Thinking of the pioneers who more than a century ago ventured fearlessly westward to settle a vast, largely uninhabited and unknown country also conjures up images of the animals that made it all possible.
“Wherever man has left his footprints in the long ascent from barbarism to civilization, we find the hoofprint of a horse beside it,” John Moore, a thoroughbred racehorse trainer, has said.
Some people associate our equine companions with the spirit of freedom. However, aside from being iconic figures of the West, free roaming horses also play a part in their ecosystems as grazers and prey.
Unfortunately, they are also a source of controversy.
Depending on which side of the issue a person stands, free roaming horses are also called either “wild” by those who seek to protect them, or “feral” by those who tend to consider the animals troublesome pests to be dealt it.
Free roaming horses are essentially the descendants of past generations of domesticated horses that had been set loose after being brought in from Europe during colonization. So while some people see them as wild animals that have been freely roaming the countryside for generations, others take the position that the animals are not altogether that different than, for example, domesticated cats that have been abandoned and become feral over the years.
Regardless, free roaming horses are now for better or for worse a part of the West Country.
So the question becomes how to best look after the population in a responsible and sustainable way. Some might argue that no intervention is necessary and that we should not interfere at all and allow the chips to fall where they may.
Perhaps.
But as the West Country continues to experience more and more activity, there could very well be potential conflicts.
The president of the Wild Horses of Alberta Society (WHOAS), who has frequented the West Country for about 50 years, told the Round Up he's seen significant growth in the area over the last 15 years.
Growing industrial and commercial activity — including forestry, agriculture as well as oil and gas — combined with a significant increase of recreational land users has underscored the importance of humanely and responsibly managing the free roaming horse population, said Bob Henderson. See next week's Gazette for that story.
In 2012, more than 200 free roaming horses were rounded up and the society was only able to save nine from slaughter. That's when the organization decided a different approach was needed, he said.
So through the not-for-profit's own fundraising efforts, coupled with contributions from skilled volunteers as well as approval from the provincial government, the society last year launched a five-year contraceptive pilot program for mares.
“The vaccine does not sterilize the mares, it just gives them a three-year pregnancy break,” said Henderson.
Such programs have successful track records in jurisdictions in the U.S., he said.
Given the alternative, the society — which takes the stance the horses have every right to be out there — feels that a contraceptive program is far better than going out and doing a cull.
It's hard to argue against that.
