Alberta's Wild Horses
 

Hey everyone,

This is something I wanted to share, it was brought to my attention through others.

Wild Horses Of Alberta Society

I'm sure there's many Canadians out there! Try to help save the Alberta Wildies.

Thanks for looking.

I really hope this doesn't happen where I live..
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Always two sides to every story, and I am on the other side of this one. Wild horses are subject to population control just like any other species - perhaps even moreso since no matter how you slice it, they are not a native species. I've lived in the AB foothills and the horses can really do a number on that environment. The foothills are not meant to support wild horses - it's not at all like the prairies, the land is soft and their hooves tear up creek beds and kill off native fish and plants, and they do hinder the efforts made by logging companies to maintain our forests.

Since I have family working for one of those perceived "evil" logging companies, I've grown up on the other side of the pond and these attacks on using an extremely renewable resource and making efforts to sustain it really hit a nerve with me. From a business perspective, it is in their best interests to preserve the forests and keep replanting. If they clear-cut everything without making restoration efforts they would go out of business. Are they claiming that there is scientific evidence that wild horses are not damaging these efforts? (where is this evidence?) or at they claiming that no efforts are being made at all? Because I assure you that is pure BS - I've spent plenty of time crawling around the foothills planting those saplings myself.

But I digress, and don't want this to turn into a debate as to whether Canada should stop harvesting any natural resources (even the renewable ones) and just tank its economy. I fully support managing the wild horse populations both here in BC and Alberta (and anywhere really). IMO if you want to make a difference, adopt one, or suggest better methods for roundups - better yet get involved with them.

I understand you come from 1 side of the pond, but I come from the other, and so would most people on this forum (here's hoping ha!). If you subject 1 species to this kind of treatment, why not do this to other over populated animals in places like Canada, in places like the US, you can't because over time, the more and more you throw these animals away, they will forever go extinct. In fact, why can't we do it for deer? Or rabbits? Or moose? -__-
Horses are not bears, they do not kill people, they do not eat your bird seed. They are not moose, they do not kill people in cars when you hit them on the road. They are not cougars, they are not polar bears. You cannot and SHOULD NOT hung a PREY animal.. Are you REALLY serious in saying "they mess up the woods, and creeks" ... Really??? It is one of the most (not the most) majestic, carefree animals on the planet that is considered PREY, and you're willing to "due to over population in a few RURAL parts of Canada and "any where else you see fit" to just throw them in a pen, and made into meat...
"Silently the government of Alberta has changed the horse capture regulations to a point that they reflect the determination of the SRD to rid the province of what they believe are nuisance animals."
You REALLY agree with this statement, JUST because you've been in the logging business..and you want to "save the resources"..I got news for you honey, this world is coming to an end whether you like it or not, & it ain't b/c of too many horses in Canada.. I don't understand HOW you whether you've been on 1 side of the pond or not, actually are IN Canada or not, (like myself) can think that "population control" for horses... is ok.

I agree with you xiamsvetlanax for the previous poster, I dont see how the Feral horses are causing damage to their environment? Don't loggers use big heavy machines with tracks or tires that rip up and damage the ground? And I dont see how horse hooves wreck creeks and kill the fish, when the logging machines can leak Oil, Hydraulic Fluids and other things like that into the ground and water ways? Don't chainsaws run on Oil and gas mixes? That can leak and get into the wood chips left behind?

I just want to point this part out. Yes. Yes they do.

Edit: And I'd like to add that I do believe in population control. Which is done in Alberta for deer, moose, bear, cougars, rabbit, sheep.... And these are NATIVE animals to this area. Horses are not.

The winters of 2010 and 2011 were extremely hard on the wild horses. A large number of foals died and many of the mares aborted in order to survive. Therefore the number of horses due to nature was naturally down.

But capturing and slaughtering is cruel....???

When was the last time a horse killed a person in a car.. I know moose kill people Diesel =P That wasn't what I meant.


We can't expect, as humans, to care for EVERY animal this happens to. We just can't, the animals in this world over populate the planet, not just Canada. But they as animals need to either live or die in THEIR OWN WAY, not by the way of HUMANS. If they can't survive the winters, they at least die with nature.. (sorry if I took what you said differently than what you meant.

I don't have any news articles right now, but 6 years ago a girl died not far from where I was living when her car struck a horse.

Also 3 months ago a girl hit a horse in her car and was put in the ER room in critical condition. The horse bled to death on the road. I know for a fact as it was a loved, prized family member's horse.

And that is just what I know off the top of my head.

That's the first place mine go when they're out in the yard. Drives my mom livid.