Alberta is one of the few places in Canada where you can still see wild horses roaming ‘free.’ Wild horses symbolize our province’s wild and untamed spirit.
Seeing wild horses in their natural habitat presents an excellent opportunity to learn more about these animals and their pivotal role in shaping our province.
One of the best places to see wild horses is along the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies, especially west of Sundre. This area is defined by rich forests, rolling foothills, and rugged mountains.
The Wild Horses of Alberta Society (WHOAS) works hard to ensure the conservation and humane treatment of the region’s wild horses. The Society also offers guided tours and educational programs.
Another great place to watch wild horses is near Ya Ha Tinda Ranch, close to Banff National Park.
While Parks Canada mainly uses the ranch, these wild horses can be seen roaming freely on the surrounding lands.
Finally, a third hotspot for wild horse viewing is along Highway 11 near Nordegg, where the horses are often seen.
When observing wild horses, being respectful and careful is essential. Always keep a safe distance from them to protect them and yourself.
These are wild animals, so feeding or touching them can be dangerous. A horse’s kick carries about 2,000 pounds of force, which can cause anything from bruising to broken bones. It’s best to stay out of their way.
If you want to get a closer look, use binoculars or a camera with a zoom lens. You should also be mindful and stay on the roads and trails to avoid damaging the environment where these horses live.
Certain wildlife and land management policies protect wild horses in Alberta, and groups like WHOAS are working hard to keep them on our landscape.
If you want to help protect wild horses, there are many ways to get involved. You can support conservation efforts by donating to organizations like WHOAS, volunteering your time, or joining educational programs.
You can even adopt a wild horse. WHOAS has an adoption program that allows people who have the proper facilities and knowledge to care for rescued wild horses to adopt them.
Most of WHOAS’s rescued wild horses include older and younger horses that have been in trouble, such as straying onto private land or being abandoned by their herd.
According to the law, releasing horses back onto public land is illegal once they are captured. If not for the WHOAS adoption program, these horses would likely be sold at an auction and end up in a slaughterhouse.
If our province’s wild horses symbolize freedom, how do they end up in slaughterhouses? The truth is, Alberta’s wild horses are anything but free.
False Freedom
Since Alberta became a province, wild horses have faced government-approved bounty hunts and culls.
Sadly, the situation today isn’t much different. Alberta and British Columbia are home to most of Canada’s remaining wild horses but continue to face significant threats.
Meanwhile, about 1,400 wild horses in Alberta lack the same level of protection. Wild horses are not included, unlike many other species safeguarded under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA).
With over 13,000 mature individuals in Canada, the Peary Caribou is protected under SARA, while fewer than 5,000 wild horses remain in the country.
Since the 1950s, Alberta’s approach to managing wild horses has primarily involved culling and selective slaughter.
A notable example occurred in 1994 when approximately 1,200 wild horses were forcibly ‘removed’ from Canadian Forces Base Suffield near Medicine Hat.
Why should we care about protecting wild horses? Ranchers often view them as pests, arguing that they overpopulate and degrade grasslands.
Ecologist Wayne McCrory’s research in the west Chilcotin region found no evidence that wild horses were responsible for overgrazing or destroying grasslands.
Instead, he argues that the cattle industry has used wild horses as scapegoats to deflect blame for environmental damage caused by overgrazing cattle.
This isn’t to say that wild horses can’t impact the environment. They can contribute to soil erosion, overgrazing, and trampling without proper management.
However, the provincial government couldn’t care less about managing our wild horses.
Last year, government data showed that the population of wild horses in the Sundre Equine Management Zone (EMZ) had skyrocketed to the threshold outlined in the government’s Feral Horse Framework Management Plan that would trigger culls or contraception programs designed to reduce the wild horse population.
The government data claimed that the wild horse population in the area grew by over 50 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.
The Help Alberta Wildies Society (HAWS) also surveyed the Sundre EMZ and found that the population only grew by four percent.
In a meeting between HAWS and Alberta’s Rangeland Office, the Office agreed that the 2023 wild horse count was inflated because the department flew an undisclosed 500 extra kilometres in the Sundre EMZ in 2023 than in 2022. That’s not exactly a small distance.
Advocating for properly and humanely managing our province’s wild horses is necessary. Without the efforts of organizations like WHOAS and HAWS, our province’s wild horses could disappear from Alberta’s landscape.
