While it was awesome to sit and watch their adorable behavior, it is sad to know that they are not allowed to grow up wild and free for the public to enjoy. Sadly, the goal from the Apache Sitgreaves Forest Service for this special herd, is complete annihilation.

Therefore, when you miss the foals in the Salt River herd, please realize that this herd lives wild and free without the threat of removals, because of our fertility control program.

All 2019, 2020 and 2021 foals are living their lives in the wild, because fewer foals are being born after them.

While we had over 100 foals in 2019, we had only 2 in 2021 and for the first time the Salt River herd has a negative growth rate, – and that is totally ok. It is very hard on the mares to have a foal every year, and it is also hard on the environment when a herd grows too fast for the area they are allowed to live in.

Instead of looking for the argument, we look for the win-win. A negative growth rate is better than removals and especially better than complete removals. It means the Forest Service is happy, other stakeholders are happy, the public is happy and above all, the horses are happy.

For the Alpine wild horses we hope to accomplish that at least some of them can stay and be managed through humane fertility control, perhaps by us and the local group we are forming. We are working hard to find the money, the resources and the people to do it, because it is important for Arizona to preserve some sustainable herds, as living remnants of our wild west history.

In addition, this small community deserves to keep this beautiful natural, historic and economic resource, because it’s important to their local economy.

It is about doing the right thing and about a wiser way to spend tax payer dollars.

We hope that Arizona will take the reigns and show the humane way into the future. Humane wild horse management is more cost effective, more sustainable, and less cruel.

So whenever you miss the foals in the Salt River herd, just remember that it’s a blessing.

We work hard to keep them wild and free! Thank you.

All of us at SRWHMG, and AWHA (Alpine Wild Horse Advocates)

Video by Simone Netherlands.