We received a complaint yesterday- it was serious; someone was very upset and explained that last year at this time, he got lots of pics of babies… and this year, he could not find even one.

BEST COMPLIMENT EVER! 🥳

Last year, on this exact day, we had 25 foals on the ground – this year we have 5, so far. It means that our program is starting to show impressive results. Results that are going to keep this herd SAFE. This means that the few babies that will be born, might be able to live their lives free, instead of having to be “adopted” out.

Although we are not principally against adoption, we just cannot imagine this precious 2020 foal ending up in a 12×12 stall without his family, or worse, in a backpacking aztrailriding outfit, as was arranged and offered as a solution by the writers of management proposal one. After he was done packing people around all his life, he could still end up in slaughter, because he will have outlived his “purpose”.

Management Proposal One (written by birding association, hunting group and ranchers) would leave only 100 Salt River wild horses in the Tonto National Forest. Sadly that option is still not completely off the table. With only 100 horses, it would not only be difficult to find a foal to photograph, it would be difficult to find any of them at all.

The Salt River wild horses have a higher purpose; they deliver locals and visitors pure peace and calm to their souls.

That is why we continue to work our hindquarters off, to make sure all fillies get their primers and boosters in time before they get pregnant. Did you know they sometimes become pregnant even before they reach one year of age? (We can prove that by the birthdates of the mares and birthdates of their first foals)

Many of those foals are never seen by the public, because they are too small and not viable. We think that’s tragic and we also have seen those young mares and foals die during the birthing process. The youngest mare who died during delivery was just a year and 9 months old, meaning she became pregnant at 10 months old. (Which was long before the PZP program, btw) We are just glad to be able to prevent that kind of suffering and let the fillies grow into their bodies and into healthy adulthood.

The 5 foals that have been born this year are out of mares that we DID dart, but we just missed their window, meaning, they became pregnant right BEFORE they received their primer. This is because in the first year of a program, you simply cannot get to all mares at the same time. All 5 foals are healthy and happy, even while this foal is out of a 2 year old mare. (she became pregnant at a year and 2 months old)

This little colt is the grandson of King, the old stallion who just lost all of his mares. He has not been named yet. His mom’s name is Highness (namethemed because she is King’s daughter) and now in the theme of her name we need a name for him that ends in “ness”. Like cuteness, although that really doesn’t sound manly enough, lol. This boy will be a grey stallion when he is all grown up, because of his daddy’s grey genes.

He is very special. Help us protect him.

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Support PZP as an alternative to roundups everywhere. Thank you. SRWHMG.