Health Canada has given the green light for a birth control vaccine trial on wild horses in Alberta. The Alberta government deems it necessary to manage horse populations to prevent overgrazing in certain areas. Contraception is part of the province’s feral horse management framework alongside removal and adoption strategies.
In late August, Health Canada granted a “research authorization” for the use of the SpayVac-Equid contraception vaccine on feral horses, emphasizing that it is for study purposes and not for general use. Alberta is currently evaluating the approval specifics related to horse contraception, aiming to implement management actions in a humane and science-based manner.
A recent feral horse survey identified a record-high of 2,072 wild horses across Alberta’s equine management zones, with populations in several zones considered unsustainable. The province views these horses as stray animals rather than wildlife.
A previous contraception pilot project conducted by the province and the Wild Horses of Alberta Society in 2014 utilized a different vaccine called ZonaStat-H. The project highlighted the challenges of contraception due to high costs and the rugged terrain inhabited by the horses.
The current strategy involves capturing horses, administering the SpayVac-Equid vaccine by hand, and releasing them back into the wild. This method, claimed to have an 85 to 95 percent success rate, prevents conception for three to four years without altering herd dynamics. The Wild Horses of Alberta Society plans to mark vaccinated horses for future identification.
The society aims to launch the contraception project this fall as part of a comprehensive population control plan, which also includes capturing young stallions for removal. The organization has been rescuing and rehabilitating wild horses since 2002, with over 200 horses taken in for adoption.
Overall, the initiative seeks to manage wild horse populations effectively while maintaining a balance between various land users’ interests.