Six Years In, Nation’s Leading Wild Horse Fertility Control Program Delivers Groundbreaking Results

American Wild Horse Conservation’s fertility control program achieves population growth reduction in an area impacted by rapid development 

DATE RENO, NV — American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) today announced a landmark achievement in humane wild horse management: an 82% reduction in foal births on Nevada’s Virginia Range - an area where development is shrinking habitat and increasing the need for humane population reduction.  

Now in its sixth year, the Virginia Range Fertility Control Program is the largest initiative of its kind in the world — proving that scalable, non-lethal wild horse management is not only possible, but also effective.

The foal birth reduction, combined with natural attrition and predation, means AWHC is seeing population decline range-wide where darting is allowed. 

The program’s data was recently published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Vaccines, further validating that this type of humane management is scalable and effective. The Virginia Range Program utilizes PZP (porcine zona pellucida), which is a safe, reversible, and scientifically proven fertility control vaccine. This program is the first long-term fertility control initiative at this large-scale, and has demonstrated sustained success.

“This 82% reduction in foal births proves that there are humane ways to manage wild horse populations, and that roundups, removals and slaughter are not the answer,” said Tracy Wilson, Nevada State Director of AWHC. “We’ve shown that with community support, scientific rigor, and boots-on-the-ground dedication, we can humanely manage large wild horse populations.”

Since its launch in 2019, the program has grown to include more than 40 trained community volunteers who track and administer the fertility vaccine to mares across a 300,000-acre range. Through strategic partnerships and local engagement, the program has reached more than 70% of the Virginia Range’s reproductive-age mares.

Local partners such as Blockchains, Inc., a technology company with Nevada-based operations, and the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) have supported the program by providing access, resources, and advocacy.

The success of the program comes at a critical time. As federal agencies continue to rely heavily on costly and controversial helicopter roundups, AWHC is working to educate policymakers and the public about more humane, effective alternatives.

The AWHC fertility program is supported privately at no cost to the state. 

“The Virginia Range program sets the gold standard for wild horse management,” said Roy. “With continued support, we can replicate this success across the West and stop the unnecessary suffering caused by roundups.”

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About American Wild Horse Conservation

American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is the nation's leading nonprofit wild horse conservation organization, with more than 700,000 supporters and followers nationwide. AWHC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse and burros in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. In addition to advocating for the protection and preservation of America's wild herds, AWHC implements the largest wild horse fertility control program in the world through a partnership with the State of Nevada for wild horses that live in the Virginia Range near Reno.