We would like to acknowledge that the Alberta Mountain Horses inhabit the traditional lands of the Stoney lyethkabi, (mountain) people.

The Alberta Mountain Horse Society is continuing to bring the facts surrounding the decisions that the government makes in what they call population management strategies. A lot of what is presented to the public by the Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen and his staff is, we believe, misinformation. Based on their preconceived prejudices against the wild horses, they prefer to paint a picture that it is the horses fault that the ecosystems Equine Zones in our Alberta Mountains and foothills are being impacted negatively by them. We do not believe this and have for many years sounded the alarm that there is no scientific proof of this and that the horses are being used as a scapegoat for their lack of proper management of our Alberta lands, natural resources and wildlife. So what we will continue to do is to present the facts in order that you can have a clear picture of activities that are having a negative impact.

What effect do cattle grazing have on the rangeland and the wildlife?

We talked about this in our last post but we believe this is an area of concern that needs to be continually brought forward. Here are some more observations that we see by the time the cattle are removed from the grazing allotments in mid-October.

The first picture was taken just this month in the Clearwater Equine Zone and with the coin on the ground you can see how little feed is left for any wildlife or the horses. The second picture just backs this up that there is nothing there. This chronic overgrazing has a very negative impact on the grass and the soil substrate. The soil becomes very compacted and invasive plants will takeover from native grass.

These valleys, where this damage is occurring, used to be the wintering grounds for elk and deer. Nowadays though there is nothing for the wildlife to survive on in the winter months. They therefore have had to migrate into different areas. The wild horses, though there are a few in this area, do not have the ability to move and therefore have to eke out an existence as best they can. What is amazing and shows the resilience of these horses is that somehow they are able to do this by finding areas where the cattle can’t go or have not been.

In talking to an oldtimer, and a person with lots of experience in this country about this problem, he stated that “I have never seen a cow starve to death out there on the range, but I have seen lots of horses and deer die of starvation.”

This lack of forage in the early spring can greatly impact the pregnant mares and their ability to successfully carry their foals to full term.

Then you take into consideration the extensive brush encroachment which chokes out the grass and limits even the cattle’s ability to feed. This causes them to become more concentrated in open areas thereby exacerbating the problem for all animals.

This sign is still posted alongside the forestry trunk road stating that in 1984 that the government tried to control the brush by burning. Obviously you can see from the pictures above that they have not done anything since. And yet they claim that the horses are the problem that there is no grass for the cattle or elk and deer.

Many individuals and groups continue to try and blame the horses for there being a lack of elk and deer in these areas but one only has to take into consideration all these other factors that it is not the horses. Personally, myself, I have been enjoying this country for well over seventy years and have seen the reduction in numbers of wildlife diminish because of the increase in cattle grazing in these once pristine environments. It is quite obvious to some of us that there has been a gross mismanagement of our wildlife resources by the Alberta government biologists over many, many years. Just look at the most recent events about lifting the restrictions around hunting of grizzly bears, wolverines, female cougars with babies, other species. Also at play is the destruction of the wildlife’s natural habitat from a lot of these industrial activities.

What about the damage to the environment left by the oil and gas companies?

When travelling throughout our province but especially in the mountains, you see the abandoned wellsites left by the oil companies. Whole hillsides have been cleared in order for them to put up their wells to extract the oil or gas. Then once they have done making their millions they abandon these sites leaving quite an eyesore to what is supposed to be a pristine environment. Here are a couple of pictures taken way back on top of a ridge far from the valley below.

We have also found at several sites that barbed wire had been put around the area and the fences have fallen in complete disrepair. This wire then becomes a hazard to not only the wildlife and horses, but also other users, like ourselves on horseback. One year we had found a new foal that had become hung up on the barb wire and had to be rescued. The foal did survive but this just highlights the problems that can arise by the neglect.

Now instead of taking action to make the oil companies responsible for cleaning up the environment, the Minister Todd Loewen and his bureaucrats would rather blame the wild horses for ruining the landscapes. Wouldn’t it be better if they used their money in their feeble attempts at what they call “managing” the wild horse population and to go after these companies instead?

Why is nothing being done about this?

I know previously we have brought up this point about the hillside by the Red Deer River Ranger Station being damaged by a very few inconsiderate ATV users. Even other ATV users get upset that these individuals spoil it for all and bring them a bad name. I have tried to bring this to the attention of the government officials, but they steadfastly refuse to do anything about this. This picture shows that in one area where there are not many ATV users that action can be taken to prevent further degradation of the land. Why is there refusal to take action here, is it just because we advocate for the wild horses and they don’t want to listen to us?

Signage like this could prevent any further damage to the hillside pictured below.

Along with other advocacy groups we will continue work toward having our Alberta Mountain Horses given a distinct identity by the government as per the wishes of Albertans. Its a continuing battle because of the government officials more interested in hearing from the money interests than those of us who care about our environment, ecosystems and wildlife.

We hope you will continue to contact the government to express your concerns and wishes about our Alberta Mountain Horses. Your voices do matter.