies, meet the Canadian federal government definition for a naturalized species, which the Sable Island horses fall under. A naturalized species has lived in the wild, free from human intervention for more than 50 years. Alberta Mountain horses have lived wild for more than 400 years. This classification comes with legislated protections.

One reason they are not presently classified as a naturalized species is because they do not reside in a federally protected national park. Therefore, they fall under provincial, not federal jurisdiction. If the horses crossed over into the YaHaTinda, Banff or Jasper parks, they would fall under federal jurisdiction.

Feral species fall under the stray animal act with weak and little to no protection.

The biggest issue with the word feral is in how the wild horse antagonists and the provincial government wield it. These same people often use the word feral interchangeably with the term invasive species( another slur which is also scientifically inaccurate). They use it as a weapon in the same manner an abuser uses a slur to objectify his victim. Turning a living creature into an object allows the abuser to justify his abuse and derogate his victim more easily.

The provincial government and wild horse antagonists are reluctant to let go of the derogatory term feral. A slur the Alberta government used in the last century to pay ‘Mustangers’ for the severed poll scalps and ears of ‘feral’ stallions, mares and even foals.

The provincial government and wild horse antagonists still wield the term feral as a weapon to justify the removal and sterilization of a vulnerable, minority population of horses into extinction.

This is why wild horse advocates do not use the term feral and are fighting to have the horses reclassified to their scientifically correct designation as a legislatively protected naturalized species.”

Right now we are researching the difference between an animal being designated as (1) a “naturalized” or (2) “re-introduced” species. In regards to naturalization, it involves the species surviving in a new environment and reproducing independently of human help. Further it integrates into the ecosystem, sometimes so thoroughly it becomes difficult to distinguish whether it is native or introduced, i.e., definitely our wild horses.

The definition of a “re-introduced” species: The species was once native to a particular area (all horses originated in North America); disappeared or became locally extinct in that area and has been returned to the wild in that same area. Whether this reintroduction was done accidently is not really a factor. According to some ongoing current research information has come to light to show that the horses really never did become extinct in North America. As noted above according to our First Nations people, this is just the “white man’s story.”

There is a lot more to be done in order to achieve having our Alberta Mountain Horses redesignated and protected, but we are dedicated trying to achieve this goal. This is hard as we have to overcome the negativity and close-minded attitudes of our government. Wish us luck!

We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

Every year we take time on November 11 to mark a somber occasion and take time to remember our brave men and women who have fought and died for the freedom that we have in this country. We must also remember and say thank you to all those that still serve in armed forces to protect our freedom, even today.

We also strongly believe in taking the time to reflect on all the animals that have died in all of these conflicts trying to serve us and protect us.

The red poppy signifies our respect for our veterans who sacrificed their lives for our country and the purple poppy signifies our gratitude for all the animals that have served us in our fight for freedom.

Some of the Alberta Mountain Horses roaming free and wild in our Alberta foothills and mountains are direct descendants of horses that were rounded up and sent overseas to be used in World War I. 480,000 horses died in World War 1 (WWI), three-quarters of them from the extreme conditions they worked in. At the start of the war, the British Army had 25,000 horses. Another 115,000 were purchased compulsorily under the Horse Mobilization Scheme. Over the course of the war, between 500 and 1,000 horses were shipped to Europe every day. Canada sent about 130,000 horses overseas during WWI. By the end of the war, Canada had provided well over 10 per cent of the horses used on the Western Front.

Although many horses were taken from farms and ranches hundreds of others were wild horses that were rounded up by government wranglers in areas around the Red Deer River and YaHa Tinda. Glenbow archives records shows pictures of these roundups.

Besides the horses used in battle, there were dogs, donkeys, mules and birds that were part of the war and tried to help us in our fight for freedom. Millions of animals died in the war due to shelling, poisonous gas, disease and starvation. None of the wild horses that were rounded up and sent overseas ever came home.

The Saddle Society has published an article by Goran Stankovski, (The Horse Heroes of World War 1 – Unsung Warriors) that shows the massive impact that horses played in World War 1 and the devastating toll it took on these horses lives. The massive numbers reveals how dependent even modern armies were of animals. evens as machines emerged. It also raises moral and emotional issues: animals “had no choice” yet suffered enormously. How we remember them (or fail to) matters.

The sacrifice that was made by not only our soldiers, but all the animals that served with them and knowing that our wild Alberta Mountain Horses were part of this history is one of the reasons I still fight so hard for them. They represent the spirit of freedom and strength that helped shape our country. We need to give these magnificent animals the respect they deserve for being a part of our cultural history.

Thank you.

We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

This is an article from the Equine Collaborative International organization from the United States. They are very involved in presenting accurate facts about their wild horses who are up against the same bureaucratic discrimination that our Alberta Mountain Horses are also facing.

Here in Alberta the government is blaming the horses for the deterioration of the rangeland. As we have stated all along and other advocacy groups and professionals have stated that it is not the horses, but primarily the cattle causing the most harm. In the Equine zones this damage is blamed on the horses. This same damage to the rangeland and sometimes even more so, can be noticed in the grazing leases along the foothills where there are no horses, just cattle.

As stated in this article and by our own Indigenous people, the horses have been on the landscape for millennia.

Here is the article. “Invasive Species on Public Land? Just Say No!”

We know that the deterioration of the native rangeland has many contributing factors. Cattle however do play the biggest role by chronic overgrazing. On these foothill cattle leases, the cattle are currently still out there even though in many areas the grass and forage have been eaten down to almost bare ground. The alleged removal of the cattle is usually mid-October but that can be extended if the cattle owner put his cattle out later than June 1st.

What is disturbing to some who appreciate our Alberta foothills is seeing this overgrazing occur and where there are no wild horses. For example in the Sheep River grazing allotment along the valley floors, the grass is gone and we have found the cattle grazing high up on the open slopes such as Windy Ridge. This used to be prime wintering grounds for the bighorn sheep and elk. This area is also designated as a sheep sanctuary. So what is there going to be left for them to survive the winter? The Rangeland Management department of the Alberta government absolutely refuses to acknowledge the destruction caused by the cattle.

Instead of using sound science they have chosen to go on their own biased beliefs and under pressure from the grazing allotment holders to go ahead with a planned cull and also application of a contraceptive vaccine to wild horse mares in some of the equine zones. There is absolutely no reason for this except for greed and money.

In our travels we have noticed throughout wild horse country a great influx of invasive plant species, especially thistle. It is noted that even the government says that these plant species are a problem. They do post the odd sign in isolated areas talking about what we can do to stop the spread. Nothing about the cattle.

We found it very interesting in a trip to the Cypress Hills that in the equine camping area there is a sign advising equestrians to be careful of the feed they bring to stop the introduction of invasive plants. What we found was that in meadows well away from this area and in the open areas where the cattle were, it was thick with Canada thistle. This problem was never there prior to the government opening up the provincial park to cattle grazing. No wild horses here!

I strongly believe that the Rangeland Management department have completely failed in protecting Alberta’s public lands and they serve no useful purpose anymore, except to protect the cattle industry.

We encourage you to keep asking the government why they refuse to listen to the majority of the citizen’s of Alberta and sound scientific research that shows that the Alberta Mountain Horses do not need to be eradicated.

We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

Lately there has been a lot of discussion around the plans the government has for removing and applying a contraception vaccine to a large number of Alberta Mountain Horse mares. Despite scientific evidence disputing the need for any population control, the government is planning on going ahead with it, to hell with what a lot of Albertans and other citizens from across Canada say.

The Minister, Todd Loewen, continually misleads the public with statements about the role that the Feral Horse Advisory Committee (FHAC) played in helping make and come up with the 2023 Alberta Feral Horse Management Framework. I was one of the original members of the committee that first started in 2013 . Throughout the whole process and countless meetings, no matter what horse advocates had to say, we were ignored and the government and those on the committee pushed ahead with their agenda that completely disregarded scientific research. He often says that committee members were instrumental in coming up with population management thresholds as outlined in the Framework. This is in fact not correct as we were surprised as to how they came up with these numbers for each of the 6 Equine Zones. What was the basis for arriving at these thresholds? They could never truthfully answer and kept going back to rangeland analysis done by the lease holders and rangeland managers within the government who work with their buddies the ranchers.

The FHAC has just had another meeting of which I am not a part of since I left the other group that I started, because of their anti-wild horse philosophies. I was not invited back because they knew what I would say to about it all, (what I had stated all along since 2013), where is the science? Now another strong Alberta Mountain Horse advocacy group, HAWS, is also no longer on the committee and so it is made up totally of those opposed of to the wild horses being allowed to roam free and wild. The reason for their departure is that they refused to sign a Terms of Reference document which prohibits any member about speaking publicly about what happens in the meetings. Why do they now want this cloak of secrecy surrounding their plans against the horses? The group that I used to belong to is still part of the committee, but they are going to be receiving funding from the government to support the removal and application of the contraception vaccines to the wild horses. This is wrong in my opinion!

The government and Mr. Loewen keep saying that the Office of the Chief Scientist used countless research papers and documents in assisting with coming up with the management plan outlined in the framework. Maybe he did, but only two were based on the Alberta horses and the environment in which they live. One of these studies was done over 50 years ago and guess what, things have certainly changed!!!!

Recently some very creditable professionals have reviewed the government framework document and the information put forth by them. Also a researcher from a western university just completed and published his peer reviewed thesis on the status of the Alberta Mountain Horses and their affects on the ecosystems of the Alberta foothills. All show that this framework and the need to manage wild horses populations is not needed and is based on very misleading biased information.

In order for you to make up your own mind and allow you to more easily see and understand what information is in these independent reviews, one of our members has undertaken to analyze the information and summarize to make it easier to read.

Integrated Summary: McCrory & Boyce on Alberta’s Wild Horses

Two major recent works — Wayne McCrory’s 2024 review of Alberta’s Feral Horse Management Framework and Paul Boyce’s 2022 PhD thesis — provide the most up-to-date scientific insights on the province’s wild horses. Together, they paint a consistent picture of populations that are naturally regulated, ecologically adapted, and often overstated in policy as drivers of rangeland decline.

Shared Findings

• Population Fluctuations: Both studies document natural boom–bust cycles driven by harsh winters, predation and forage limits. Short-term counts can be misleading; multi‑year trends are essential.

• Survival & Reproduction: Mares can foal annually from ages ~3–4, but foal survival is highly variable (very low in predator‑heavy years). Adult survival is generally high, yet winters and predators periodically reduce numbers.

• Ecological Impacts: McCrory finds little evidence of broad rangeland damage attributable to horses, with larger stresses from cattle, OHVs, logging and oil/gas. Boyce’s habitat use results (e.g., reliance on clearcuts) imply a smaller footprint on native grasslands than assumed.

• Heritage & Status: McCrory highlights Spanish Iberian ancestry and Indigenous history; both works underscore the long‑standing, culturally significant presence of these horses.

Implications

Both conclude that predators, winters, and density‑dependence regulate herds without routine culls or contraception. Policy should prioritize addressing the larger human‑driven pressures on the Foothills while improving monitoring.

Population Projections (20 Years, per EMZ)

Scenario A: No Intervention

Interpretation: Natural boom–bust cycles yield periods of growth and decline across EMZs; long‑term trends remain bounded by predation, winters and forage limits.

Scenario B: SpayVac Intervention (90 Mares/Year)

Interpretation: Contraception dampens recruitment across EMZs, leading to suppressed trajectories over time, with smaller herds most vulnerable to prolonged low numbers.

We will be presenting a few more of these summaries of recent published documentations in the near future. Please help us and others that truly want to protect and save our beautiful and magnificent Alberta Mountain Horses. Let the Premier know by writing or emailing her because the Minister Todd Loewen does not care about them or to hear from you about them.

Smith, Danielle, Honourable
Premier, President of Executive Council, Minister of Intergovernmental and International Relations Relations
Office of the Premier

Executive Branch
307 Legislature Building
10800 – 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
T5K 2B6

Phone: 780 427-2251
E-mail: premier@gov.ab.ca

As summer moves along we continue to travel out west to observe the horses and monitor the rangeland, (their home).

The horses are looking good and the foals are strong and healthy. This stallion is standing guard over his foal. It is just him, his mare and the baby.

This mare is unique in her colouring and markings, but still so beautiful.

The cattle our now out on the leases and as we continue our field monitoring we are starting to notice the effect they are having on the forage that is available.

On some of the cattle leases it is great to see that the lease holders are spreading their salt blocks about which helps keep the cattle moving around the range and not concentrating in one spot. The only problem with this is the salt also attracts the horses and other wildlife. Some lease holders in the past have complained about the cost of the horses eating their salt and taking it away from their cattle. Is there an answer to this?

Along with all the other areas of concern we have noted about damage to the rangeland through cattle overgrazing, soil compaction, drought (not this year!) and brush encroachment, there is also one factor you only start seeing as the summer progresses. That is invasive plant infestations. Here a few:

Here is an area overrun with tall buttercup. Tall buttercup is extremely toxic to both horses and cattle. These infestations are only in the areas where they has been human activity such as oil & gas, logging and again, cattle grazing. As such these areas become less suitable rangeland. As we have seen in our own observations, this has become more and more of a problem and is not being addressed by the government.

This is wild caraway and it too is becoming more of a problem in certain areas of the foothills. Although not as toxic to cattle as buttercup, it is very toxic to the wild horses.

This is Canada thistle and it is also becoming more of a problem to the degradation of rangeland. One thing about thistle that makes it such a problem is that each plant can produce over 20,000 seeds. When the flowers mature the flowers turn to fluff and are carried out by the winds. With this the thistle is spreading into areas where it has never been before – high up on ridge tops.

Of course there is still clearcut logging which decimates the landscape and impacts the use of the land by not only the horses, but other wildlife. This young stud is making his way through the clearcut to find the new grass along the edges.

Another thing about this time of year is that the biting insects can become quite a problem for the horses. To relieve themselves they seek out areas in the trees that has bare ground. This gives them some relief from the insects and from the heat of the day. We call this treeing up.

We will continue with our citizen science in order to present our observations to you as we see them.

We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

Summer time is here and the Alberta Mountain Horses are looking very good. Their coats are nice and shiny, they have gained good weight, in most cases, and the foals are thriving. Unlike what some people think, the predators are not devouring countless number of foals. Although they do take some, sickness, injuries sustained by living in the wild and occasionally a stallion can injure or kill a new foal. I have never seen this but it has been documented. Life can be hard for these precious little beauties.

This mare, although still a little thin is looking a lot better. She is putting on weight and her coat is nice and glossy, showing she is in good condition. She stands protectively over her foal as some other horses are moving just a short distance away.

This beautiful mare was feeding quite away off from where her foal was sleeping in the sunshine and as we stepped out of the vehicle to photograph her, she quickly walked over to the foal and stood protectively beside the gorgeous little thing.

So far the rain has helped the forest and rangeland making life a little easier for our Alberta Mountain Horses, and the grass is now coming providing good nutrition for the wild horses and other wildlife.

This wonderful stallion who was with his small band took time out of his herd duties to rub his body over some small brushes to get rid of an itch. The horses will also do this to alleviate the annoyance of pesky biting insects. One good this is that so far the bugs are not bad at all out there.

It was fun to watch these two plus a yearling tearing around until mom came over to break up the party!

We came across this small band in a large cutblock area. The young stud along with his two mares and his yearling colt were finding the new grass that has started to grow. But I have a big question here. Are our Alberta Mountain Horses starting to lose their natural behavioral patterns as they get accustomed to so much human activity? It would appear that this so-called domestication of our Alberta Mountain Horses could become a huge detriment to their welfare. In some locales the horses seem to have lost all fear and are hanging out in these areas rather than dispersing into their summer ranges as they have done in past years.

From what I have seen from other photographs from other photographers are the herds of horses hanging out along the roadways. This is a danger to the horses and was a key point that was brought up in the government meetings about having to control the number of horses (cull) due to safety concerns. This point was really pushed by the government in some of the meetings.

Most of the time we are out photographing the horses we try to maintain a respectful distance away from the horses using our telephoto lens to get the close up photos we like. In this case we had walked out into the opening and were busy taking pictures when this band started to approach us. This was very unusual!

This band was in the same area but stayed far away which is the normal behavior we usually see.

The horses showed absolutely no aggression or fear toward us, just curious. Several times I would have to push them back as I didn’t want anything to happen to them or us. We decided to slowly leave to prevent any situation arising. The one point here is that we have years of experience and have our own horses and are familiar with horse behavior. Now what if this had been an inexperienced person and something went wrong, it would have been the horses that would have been blamed. That is not right.

The horses followed us right back to our vehicle and I am sure given the opportunity they would have come right up to me. Beautiful horses but I fear for their welfare with this habit they now have. Hopefully they will move off and lose their curiosity.

As we stated before we are actively monitoring the rangeland in several locations to determine growth rates and/or decline through over grazing. As pictured here the grass is starting to come in height but is still very sparse overall as the next picture shows.

These pictures we taken on July 10th. In this particular valley the cattle have already been put out on their summer range. One questions this choice with so little grass. More and more research is showing that cattle do have a negative impact on the rangeland. This includes soil compaction, introduction of invasive species of plants, plus the deterioration of riparian areas to name a few. These impacts affect all the wild creatures that live in our eastern slopes even the fish in the streams. No one in the government and those opposed to the wild horses are willing to look at this and would rather blame the wild horses.

Everything looks lush and green until you look more closely. In this one valley we saw more cattle in such a small area than the total number of horses last counted in this whole equine zone. What is right and what is wrong? We will let you determine.