Canadian Wild Horse Foundation: The Ancient Heritage of Horses As the Alberta government reviews its management strategy for more than 950 wild horses that roam the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, the newly formed Canadian Wild Horse Foundation (CWHF) is getting set to petition the federal government to declare wild horses a heritage species, focusing their goals initially on Alberta’s wild horses. “The Foundation’s main focus is to actively bring awareness (to the public) of the plight of our Canadian wild horses,” said Adrienne Calvert, Executive Director of CWHF. “We aim to educate the public on the numerous historical contributions these animals have made to our country. CWHF believes all Canadian wild horses are an iconic heritage animal that should be protected for future generations.” The status of wild horses in Canada has always been a contentious issue of conflicting values between those advocating their protection as an iconic animal of culture and history, and those who see the horse as an invasive species competing with wildlife and livestock for range. In addition to Alberta, wild horses thrive in the Chilcotin area of British Columbia where, according to the organization Friends of the Nemaiah Valley, some 800 to 1000 horses roam, of which approximately 42 percent can be found within the Elegesi Qayus Wild Horse Preserve declared by the Xeni Gwet’n First Nations Government. Within this population in the Brittany Triangle area are some 200 distinct wild horses believed to carry genetic links to the Spanish horses brought to North America by explorer Hernando Cortez in 1519. Wild ponies also roam in the Bronson Forest of northern Saskatchewan where they received provincial protection in 2009. On Sable Island off the coast of Nova Scotia the iconic wild horses are protected within the Sable Island National Park formed in 2011. “The wild horse is a charismatic animal with a long and illustrious history in Alberta,” said Catherine Betts, CWHF Founder and CEO. “Wild horses enriched the lives of First Nations people, bore the North West Mounted Police on their trek west, laboured side by side with early pioneers, and carried Canadian soldiers through the horrors of war. Today the wild horse inspires people from all over the province, the country, and the world. History puts the wild horse side by side with the people who made this province what it is today.” But even more fundamental, and perhaps most important, is the fact that the evolutionary history of horses puts them at home right in the heart of North America. Modern molecular research supports the notion that the horse is genetically equivalent to the ancient horses that lived on this continent at the end of the last Ice Age. That wealth of knowledge in the scientific community has furthered the belief that wild horses should be recognized as reintroduced native wildlife species. Opponents to horses being free on the range argue that they are feral, alien, or an invasive species. They contend that wild horses overpopulate ranges, compete with wildlife and livestock for grass, and impact tree regeneration and the health of habitats. Source: horsejournals/
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 05:44:53 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015