Texas A&M’s Juras Animal Genetics Laboratory discovered Alberta Wildies have a distinct DNA profile
Author: Monique Noble | Date: March 20, 2024 | Website: https://issuu.com/albertabits/docs/abbits2024springissuu
This Spring 2024 Alberta Bits breed profile by Monique Noble tackles the debate over whether Alberta’s “Wildies” are wild or feral. The article says DNA studies by the University of Calgary, backed up by Texas A&M’s Juras Animal Genetics lab, found a distinct DNA profile unique to Alberta Wildies. They carry markers from draft breeds, the Canadian Horse, Spanish and Iberian breeds, and Indian ponies, and draft and riding horses have interbred with them. It also points to 2020 research suggesting Indigenous peoples spread horses across western North America well before Europeans arrived. The recently formed Feral Horse Advisory Committee has officially designated them feral, which matters because feral horses fall under the Stray Animals Act and aren’t protected on private land.
The article also profiles the two main advocacy groups. The Wild Horses of Alberta Society (WHOAS) accepts some management, and captures, gelds and adopts out Wildies, while the Help Alberta Wildies Society (HAWS) believes natural predation keeps numbers in check and prefers to leave the horses alone. HAWS says government counts were overestimated, noting that its own aerial count in February 2024 spotted only 280 horses on one day. It argues that around 1,500 wild horses is too few to cause major impact. Ranchers and recreational users have concerns, including fence damage, competition for grazing and reported 2023 incidents of horses chasing people. The piece closes by saying most parties agree no Wildie should be removed unnecessarily, and that any removed horses should be adopted out, not sent to auction or slaughter.