Stakeholder Knowledge and Perceptions of Free-roaming Equids and Their Management at a Western U.S. Land-grant University

Authors

• Hollee S. Wood, Utah State UniversityFollow
• Nicole S. Frey, Utah State University
• Terry A. Messmer, Utah State University

Date of this Version

Fall 2022

Document Type

Article

Citation

Human–Wildlife Interactions (Fall 2022) 16(2): article 10 

doi: 10.26077/e14a-b5ed 

Special topic: New research in wild horse management 

Comments

Open access. License: CC BY 4.0

Abstract

The horse (Equus ferus caballus), originally native to North America, became extinct on the continent approximately 10,000 years ago. Horses that migrated from North America to Eurasia across the Bering Strait continued to evolve and were domesticated along with burros (E. asinus). Both species were then transported to the Americas where they were intentionally released or escaped into the wild, forming feral herds. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (WFRHBA) provided federal oversight and protection for feral horses and burros (hereafter, free-roaming equids) that inhabited designated areas on public lands in the western United States. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) estimated in 2019 that >90,000 free-roaming equids inhabited 29 million ha on 177 designated herd management areas (HMAs). This population estimate exceeds the designated appropriate management level (AML) of 26,785. To provide BLM managers with insights regarding stakeholder knowledge and perceptions about the management of free-roaming equids in a western U.S. state where HMAs exceed AML, in 2020 we surveyed faculty, staff, and students at the state land-grant university (i.e., Utah State University [USU]). We hypothesized that, because the WFRHBA was passed in 1971, older respondents and those with natural resources education would be more informed and supportive of active free-roaming equid management, such as herd reduction. We received 959 responses (response rate of 12.5%) to our survey (i.e., 14% faculty, 14% staff, and 72% students). Most respondents (60%) were unaware of the WFRHBA, and >50% were unaware that free-roaming equids were protected. Over 45% of our respondents were unsure of HMA AML status or population growth rates. Furthermore, most respondents (65%) did not know that free-roaming equids are ecologically considered feral. Older respondents and those with rural backgrounds and natural resources education were more informed. Our results highlight the need for improved outreach and communication efforts regarding the issues and consequences of free-roaming equid management approaches.