Let’s keep our Virginia Range wild horses where they belong: right here on their home range

Virginia Range horses have a long and storied history in Nevada, dating back to California's Spanish colonial period.

The Virginia Range mustangs were nearly all gone by 1950 and might have disappeared altogether if a rancher named Velma Bronn Johnson — aka “Wild Horse Annie”— hadn’t been driving on the road that would become highway 50.  She made it her mission to stop the hunting of these animals who were being used for dog and chicken food. 

Horses removed from the Virginia Range are still at risk of entering the slaughter pipeline. They have no protections such as wild horses on federal lands and once sold at auction can be purchased by kill buyers who ship them across US borders for slaughter. 

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There is a better way. 

American Wild Horse Conservation’s fertility control program keeps wild horse populations manageable. 

‍What to know about AWHC and our work in the Virginia Range

• The Virginia Range spans around 300,000 acres and is habitat for diverse wildlife species, including Bighorn, Mule Deer, Horses, Pronghorn, Bobcat, Mountain Lions and more.
• Much of the habitat is private so horses are not protected under federal law.
• AWHC is part of an alliance of local organizations that work to protect all the animals that live here. 
• AWHC has run the world’s largest wild-horse fertility control program since April 9, 2019.
• Our fertility program operates at no cost to taxpayers or state and is funded through private grants and donations
• The program is supported across political affiliations, with nearly 80% of Nevadans supporting our work. 
• We work under two cooperative agreements with the state of Nevada:
  
  • AWHC for population birth control
  • Wild Horse Connection for range management
• Humane population reduction is key to conservation:
  
  • Wild horse population management is needed due to mostly fenced borders and habitat loss due to development;
  • AWHC provides an alternative to removals which can end in sale for slaughter across US borders;
  • PZP vaccines are non-hormonal and preserve wild behaviors;
  • PZP is safe for pregnant and nursing mares, safe for the environment, has over 35 years of research, and is over 90% effective;
  • Our work depends on a team of volunteers who are trained and certified; 
  • Fertility control has led to a 66% decrease in foals born comparing 2020 to 2024.

How you can help:

1. Let Nevada leaders know you support humane policies like the PZP fertility control program administered by AWHC. This program is free to taxpayers, thanks to donations and volunteers. 
2. Sign up for our email newsletter. ‍
3. Donate. 

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