Health Canada has given the green light for a birth control vaccine trial on wild horses in Alberta. The province is concerned about the escalating horse populations, which are deemed unsustainable in certain regions. To manage the issue, the government is exploring contraception as part of its feral horse management framework. The approved contraceptive, SpayVac-Equid, is currently under research authorization for use in feral horses, with a focus on humane and science-based population control measures.
A recent feral horse survey identified a record-high count of 2,072 wild horses in Alberta’s equine management zones. The government views these horses as stray animals rather than wildlife. In an effort to curb the population growth, a new strategy involving a contraception pilot project is being developed in collaboration with the Wild Horses of Alberta Society. Unlike previous methods, the plan now involves capturing horses, administering the vaccine manually, and releasing them back into the wild, with marked horses for future identification.
The Wild Horses of Alberta Society president, Jack Nichol, emphasized the effectiveness of the new approach, citing a success rate of 85 to 95 percent without altering herd dynamics. This method aims to prevent conception for three to four years without the need for booster shots. The society’s goal is to implement the contraception project this autumn as part of an integrated population control strategy, which also includes the removal of select young stallions from the wild. The society has a history of rescuing and rehoming horses and has taken in over 200 since its establishment in 2002.