Salt River Horse Group Advocates for Fertility Vaccine to Protect Herd

Advocates for the Salt River herd of wild horses are proposing a humane management protocol that includes an injectable fertility vaccine. This initiative aims to limit population growth and maintain a healthy herd within its habitat on the Salt River.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group and the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation) suggest they can implement these fertility measures to prevent the removal of these horses from their home.

The state's Congressional delegation endorsed the idea on November 23. U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, along with fellow Republicans Trent Franks, Matt Salmon, and Martha McSally, and Democrats Kyrsten Sinema and Raul Grijalva, are urging federal officials to permit the administration of the vaccine.

The representatives request that the U.S. Forest Service allow advocacy groups to conduct a fertility control program to humanely limit population growth, thereby protecting the herd and its health.

The contraception can be administered via darts, keeping the herd's population at a manageable size and eliminating the need for removal. Currently, about 100 horses live in the area. The representatives understand that these groups are ready and able to provide these vaccines at no cost to the government.

“It’s quite frustrating,” said Simone Netherlands, who has rescued and given sanctuary to three of the foals on her horse property in Williamson Valley.

Despite Governor Doug Ducey signing a state bill in May intended to protect the horses, the Forest Service has yet to create a humane management protocol, said Netherlands, the Salt River group's leader.

The groups claim their efforts to protect the herd have been hindered by the Forest Service, which oversees the Tonto National Forest where the herd resides.

“We’ve been fighting for a long time,” Netherlands said regarding the effort to protect and preserve this herd.

The challenge is that the Forest Service and the state Department of Agriculture both claim they have no jurisdiction. Ducey’s bill called for an agreement to manage the herd, but no group has been assigned this duty.

Netherlands’ organization, along with the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), continues to care for the horses and protect their habitat as best they can. The Tonto National Forest, where the horses live, is under the control of the Forest Service.

“No one is taking responsibility,” Netherlands said.

Tonto National Forest Spokesperson Carrie Templin stated on November 23 that she has not yet seen the letter from the six U.S. representatives and could not comment.

Netherlands expressed concern that without an approved birth control method, the herd could grow to a point where the Forest Service might deem it unmanageable, leading to potential removal.

The injectable fertility drug “will keep the herd to a healthy size for its habitat and protect horses from being subject to roundups and removal,” Netherlands said, emphasizing that this does not mean no births, but rather a controlled birth rate. “The public does not want to see the removal of horses from the river, so this is the only humane path forward.”

Netherlands stressed the urgency, as this is the time of year for the 2018 foal crop.

The Congressional delegation has written a “poignant letter” to the Forest Service, questioning why this cannot be done. Netherlands eagerly awaits a response.

“We just want to be authorized to do the right thing,” Netherlands said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Originally posted by Daily Courier