EFFECTS ON NATIVE WILDLIFE
Wild horses share the range with elk, mule deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and sage-grouse, and when horse populations grow unchecked, native wildlife pays the price. Overpopulated herds compete for scarce food and water, trample vegetation, compact soils, and have been documented chasing off native species entirely. Bighorn sheep are 76% less likely to approach a water source when horses are present. Ant populations, critical to soil health, are up to 8 times more abundant in areas where horses have been removed. The range works best when all its inhabitants are in balance.
Read more about the effects of overpopulation on native wildlife: