Return To Freedom, Wild Horse Conservation

Our Model of Solution-Based, Non-Intrusive Wild Horse Management

Return to Freedom is a national nonprofit wild horse conservation organization dedicated to preserving the freedom, diversity and habitat of America's wild horses through sanctuary, education, advocacy and conservation.

Return to Freedom has long been a player in the fight while coming from a very unique position. Not only does RTF have a nationally respected voice for advocacy, we also operate the American Wild Horse Sanctuary with over 500 wild horses and 44 burros.

On 2300 acres on the Central Coast of California, our herds live in large pastures where they are free to maintain the natural behaviors and social structure they knew in the wild. RTF has also leased 1800 acres of pasture and rangeland in Northern California.

Because we allow our equine residents to maintain their natural lifestyle and social behaviors, we must manage population growth. For us, managing population growth by separating mares and stallions is not a solution as that separates family bands, disrupts natural behaviors and undermines the natural lifestyle of wild horse herds. Castrating stallions into geldings is not an option as that disruptsnatural behaviors and in some herds depletes an already threatened genetic pool. To manage population growth in an ethical and sustainable manner, we administer a non-hormonal and reversible contraception to our mares under the guidance of Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick, Director of the Science and Conservation Center in Billings, MT. By utilizing this approach, we are able to maintain our horses in their natural bands without uncontrolled reproduction or habitat degradation.

"Return to Freedom's pioneering model represents a breakthrough in the humane and effective management of wild horses, allowing them to express the social organization and behaviors common to the species, without fear of uncontrolled reproduction."

-Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick, Director of the
Science & Conservation Center, Billings, MT