Salt River horses may move to Scottsdale

Could Scottsdale's Wild Horses Get a New Home?

If you've ever floated down the Salt River and spotted those majestic wild horses grazing along the banks, you know they're more than just animals — they're practically Arizona royalty. Now their future is sparking one of the most passionate debates Scottsdale has seen in years.

Mayor Lisa Borowsky is exploring a plan to relocate 50 to 60 Salt River wild horses from Tonto National Forest to a proposed sanctuary within the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The move comes as the Arizona Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service push to shrink the herd from roughly 280 horses down to just 100.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, which kept the population stable through a successful birth control darting program that limited births to just one or two foals annually, saw its management contract expire last spring. The proposed replacement contract would require removing three adult horses for every foal born — a drastic shift that alarmed horse advocates across the Valley.

Borowsky's plan would place horses in a 600-acre enclosure in the preserve's remote northeast quadrant. She argues the terrain closely mirrors their current habitat, though water would need to be trucked or piped in since there's no running river.

Not everyone's saddling up for the idea. A founding member of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission called it flatly incompatible with the preserve's mission of protecting native desert ecosystems. Critics warn horses would damage fragile vegetation, compact soil, spread invasive plants, and compete with native wildlife for limited resources. City code also prohibits introducing non-native grazing animals to the preserve.

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission heard the proposal at a September meeting, and public input continues shaping the conversation. Whether you think it's a compassionate rescue or ecological overreach, one thing's clear — Valley residents aren't about to let these horses ride off into the sunset without a fight.

Sources: 12 News | Fox 10 Phoenix | KTAR | ABC15 | AZ Family | Scottsdale.org | East Valley Tribune | Your Valley