Health Canada has given the green light for a birth control vaccine to be tested on wild horses in Alberta. The Alberta government deems it necessary to manage horse populations to prevent them from overgrazing cattle and wildlife areas. Contraception is part of the strategies outlined in the province’s feral horse management framework, which also includes adoption and removal from the wild.
In late August, the Alberta government obtained a “research authorization” to use the SpayVac-Equid contraception vaccine on feral horses. Health Canada clarified that this authorization is for research purposes only and not for general use. The government is currently reviewing the approval details related to horse contraception to ensure a safe and humane approach based on scientific findings.
Recent surveys revealed a record number of 2,072 wild horses in Alberta’s equine management zones, with certain areas showing population levels that are unsustainable ecologically. The province views these horses as stray animals rather than wildlife. In collaboration with the Wild Horses of Alberta Society, a contraception pilot project was initiated in 2014 using the ZonaStat-H vaccine to assess its effectiveness in population control.
The previous project found that contraception was costly and challenging due to the rugged terrain inhabited by the horses. Research suggested that a significant portion of the female horse population would need to receive birth control for noticeable population reduction. The new strategy involves capturing horses, administering the vaccine manually, and releasing them back into the wild, with marked horses for identification.
According to Wild Horses of Alberta Society president Jack Nichol, the new method has a high success rate, prevents conception for several years, and does not disrupt herd dynamics. Unlike the previous contraceptive, SpayVac-Equid does not require booster shots. The society aims to implement the contraception project this fall along with other population control measures, including capturing young stallions for removal from the wild.
