❤️ Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for all your support — thank you for believing in us and for believing in humane solutions. (all 24 thousand) *please see our previous post about Mellie if you missed it, RIP Mellie.

Whether through a like, a share, encouraging words, or crucial financial support, thank you for standing beside us when it matters most.
This year has been hard — but these horses are still here because of you.

We are sharing this beautiful memory of Mellie and her fillie Nellie, they were such a sweet pair! Nellie is now 5 and Mellies other filly Kellie is 6 years old, and both are in their own bands and doing great. (Kellie may even be pregnant, fingers crossed!)

The reason we have kept track of all of the Salt River wild horses for nearly three decades is, of course, because we love them dearly, but it is also because this work provides extremely important scientific data on this herd. There is no other herd in the country with this long of a daily record of information on bloodlines, behavior, migration patterns, and accurate birth and death rates — both before and after fertility control.

⚠️ Unfortunately, because of our successes, some people come out of nowhere, pretend to know everything, and try to paint us as the bad guys. They take our publicly shared information, act like it’s theirs, and try to steal your support — not to help the horses, but to help themselves to attention they crave. Worse, they directly or indirectly support a roundup contractor who would in no uncertain terms, immediately remove most of this herd. That is why we have to reitterate : watch actions, not words — and be careful who you believe.

We carry all the costs for protecting this herd — they do not. We need the funds, the shares, and the encouragement to keep these programs running every single day. Their misinformation has caused real confusion about our death rate, average age of the herd, the ecosystem, and even the history of the Salt River wild horses — and that hurts the horses.

So let us be clear, if you see someone asking questions, please tell them to email them to us, we always answer them. If you see someone sowing negativity, like accusations of us killing horses (!), question it, and then leave the page. We are a longstanding accredited organization with a platinum score on Candid and we work our butts off for the humane treatment of these horses.

This year our death rate felt heavy, as the losses involved deeply beloved horses, but it was still under 3% of the population — which is actually below the normal average. As our herd ages, we will likely see the natural death rate increase in the future. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. Every wild horse who gets to live out their natural wild life is a blessing, and it also will prevent another horse from having to be removed.

⚖️ With the threat of a cruel roundup contractor looming, there are many questions, but we still do not know where we stand today. Our lawsuit against that same roundup contractor and the ApacheSitgreaves National Forest continues. The lawsuit, which is still awaiting a judge’s decision, focuses on animal cruelty, improper public notices, and self-dealing and shill bidding — meaning this person personally profited, by banning us and our affiliates from auctions of Alpine wild horses that were supposed to be public.

As we approach the end of the year, we hope to hear something about both of those issues soon, and we humbly ask that you keep the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group in mind for your year-end giving. Donations during this time are extremely important for next year’s budget and directly determine how much we can — or cannot — accomplish.

Below are all the ways you can help. It can start with the simple act of inviting your friends to follow this page, making an important year-end donation, or becoming a crucial monthly guardian of the Salt River wild horses.

We are a 501(c)(3), and your donation is tax deductible. Wouldn’t you rather help the horses than pay it in taxes?

Donate online: https://saltriverwildhorsemanagementgroup.org/donate/
Zelle: 602-396-3978
Venmo: [email protected]
PayPal: [email protected]
Mail: SRWHMG, PO Box 64264, Phoenix, AZ 85082
You can also donate by clicking the donate button on our Facebook Page

If you’ve ever wondered whether your support truly matters, please know this: every single dollar directly protects real Salt River horses, right now. It keeps monitors in the field, fences standing, emergencies answered, our rescues fed, and humane management in place. It is often the only thing standing between suffering and humanity —

If these horses matter to you, if truth, transparency, and humane solutions matter to you, this is the moment to act.

Thank you for believing in these horses. Thank you for believing in us, and thank you for helping us make a real difference.

Wishing you peace, warmth, and love this Christmas season.

From all of us at the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group.

Picture by SRWHMG Destini Rhone.