The Wild Horses of Alberta Society (WHOAS) was formed as a nonprofit society in 2002 after public outcry over the destruction of several wild horses that lived in the foothills and mountains of the Eastern slopes of Alberta. For the past 13 years WHOAS has been working on solutions for wild horse population management and has always felt that the Alberta wild horses require proper management and protection.

The wild horses only protection now is under the Stray Animal Act which at the minimum gives them some protection as it is against the law to shoot or hunt them or to snare them to capture them. However, under the auspices of the Minister of the Department of the Environment and Parks, an annual capture season can be declared and wild horses can be captured and removed from this environment by licensed horse trappers.

WHOAS has always believed there is a better way to manage the wild horse populations in a more humane and civilized manner. WHOAS is part of the government’s Feral Horse Advisory Committee (FHAC) and is the only nonprofit, volunteer member advocating on behalf of the wild horses who have no voice.

WHOAS has secured land adjacent to the forestry and has set up our rescue/handling facility so that we can continue to work to rescue and rehabilitate wild horses that have been found injured or abandoned.  We have an established adoption program and provide education and training on the gentling and handling of these wild animals.