The Story of the Salt River Horses Survival
Looking at the beautiful Salt River Horses, it’s unsettling that recently they nearly met their demise at the hands of The US Forest Service. As a matter of fact, in 2015, A nonprofit Salt River Wild Horse Management Group started fighting to stop the US Forest Service from removing approximately 100 Salt River horses.
A Close Call For The Salt River Horses
Safety issue concerns including traffic collisions due to overpopulation were the primary deciding reason to remove the horses. Only three days before their scheduled removal, Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake signed a letter asking for the postponement of their removal. Efforts didn’t stop there, more than 100,000 signatures were collected for the Salt River Wild Horse Preservation.
Salt River Horses History
According to Arizona’s historical records, the documented population of over 500,000 wild horses roamed the Arizona plains since the turn of the century. These records dated back to news articles published between 1890 and 1927. It’s believed the Spanish missionary, Father Eusebio Kino brought the horses to the are in the 17th Century. Currently, less than 100 Salt River and less than 500 horses total remain on Arizona’s public land.
Victory for the Salt River Wild Horses
On March 8, 2016, the Arizona State Senate Committee on Federalism, voted in favor of HB2340 to protect the Salt River Wild Horses in the Toronto National Forest.
The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group Steps In
As of May 2018, The Salt River Horses Wild Horse management Group has rescued, rehabilitated and advocated the Salt River horses preservation for nearly 8 yrs. Since HB2340 passed legally protecting the horses, this group has also entered into a contract with the state to manage the Salt River Wild Horses in the Tonto National Forest. They have credited their coalition partner was the American Wild Horse Campaign to being with them every step of the way.
According to the group president Simone Netherlands, the contract allows her group to aid in stabilizing the Salt River Wild horse population. It’s proposed that they will inject a birth control substance, PZP, by firing darts at the horses. The group continues to work on detail for managing the horse population. However, the state will need to finalize the methods used.
Learn More about The Salt River Horses Preservation
This group functions primarily from donations. If you want to learn more about the Salt River Wild horses preservation, you can follow their Facebook page or website found here: saltriverwildhorsemanagementgroup.org
Although the information appears removed, you can also check the Tonto National Forest’s website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/help/tonto
Salt River Horses Artwork
Twilight Splash Pictured above is sold. The painting was inspired by a photo from a talented photographer named Gary Odell who follows and photographs the horses regularly. There are plans for more Salt River horse paintings in the future. If you would like more information or to commission your own painting, feel free to contact me at 770-286-1155, or via e-mail: admin@TinasFineArt.com
