Health Canada has granted approval for a birth control vaccine to be tested on free-roaming horses in Alberta. The Alberta government deems it necessary to control the horse populations in certain areas to prevent overgrazing and ensure the well-being of cattle and wildlife.
Contraception is among the strategies outlined in the province’s feral horse management framework, which also includes removal from the wild and adoption. A “research authorization” was obtained by the Alberta government in late August for the use of the SpayVac-Equid contraception vaccine, confirmed by a Health Canada spokesperson.
The province is currently reviewing the details of the approval for horse contraception and is working with stakeholders to implement management actions in a safe and science-based manner. A recent feral horse survey found a record-high of 2,072 wild horses in Alberta’s equine management zones, with some zones showing unsustainable population levels.
An earlier contraception pilot project conducted by the province and the Wild Horses of Alberta Society in 2014 used a different vaccine called ZonaStat-H. The project revealed challenges such as high costs and difficulty in administering booster shots due to the rugged terrain. The new strategy involves capturing horses, administering the SpayVac-Equid vaccine by hand, and marking vaccinated horses for identification, aiming to maintain horse populations without drastic measures.
The Wild Horses of Alberta Society president, Jack Nichol, stated that the new method has a high success rate, prevents conception for several years, and does not disrupt herd dynamics. The project is set to launch this fall as part of a comprehensive population control initiative, which also includes capturing young stallions for removal from the wild. The society continues its efforts in rescuing, rehabilitating, and facilitating the adoption of horses in need.