SALT RIVER WILD HORSE MANAGEMENT GROUP INC

Rescues Alpine wild horses from slaughter auctions by bidding against kill buyers, covering purchase prices, transport, veterinary care, and placement into sanctuaries or good homes. This includes documenting almost 400 Alpine wild horses and coordinating the placement of 118 horses.

Rescues Alpine wild horses from slaughter auctions, covering purchase, transport, veterinary care, and sanctuary placement, and coordinates their placement into good homes through online auctions and coalition efforts. The organization also maintains a sanctuary for rescued Alpine wild horses.

Manages the Salt River wild horse herd under a five-year contract with the Arizona Department of Agriculture, encompassing humane management, rescue, emergency feeding, fence maintenance, habitat improvement, and public education.

Has managed the Salt River wild horse herd under contract with the Arizona Department of Agriculture since 2018 and was awarded a new five-year contract for continued humane management, including rescue, feeding, fencing, habitat improvement, and public education.

Maintains a daily presence in the Tonto National Forest to monitor individual wild horses, recording data on herd behavior, birth and death rates, injuries, aging, and migration patterns. Maintains a comprehensive database of all Salt River wild horses, with a documented count of 313 horses as of September 2023.

Implements an emergency feed protocol during drought conditions, distributing semi-truck loads of hay across multiple feeding points in the Tonto National Forest, and provides water in the northern corridor to encourage horse migration away from riparian areas.

Implements an emergency feed protocol for wild horses during drought conditions, distributing semi-truck loads of hay across multiple feeding points in the Tonto National Forest with authorization from state and federal agencies.

Rescues, reunites, and rehabilitates suffering and injured wild horses, including providing sanctuary for those with fatal injuries. This includes responding to emergent situations via an emergency hotline and providing care for rescued foals and injured horses.

Implements an emergency feed protocol to provide hay at feed stations across the Tonto National Forest during drought conditions, distributing 4 semi-truck loads of hay (half bermuda, half alfalfa) across 15 feeding points. This program operates with authorization from state and federal agencies and under partnership with the Arizona Department of Agriculture.

Operates a 24/7 emergency hotline (480-868-9301) to respond within 15 minutes to urgent situations involving wild horses. Conducts habitat cleanup by removing barbed wire, nails, and trash, and maintains fencing and installs horse-proof gates along Bush Highway to reduce horse-vehicle collisions.

Maintains and repairs fencing along Bush Highway and recreation areas, installs horse-proof gates to reduce horse-vehicle collisions, and engages volunteers to remove trash and debris from the Tonto National Forest to improve the environment for wild horses and visitors.

Operates a humane fertility control program using birth control darts to manage the Salt River wild horse population, reducing the annual foaling rate from over 100 to one or two foals per year and achieving a negative growth rate with only one foal born among 400 horses in one year. The herd was reduced from 450 to 274 horses between 2018 and the present without removals.

Manages the Salt River wild horse herd in the Tonto National Forest through a contract with the Arizona Department of Agriculture, implementing a humane fertility control program that has reduced the foaling rate from over 100 to one or two per year, and maintaining the herd at a negative growth rate. This includes daily monitoring, data recording, and emergency response.

Provides water in the northern corridor of the Tonto National Forest to encourage wild horses to migrate away from sensitive riparian areas, supporting habitat protection and herd distribution.

Maintains and repairs fencing, installs horse-proof gates to improve safety and reduce horse-vehicle collisions, provides water in specific areas to encourage migration away from riparian zones, and engages volunteers to remove trash and hazards from the Tonto National Forest.

Implements a humane fertility control program using birth control darts to manage the wild horse population, specifically reducing the foaling rate of Salt River wild horses from over 100 foals per year to one or two per year, and achieving a negative growth rate in the Salt River herd. This program has reduced the herd from 450 to 274 horses without removals since 2018.

Rescues and rehabilitates injured, suffering, or separated wild horses, including foals, providing veterinary care and sanctuary for those with fatal injuries. This includes responding to emergent situations via an emergency hotline.

Rescues, rehabilitates, and provides sanctuary for injured, suffering, or at-risk wild horses, including foals separated from bands and horses rescued from slaughter auctions. The organization has rescued 440 of approximately 600 removed Alpine wild horses, placed 118 into private homes, and maintains a sanctuary where rescued horses recover and thrive.

Advocates for the legal protection and humane management of Salt River wild horses, contributing to the passage of state laws, defending against lawsuits, monitoring legislative efforts, and developing proposals for wild horse management.

Advocates for and contributes to the passage of state laws, such as the 2016 law protecting Salt River wild horses from harassment and slaughter, and the Salt River Horse Act, which legally recognizes them as non-stray livestock. The organization also monitors and provides updates on legislative efforts related to wild horses.

Advocated for the passage of the 2016 state law and contributed to the Salt River Horse Act, which legally protects Salt River wild horses from harassment, killing, and capture, and recognizes them as non-stray livestock. Continues to monitor and provide updates on relevant legislation such as HB2858.

Participates in monthly collaborative meetings to advocate for the rights and protection of Salt River wild horses, offers humane and cost-effective solutions for wild horse management to government agencies, and develops comprehensive wild horse protection plans.

Developed "Proposal 2," a comprehensive wild horse protection plan advocating for no removals, population reduction to 200 over ten years via fertility control and natural attrition, preservation of historic habitat, an enforceable 50 ft distance rule, and infrastructure improvements like an overpass funded by MCDOT. Presented solutions during official meetings with the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest and participated in collaborative advocacy meetings from 2018–2019.

Successfully defends lawsuits aimed at overturning humane management programs for Salt River wild horses and engages in pending litigation against contractors and government agencies regarding alleged misconduct in wild horse removals.

Engages in litigation to protect wild horses, including a pending case against Rail Lazy H and the Forest Service for alleged misconduct, and successfully defended a lawsuit challenging the humane management program, resulting in dismissal by the U.S. District Court.

Alerted media, held rallies, and filed an injunction in federal court in 2015 to prevent the removal of Salt River wild horses by the Forest Service, demonstrating active public mobilization to protect the herd.

Documents Alpine wild horse populations in the Apache National Forest and engages in pending litigation against contractors and the Forest Service regarding alleged misconduct in wild horse removal and auction practices.

Conducted field research documenting nearly 400 Alpine wild horses in the Apache National Forest and maintains an ongoing database of individual Salt River wild horses to support population management and advocacy efforts.

Maintains a daily presence in the Tonto National Forest to monitor and record data on individual Salt River wild horses, including herd behavior, birth and death rates, migrating patterns, and the health of aging or injured horses. This data is maintained in a database of all Salt River wild horses.