The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG)  announced that the first colt of the year has been born and was named “Ducey” in honor of the Governor of Arizona. Governor Doug Ducey has played a leading role in saving the Salt River wild horses and the Governor himself listed protecting the horses as one of his six major accomplishments of the year 2016.

The group released adorable video footage of little Ducey standing up for the very first time. The footage was captured by  SRWHMG volunteers (thank you Kari and Keith)  who were monitoring the pair to make sure they were ok.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group kindly asks visitors to stay a respectful 40 foot distance away from newborns and their protective moms, as they can be particularly vulnerable to public interference and babies can become abandoned. The group has had to rescue an abandoned newborn before.

As appreciation for the Governor’s support and also to ask for his continued commitment, the SRWHMG hopes to personally present a beautiful canvas print of baby Ducey this week.

“Without Governor Ducey’s support for the thousands of citizens who stood up for the Salt River wild horses when the federal government threatened to round them up, little Ducey might not have been born wild and free this year,” said Simone Netherlands, president of the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. “We hope to work closely with the Governor to implement a public/private partnership for the humane management of this cherished wild horse population so that little Ducey can grow up wild and free.”

Last year, the Arizona legislature passed the Salt River Horses Act, to protect the wild horse herd within the Tonto National Forest. Governor Ducey signed the bill into law in May 2016. However, the legislation includes a conditional enactment clause, which requires the state to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Forest Service for the management of the horses in order for the law to take effect.

Therefore until the MOU is developed and signed, the horses are not protected. The SRWHMG is anxious to work together with the State and the Forest Service to  implement a humane birth control program to stabilize population growth and prevent future removals of horses from their home on the Salt River.

Photo by SRWHMG photographer David Stallings.