Free and wild

The Government of Alberta, Sustainable Resource Development, department has launched what we believe a full scale assault on the wild horses of Alberta. This year there are more individuals with permits and more capture pens set up than there have been for several years. SRD has issued this many permits and encouraged these individuals to take a large number of the wild horses out of their natural environment. WHOAS believes that contrary to what the officials say that they are bowing to pressure from self vested groups who want all the horses removed from our Alberta foothills.

Last year the SRD started this campaign and authorized the removal of a large number of horses throughout the province. We know that the large majority of those captured ended up being sent to a horse slaughter plant. Again this year the number of horses that are being captured is high. 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. Where it used to be 3 studs to one mare, this does not even exist anymore. Where they used to claim that they regulated how many animals “at the most 20-30 horses” this number seems to have been thrown out the window. Also we’ve noted that once the capture season was over, these individuals did not remove their capture pens as was the rule before. This allows our wild horses to become accustomed to these threats and therefore more susceptible to being caputured.

Baited pen

Captured horses

Death permit

This season continues until March 1st and many of the mares are now heavy with foal. Imagine the stress!!!! These alleged cowboys have no other interest other than the money they get from the slaughter houses. And with slaughter prices for horses being so low, it appears to WHOAS that some are just doing this for their own egos.

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. According to our observations, and those of others that spend their time in the west country,  the number of horses truly did not increase due to this and the heavy capture last year. In fact WHOAS believes that the numbers are down and will continue to go that way if the SRD continues their attack against your Alberta wild horses. It is well known that they are listening to logging companies that claim the wild horses are doing damage to the environment and their new seedlings. This is despite all the scientific evidence to the contrary. In large tracks of our public land the logging companies have decimated the natural environment of practically all wild animals and birds that used to call this home. Who’s hurting what out there? We believe they should leave the horses alone. Now these logging companies are going down into Kananaskis country to ruin it too (the Castle and West Bragg Creek) with the blessings of the SRD.

The SRD chooses to manipulate issues to benefit their ideas with disregard to the well being of the natural ecosystem’s of Alberta. I point out that in the Sheep River, Bighorn Sheep Reserve it is amazing to see one sign that says that the government biologists say that the bighorn sheep are causing damage to their grazing area since the sheep feel safe in this area and do not move. Yet a short distance down the road on the same rangeland is a sign by the government stating that they use hundreds of head of cattle to reduce the biomass of the sheep range allegedly to enhance available forage for wildlife. Is this not a contradiction?

With the upcoming election, now is the time to make our government, who is supposed to work for us, pay attention to what Albertans value as part of our natural heritage and stop destroying our land and the wonderful animals, including the wild horses, that live there. We urge you to get as many people as possible to write (e-mail) directly to the Premier and the Minister of Sustainable Resources.  We need to stop this capture season now and not later!!!!  Please help. Ask your friends to join the fight to save your wild horses. They belong to all of us.

Premier Allison Redford
Send to her Twitter account: Alison Redford @alisonredford 

Legislature Office
307 Legislature Building
10800 – 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-2251
Fax: (780) 427-1349

Minister Frank Oberle
Legislature Office
420 Legislature Building
10800 – 97 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 415-4815
Fax: (780) 415-4818
E-mail: peace.river@assembly.ab.ca

 

Precious resource

We hope everyone will remember WHOAS mission statement: “WHOAS’ mission is to ensure the provision of all aspects of the conservation and humane treatment of wild free-roaming horses in Alberta. We are committed to the preservation of these magnificent animals in their natural environment.”

The Namibian wild horse's environment

Dr. Claudia Notzke in her research of the wild horses of the world has just returned from an adventure in the African country of Namibia. Here she met up with a another wild horse researcher and biologist Telane Greyling, who has been studying the wild horses in this country for 17 years. In her e-mail to me Claudia described her adventure in this country and described her trip as “highly successful”.

When I look at the pictures she sent of the Namib wild horses I am surprised as to how they have survived in such a harsh environment. It is also amazing that a country described as “third world” has the appreciation to recognize the horses as part of their history. Much more civilized than our current governments attitude towards our wild horses.

I have attached a brief dialoque by Dr. Notzke on the Namib horses.

“With an overall area of almost 50 000 km², the Namib-Naukluft National Park is the largest game park in Africa and the fourth largest in the world. A population of free-roaming horses, currently numbering 220, occupies its southeastern corner. Their presence in this area can be traced back to the chaotic events of World War I in this part of German South West Africa, when German and South African mounted troops clashed and stud farms were abandoned in 1914/15. The dispersed horses lived in a restricted diamond area, the so-called Sperrgebiet, where they were protected from hunters and horse capturers, while relying on an artificial water source, maintained for the railway. Their presence became a contentious issue in 1986, when the Sperrgebiet was incorporated into the Namib-Naukluft Park, monitored by the Directorate of Nature Conservation (which would become the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, MET, after Namibia’s independence in 1990). A group of purists within the Directorate of Nature Conservation wanted to remove the horses from the park in 1986, but this idea met with strong opposition from the public and within government. The 1990s brought times of drought with a drastic reduction of the horse population through mortality and human intervention, and the 2000s ushered in a time of plenty. But these two decades also brought about a change in perception, bolstered by scientific research. There has been a shift in thinking from the toleration of an alien species inside a national park to respect and appreciation as a unique breed, a tourist drawcard and a national treasure, which has a century-old role in Namibian history.”

“Their ancestry includes Trakehner, Hackney, Arabian and Boerperd (an old South African breed). They measure about 14 hands, as living conditions are extremely harsh. They are wonderful little horses, and almost as relaxed around humans as the Sable Island horses, though they live with predators, namely hyenas. Telane also guided the horseback safari to the Fish River Canyon. The riding horses were amazing as well – what endurance! The terrain can be extremely challenging, and there were many long fast gallops in the endless space of the desert. Quite an experience.”

Namib Horses

Standing guard

Living in harmony

Prior to her trip to Africa, Dr. Notzke had also travelled into the “Brittany Triangle” of BC to research the herds of wild horses that remain in this part of British Columbia. The herds here are quite similar to our Alberta wild horses and face many of the same dangers and attitudes.

Thank you Claudia for all your time in trying to help WHOAS protect and save the Wild Horses of Alberta.
Bob

Beauty in the snow

2011 was both a hard year for the horses and yet became a good year for the wild horses of Alberta. January, 2011, saw deep snow and extremely cold temperatures that negatively impacted the well being of the horses. The deep snow resulted in the horses having difficulty foraging for their food and the extreme cold caused them to use up their body reserves to survive early on. It was due to these conditions that a lot of the 2011 foals failed to survive and a large number of wild horse mares aborted their pregnancies. As a result the number of yearlings and foals was down significantly throughout the year.

Yet despite all this, there were some wonderful surprises. The first foal we saw was born on January 23, 2011, in very cold temperatures and in a snowstorm.

Yepa

This was the earliest foal we have ever observed being born in the wild horse herds. We named the foal Yepa which means “snowstorm” and despite the hardships that winter does bring, Yepa survived and is doing exceedingly well as he reaches his first birthday. One of the miraculous things that enabled this foal to live despite the weather and the large number of wolf packs in the area was the herd stallion’s behaviour toward the young one. “Raven” dawdled over Yepa allowing the young one to stay very close to him for protection. This is completely unusual behaviour for the herd stallions as they usually stand off to the side of their herd, remaining aloof but ever vigilant to protect the whole herd.

Spring????

It’s April and winter is still hanging on with so much heavy wet snow in the wild horse meadows. This is the normal foaling time for so many of the mares but this kind of weather is nature’s harsh way of ensuring that only the strongest survive.

Finally spring

As you can see by this mare, she has used up almost all of her body reserves to produce a very healthy foal. As the temperatures warmed and the grasses began to grow, the living for the wild horses in 2011 started to become easier. This was exhibited when about a month and half later we saw this mare and both were very healthy with shiny coats.

With rains that came, the grasses started to grow and became very tall and lush everywhere we went in our travels. This enabled not only the horses, but all the other wildlife to flourish.

Babes of Spring

This herd here was one of the few that several of the mares were able to bring to term healthy foals. As the season turned into summer, the herds moved up into their summer meadows. They do this to manage, in nature’s way, their forage.  Always on the move so that they do not destroy their habitat and to allow the regeneration of their food sources. Again, 2011 was an unusual year in the fact that the insect pest numbers did not appear as they would normally. Maybe this is nature’s way of compensating for other hardships. But the horses do move into their usual summer routines by doing what we call “treeing up” to escape the heat and any bugs that may be about.

Ah, relief!

With excellent food sources and the warmth of summer, the wild horses came into the fall in excellent condition. Meadows and the forest remained lush as the grasses as well as the trees turned into the golden colours of fall.

Colours of Fall

Then in late October we were surprised by another new birth of a wild horse foal. This turned out to be the latest we’ve ever seen a foal born in the wild.

Little Wonder

With meteorologist’s predicting the coldest and snowiest winter in over 20 years, we feared for the welfare of all the wild horses but especially this Little Wonder. However, despite the dire predictions, fall was tenacious in hanging on enabling the horses and other wildlife to build on their fat reserves. Then came the first blast of winter; a major snowstorm dumped 15 – 24 inches of snow throughout wild horse country and the temperatures plummeted. Then as if that was enough, there has been very little snow and the temperatures have warmed up to above normal for the rest of 2011.

Fit and healthy

As we enter the new year our wild horses are in excellent shape and are ready to face whatever nature may throw at them in 2012.

During the year, WHOAS also used several equine events to spread the word about the beautiful natural resource we have in the wild horses. At the Spruce Meadows Master’s and at the Spruce Meadows Christmas Fairs, our display and informational booths were extremely well received by hundreds of visitors who stopped by. We handed out over 1,000 WHOAS brochures as well as selling a large number of our fundraising calendars. For those who haven’t got a copy, we still have a few available.

Xmas fair at Spruce Meadows

WHOAS is well under way to receiving charitable status which will allow us to more effectively reach our goals of ensuring the wild horses are given protection in Alberta. To date our efforts to have the government of Alberta recognize the wild horses as a beautiful natural resource continue to fall on deaf ears. It is with your support that eventually we hope to change these narrow-minded attitudes.

On behalf of the wild horses and the board of directors of WHOAS, we wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year. Thank you for your support.

Bob

Dashing through the snow

A glorious fall enabled the wild horses to build up their reserves to face the coming winter snows which have now arrived in the hills. During the month of November, the fall big game hunting season caused the horses to become very nervous and skittish.  Therefore a lot of the herds stayed away from the trails and roadways which lace wild horse country. There was only one very short-lived cold snap with very little snow that appears not to have affected the horses at all. We have travelled the trails around the area where the October foal Little Wonder’s herd was last seen. So far we have been unable to locate the herd to check on the welfare of the foal. We are still hopeful now that the hunting season is over and the back country has become quiet again we will be able to locate the herd.

Winter meadows

On December 3rd a major snow storm hit the foothills in wild horse country. Accumulations of the snow varied from a foot to 2 feet in depth. The horses have now reverted into their winter feeding habits and moved into lower meadows to find the forage they need. Due to the spring and summer we had, where the grasses had grown lush, the meadows still have excellent forage available to all the wild life including the wild horses. The horses are able to expose these grasses due to their large feet and pawing abilities despite the deep snow. We’ll often find deer or other wild life following the horses to feed on the exposed forage, but also big horn sheep will take advantage of the exposed feed especially after a large snow event.

Sharing the range

Our first trip back into wild horse country after the snow storm, found that the herds of horses were doing quite well. At present the depth of snow did not appear to be hampering or harming their ability to survive in this sometimes harsh environment. This year’s foals we’ve come across are looking extremely healthy and ready for the possible hardships to come as the winter gets more severe.

Fit and ready

My love and respect for the wild horses grows each time I travel into their habitat and observe them throughout the year. This is especially true at this time of year when one can witness the dynamics of a wild horse herd and the way that they seemingly care for each other. It’s the stallions who still continue to win my heart as they will always stand guard when the foals and mares are feeding.

Standing guard

As the winter progresses the journeys that we take increase due to the one negative factor that affects wild horses and that is the capture season that is still allowed by the Alberta government, SRD. This enables us to monitor the activities of the individuals that still think it necessary to remove these horses from their natural environment. We do though enjoy the pristine and quiet habitat and scenery that winter brings to our Alberta foothills and the wild horse country.

Safe for now

Following mom

We will continue to update our blog so that you, too, can follow the horses as they make it through the winter months. We continue to feel very grateful for the support of our members and other individuals who are interested in the welfare of your wild horses.

Remember our 2012 fundraising calendars are still available although we just have a limited number.

2012 cover

Season’s greetings to all. Bob

Ella and Callie

WHOAS recently received funds from two young girls who live in Ontario. Both 7 years old, Ella May and her friend Callie gathered donated items and set them up at barn where family and friends were celebrating the end of the harvest season. Both are avid riders and horse owners and interested in the wild horses. They had prepared posters and pictures and set out books as well as Ella’s models and Callie’s clay project which depicted a wild horse habitat.

Our young Supporters

They donated all of the monies they raised to WHOAS. It’s the interest of young people like Ella and Callie that is so encouraging in our aim to protect the wild horses.

Thanks girls from the wild horses.

October foal

I had noted in the last post about a young foal that we had found that had been born on October 14, 2011.  In its first day of life it had got into difficulty and if not for some human intervention it may have perished.  I had decided to go back out this past Tuesday to check on the little filly.  As I travelled into the area where I had last seen it, there was no sign of the herd it belongs to.  This concerned me because when I had first seen it, the young thing was very fragile and seemed to be in difficulty.

I started to travel around on some of the trails in the area looking for “Little Wonder”.  As I went up one road I saw some horses in the trees and became excited that it would be the herd I was looking for.  I got out of the vehicle and started to approach on foot.  I got another big and pleasant surprise, for there feeding in this small forest glade was “Socks.”  I had not seen him since he had lost his herd to a more dominant stallion, late last summer.  At that time he was beaten up and in my mind looked very forlorn.  He had been a favorite wild horse stallion of mine, that I loved to photograph.  Upon seeing him like he was, tough old me, cried tears of sorrow for him.  I had searched for him all winter and over the spring and summer of this year.  I feared that he may have perished over the winter.

Socks looked fine and he had another young  three year old stud as his companion.  As I photographed them they showed no fear of me and it seemed that he recognized me as his friend.  This was a thrill for me.

"Socks"

I continued to travel around the hills taking photographs of several herds of horses that I came across.  The wild horses are in excellent shape.  The foals, yearlings, mares and stallions all have glossy and ever thickening coats as they get ready for the winter to come.  In wild horse country the grass is still tall and plentiful and thus if the winter does get as bad as some are forecasting, then most of the wild horses should survive.

Looking good

After a time I headed back into the area where I had last seen Little Wonder’s herd a few days before.  Rounding a bend on the trail, there they were.  The foal’s mother is just a young mare, but I could tell right away that she had now accepted it and had become quite protective.  She started to lead it away from the human danger.  The herd mare did not like this and tried to stop her.  This did not bode well with the herd stallion, “Wastoh”, as he called her back.  She would have none of this and whinied at the foal’s mare to come back into the herd.  The stallion then allowed me another thrill then by doing what we call snaking his head and body in order to chase the rest of the herd to where Little Wonder had sought refuge.

The snake

It was an end to another great day in wild horse country.

Please remember our 2012 calendars are available online and we can ship anywhere in time for Christmas if ordered soon.

Bob.

The colors of fall

Fall is upon us and it has been a glorious one in the foothills of Alberta that the wild horses call home.  The grass is golden and abundant, which adds to the scenic beauty of this range.  It can make for some wonderful photographs for those of us that love this time of year.

For the wild horses it is a blessing as they are able to build up their fat reserves for the winter yet to come.  All the horses that I have come across and photographed are in excellent shape with their coats thickening up quickly.  In some of the meadows I have ridden through the grass is still up to the bellies of my horses.  This is excellent as it will able the wild horses and wildlife that rely on the meadows to find forage over the winter months.  With forcaster’s calling for the coldest and worst winter in years to come, all of mother nature’s creatures will need a good food source.

I know who the mom is!

The wild horses are starting to come into their wintering areas and there you can find two or three herds living in close proximity to each other.  The stallions of a herd will tolerate this closeness only as long as the undefined boundary is kept.

As I have travelled along on the horse trails this fall, I have started to come across some of the herds that had found refuge from the bugs, heat and extra traffic that occurs in the summer months.

Deep in the grass

In these travels we have noted that this spring’s foals are doing extremely well and hopefully will be able  to survive the hardships yet to come in their lives.  Yet every once in a while we come across late born foals in a herd.  This causes me to worry about their welfare and ability to survive from both the cold and also the predators that prey upon the horses.

Such is the case this past weekend when we went out for another ride on our horses.  Here I met up with some old friends from Grand Prairie, Al and Bunny, who were also down for a week of riding in wild horse country.  They told of a foal that had just been born on Friday, October 14, to a mare in a herd we know quite well.  They had watched it the first day as the mare tried to move it along.  The little thing tripped going over some deadfall and became entrapped in the branches and twigs.  It could not get up and the mare and the herd started to move off.  Al and Bunny intervened, walked up to it and untangled it.  Once on it’s feet it tried to attach itself to Bunny, but being wise in the way of horses, they both backed off slowly.  The herd came back and the young thing joined back up with them.

This Sunday after a glorious ride exploring some new trails I found the foal close to the area they had found it in.  There it was, still a little wobbly on it’s legs at three days but being able to keep up to the herd.

New born

I managed to see that it was able to suckle on the mare for a short time, which is good because we had been worried it may not be getting enough milk.  Mom, however, is in excellent shape and the other mares are very watchfull of it.

Mom is on the far side

I am going to travel out west Tuesday to make sure it is still okay.  It is in an area that will easily allow me to keep a check on it’s growth.

Bob.

WHOAS Booth

In September at the Spruce Meadows Equi-Fair, during the Master’s event, WHOAS had an educational booth set up to inform the public that attended, about the wild horses of Alberta.  In addition to our new informational brochures, we had frig magnets with our contact and website information on them to hand out.  Thanks to some local artists, we also were able to sell wild horse ceramics, exclusive wild horse paintings as well as some of my framed photographs to raise funds.

All of us that attended to the booth on behalf of WHOAS were quite pleased by the reception from those that dropped by for a visit.  Lots of questions were asked and the video that we played was well received and watched by everyone.  We truly believe that it had a positive impact in favor of the wild horses.

WHOAS at Spruce Meadows

We will also have a similar booth during the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market, November 18-20 and November 25-27, 2011.  This is to allow us to spread the word about our wild horses to a different audience.  At this though we will also be able to sell our fund raising 2012 calendars.

2012 Calendar

Calendars are now available for $25.00 which includes postage and handling and can be ordered by writing to WHOAS, Box 70022, Olds, AB., T4H 0A3.

Bob.

WHOAS is happy to announce that the 2012 calendar is now available.  This year we have added pictures and pages for November and December 2011, in order that they can be hung on the walls right away.  The calendar features 14 photographs along with a narrative about what was happening when each photograph was taken.

Attached are some of the featured photographs.

The calendars will be at the same cost as in previous years; $25.00, which includes postage and handling.  To order your copy please send your cheque or money order to WHOAS, Box 70022, Olds, AB., T4H 0A3.   

Bob

Wild horse haven

Summer home

I have in past posts mentioned that in the heat of summer the wild horses can be harder to find, as they do what I call tree up.  In doing this, they pick areas that have dense forest, good grazing close by and water.  These locations are usually in isolated valleys and the muskeg bottoms.  In doing so they also can, some what, escape the onslaught of annoying and biting insects and the heat of the high summer sun.

This year has not been as severe for heat or insects and therefore some of the herds have found the open clearcuts a place to graze.  Here the wind will keep the insects at bay and also cool the horses.  Still many herds out of instinct will continue to go into their summer havens.

Open clearing grazing

Covered in mud

Relief from the summer winds

It was this past weekend that my friend Fran and I were out for the weekend riding our two young horses, Magnum and Whiskey.  We were riding some of the trails west of Sundre, in an area I knew where to find some of the herds in order to check on them and take photographs.  It has been a lot drier year in the west country than out here near Olds.  Thus a lot of the marshy areas are drier and this make access on some trails easier.  We had come across two herds and it was great to see that all the horses were strong and sleek.  The foals from this year are growing rapidly and also looking fit and ready for the hardships of the seasons yet to come.  

Headed for safety

Over the years that I have travelled wild horse country on horseback or vehicle, I have often wondered where some of the herds I know find these summer havens.  As we moved along one trail, Fran pointed out a well used horse trail that headed off through the thick pines.  It was such a gorgeous day and we were in no hurry and going no place in particular.  We decided to see where this trail may lead us.  As we followed further into the trees other game and horse trails merged with it and it became a well worn, wide trail and just perfect to ride along.  The amount of horse sign increased dramatically the further we got back into this one valley.  Then as we came out of the trees, we were in a beautiful meadow with a stream running through it.  Ahead lay a vast muskeg area shimmering with the reflection of the summer sun on the long grass.  The trail, as with most game trails skirted along the side of the meadow, just inside the tree line.  We could tell that if it had been a normal year, we would have had difficulty, but because it was so dry we were able to carry on.

Peek a boo

Safety in the pines

Then rounding a bend, we spotted some horses in an opening. I dismounted and took out my camera to take some pictures.  All of sudden my heart raced, for there standing looking at me was “The Ghost”.  An elusive, large buckskin stallion, that I had always admired and usually only got glimpses of.  He is a wise one, because all year he keeps his herd close to the muskegs and away from trail and roads where us humans can bother him.  I was just elated at seeing an old friend and took many photographs before he snorted his warning, threw his head and then was off, chasing his herd in front of him and away to the safety of the pines.

The Ghost

One last warning blow

Back on horseback we followed the trail further back into the large valley until, on our horses we could go no further because of the muskeg.  The wild horse trail kept going along the side of it and into the heavier trees.  Adapted to their habitat, the wild horses have a much broader hoof and when they go through soft terrain, they do it at a good speed and lifting their legs high.  Watching them move through this marshy ground it appears that they barely touch the ground as they quickly go over it. 

Curious

There were a good number of other horses in the valley and although I could not get a picture of him, here I also found “Scarface” with his herd.  He was another stallion I knew well but had not seen in two years.  What a day! Soon though the horses will adapt to their fall season routines as they prepare for the harshness of the winter yet to come.  Before then though I plan a few more rides into “A Wild Horse Valley” to explore some more and to photograph the wild horses that inhabit it now.  I can hardly wait to witness the beauty of this landscape and the wild horses that inhabit it, in the brilliant colors of fall.

Just another note on the WHOAS 2012 annual fund raising calender, I hope to have these available by October 15, 2011.  It will be in a 14 month format featuring a different picture and story line for each month.  This follows the request of several of our supporters to have the previous December and January in following year included.  We will also have these for sale at the Spruce Meadows Christmas fairs in November.

Again thanks to all those who continue to support us and who write their letters of support to us.  Without your support we could not carry on the work you want us to do in protecting your wild horses.

Bob.