Which Science? Rethinking the Salt River Wild Horse Debate
For the past few months, I have watched people on both sides of the Salt River wild horse debate accuse the other side of ignoring—or even opposing—“the science.” It has...
THE GENETIC STUDY IS A BEGINNING, NOT AN ANSWER
Why Salt River horse advocates should celebrate the new research—and resist the temptation to declare victory The new genetic study is a milestone, not a conclusion. It provides the scientific...
Looking Beyond the Slogans: Three Questions About PZP and Long‑Term Fertility
What the Research on PZP Actually Shows—and Why Salt River Needs Answers For years, I've followed the scientific debate over porcine zona pellucida (PZP) and its use in managing wild...
Eradication: A Book Review
I don't write many book reviews. What interests me isn't whether I enjoyed a book. It's whether a book leaves me asking better questions than I was asking before I...
Why Was 2016 Successful and 2026 Wasn’t?
Ten years ago, people from very different backgrounds came together around a simple goal: protect the Salt River horses. In 2016, that movement achieved something remarkable. The Legislature acted. Public...
How the Decision was Made
What the AZDA Documents Show About the Salt River Horse Contract Decision I filed a public records request with the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) asking for the documents behind...
What the Heber Documents Reveal
Heber Wild Horses: A Local Story That Reveals the Big Picture When outsiders look at wild horse debates in the American West, the conflicts can seem almost impossible to untangle....
The Salt River Herd and the Problem of Governance
I have been asked repeatedly a straightforward question: Who should manage the Salt River horses?And if I were in that position, how would I respond to being told to reduce the...
The Water Behind the Horses: What 2025 Tells Us
What the ADWR Report Says About the Salt & Verde Rivers The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) has released its annual report for Water Year (WY) 2025, which runs from October...
Native, Invasive, and the Problem of Choosing a Baseline
Debates over wildlife management often rely on the language of native and invasive as if these were fixed biological categories. They are not. While the terms sound scientific, they implicitly depend on a prior—and usually unspoken—decision...
A Parable About Disappearance, Process, and Policy
A Fictional Case: The Broadlands Horse Herd This is a story about how disappearance happens without ever being named.It is not about force, but about process. (A work of fiction...
The Quiet Damage of Good Intentions
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Not because people don’t care, and not because harm was intended—but because good intentions do not guarantee good outcomes. Admitting that...
Native, Invasive, and the Problem of Choosing a Baseline
Debates over wildlife management often rely on the language of native and invasive as if these were fixed biological categories. They are not. While the terms sound scientific, they implicitly depend on a prior—and usually unspoken—decision...
The Water Behind the Horses: What 2025 Tells Us
What the ADWR Report Says About the Salt & Verde Rivers The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) has released its annual report for Water Year (WY) 2025, which runs from October...
The Salt River Herd and the Problem of Governance
I have been asked repeatedly a straightforward question: Who should manage the Salt River horses?And if I were in that position, how would I respond to being told to reduce the...
What the Heber Documents Reveal
Heber Wild Horses: A Local Story That Reveals the Big Picture When outsiders look at wild horse debates in the American West, the conflicts can seem almost impossible to untangle....
How the Decision was Made
What the AZDA Documents Show About the Salt River Horse Contract Decision I filed a public records request with the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) asking for the documents behind...
Why Was 2016 Successful and 2026 Wasn’t?
Ten years ago, people from very different backgrounds came together around a simple goal: protect the Salt River horses. In 2016, that movement achieved something remarkable. The Legislature acted. Public...
Eradication: A Book Review
I don't write many book reviews. What interests me isn't whether I enjoyed a book. It's whether a book leaves me asking better questions than I was asking before I...
Champ—Face of the Salt River Wild Horses
In Saving a Filly, He Helped Save a Herd On June 30, 2011, Becky Standridge photographed one of the moments that would eventually help bring national attention to the Salt...
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Explore the River
Beyond discussions of management and policy lies a diverse landscape shaped by river, desert, and time. Through wildlife observations, photography, history, poetry, and personal reflections, this section explores the natural and cultural richness of the Salt River region.
