If you live in Alberta
Send a letter asking for better protection for Alberta Mountain Horses
Two quick steps:
Fill in the form below with your name and address and click the “Send” button. The letter will be sent to the Minister on your behalf.
You can also send a letter with your own personal message to your MLA. Your MLA works for YOU, and needs to hear your concerns. You can find contact information for your MLA here: www.assembly.ab.ca/members/members-of-the-legislative-assembly
Note: HAWS will always protect your privacy, and only the Minister will see your contact information.
Review the letter
Honourable Todd Loewen
Minister of Forestry and Parks
Government of Alberta
e-mail: FP.Minister@gov.ab.ca, Todd.Loewen@gov.ab.ca
CC: Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta - premier@gov.ab.ca, Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas - epa.minister@gov.ab.ca, taber.warner@assembly.ab.ca, Sarah Elmeligi, Shadow Minister for Environment and Protected Areas - Banff.Kananaskis@assembly.ab.ca
Re. Urgent request to halt all wild horse population reduction plans
Dear Minister Loewen,
I am writing to express my deep concern for the future of Alberta’s Mountain Horses — the free-roaming, wild horses that have survived against all odds in our province for more than 400 years.
I strongly urge you, in your role as Minister of Forestry and Parks, to halt all activities that aim to reduce their population — including captures, removals, adoptions, and the use of contraceptive drugs — until the provincial management plan for these horses can be improved, with robust, current science, evidence that the horses are damaging the landscape and evidence that there are too many of them. These are areas where the province’s plan fails.
With approximately 1,500 Alberta Mountain Horses remaining today, roaming over more than 2 million acres, their population is at risk. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers species with fewer than 2,500 mature individuals to be endangered when additional criteria such as a continuing population decline are present. Losing these horses would be irreversible, as they represent a genetically distinct lineage found nowhere else in the world. Wildlife and ecology experts have also warned that their disappearance could trigger cascading negative effects on biodiversity and overall land health.
Alberta’s Mountain Horses are an irreplaceable part of our natural and cultural heritage. They hold significant historical and ecological value, and they have long been a part of the lifeways of Indigenous Nations in Alberta, who maintain deep relationships, knowledge, and stories about these horses that predate settlement.
For generations, Alberta’s Mountain Horses have symbolized freedom, resilience, and the living history of our landscapes. Their presence continues to connect communities to ranching traditions and to Indigenous knowledge passed down over centuries.
Public support for these horses is strong. A public opinion survey released in December 2024 shows that most Albertans want additional protections for the wild horse population.
I respectfully urge you and your Ministry to reassess the current management approach, beginning with a thorough and transparent consultation with all affected stakeholders — including the public — before continuing with any further actions that affect the Mountain Horse population.
Thank you for your attention to this important and timely issue.
Sincerely,
[Your information will appear here]