🔹 WHAT’S HAPPENING with the Salt River Wild Horses? This is a picture of the vote for the Salt River Horse Act and a picture of the signing of it; note that Forest Supervisor Neil Bosworth was there, he actually has been an upstanding man of his word ever since… however, he is retiring and the AZDA has new management also. For those of you just catching up, here is the synopsis we want you to share:

📰👉The Salt River wild horses are some of the most cherished animals in Arizona — symbols of freedom, history, and the Wild West. They roam 20,000 acres of the Tonto National Forest (TNF) and are loved by families, photographers, veterans, tourists, schoolchildren and well, everyone.

In 2015, when they were threatened with removal, we sounded the alarm and the public rose up in one of the most powerful outpourings of support in state history. Tens of thousands of Arizonans spoke out, and as a result, the Arizona Legislature passed the Salt River Horse Act in 2016 with near-unanimous, bipartisan support. Even the U.S. Forest Service supported the legislation — Tonto National Forest (TNF) Supervisor Neil Bosworth personally attended the signing of the bill (see picture) and later co-signed the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that put the law into effect in 2018.

That law was clear: Salt River wild horses may only be removed for humane reasons — such as injury or suffering — not for population control.
The law states in Subsection B:

“A person shall not interfere with, take, chase, capture, or euthanize a horse that is part of the Salt River horse herd without written authorization from either the department or the county sheriff. The department or the county sheriff may provide written authorization pursuant to this subsection only for humane purposes.”

And in Subsection G, it further clarifies:

“A Salt River horse is not stray livestock as defined in section 3-1401 and is not subject to sections 3-1371 and 3-1402.”

This was added as a double safety feature, so that there would be no law or rule under wich healthy wild horses can be removed. We always said, the Salt River wild horses are not safe, because all it takes is a change in leadership, be it at the Forest Service or the AZDA. So, here we are again, their protection is in jeopardy, here’s how:

The Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) has issued a new proposal requiring the removal of three healthy adult horses for every foal born — a move that could wipe out the herd, especially if a new contractor would fail the fertility control program.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group — a nonprofit operating with over 100 trained volunteers — has managed this herd humanely, successfully, and at zero cost to taxpayers for nearly a decade:

• Foal births have dropped from 100 per year to just 1–3, using humane fertility control.
• The herd has already declined from 463 in 2019 to just 280 horses today.
• The program is nationally recognized as the most successful of its kind, praised by the Science and Conservation Center.
• The public has remained engaged and overwhelmingly supportive — and the horses are thriving.

Despite this, AZDA’s new RFP demands not only removals, but full ownership of our nonprofit’s proprietary tools and systems, including the app we’ve built to track every horse. We share all data freely with the state, but we cannot give away the lifeblood of our organization as that would jeopardize the horses even more.

We’re in active talks with many Arizona legislators who are stepping up to help. We’re also asking the Attorney General Kris Mayes to review the legality of this proposal — and ensure the Salt River Horse Act is upheld.

Our commitment to these cherished wild horses is stronger than ever. Through every legal challenge, policy shift, and attempt to diminish their protections, we’ve stood firm. We’ve worked within the system, prevailed in federal court, and never once wavered from our mission to protect and humanely manage the Salt River wild horses — and with your support, we never will.

Please do not stop the emails and calls to the AZDA, the governor, and legislators, untill we say so. The horses will not speak for themselves, they will not rear up in protest, they will silently diminish until the herd is no longer viable. We would not only fail the horses, but all generations after us.

YOU ARE THEIR VOICE AND YOU ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB!!

We are asking the public for letters of support for SRWHMG, and to speak out against removals. Please be your utmost politest when you contact:

1. The AZDA
2. Governor Katie Hobbs
3. Our State legislators
4. Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly.

Together, we WILL save the Salt River wild horses, AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN.

Warrior on, thank you!!

 

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Governor Hobbs’ legislative advisor ✍️[email protected], or call main number: 📱602-542-4331
or through Governors website: https://azgovernor.gov/office-arizona-governor/form/contact-governor-hobbs