Feral Horses and Their Environmental Impacts in the Australian Alps: Policy and Management Priorities

Abstract

Feral horses (Equus caballus) are listed as a Key Threatening Process (KTP) under federal and state conservation policies, leading to active state government management programs aimed at reducing feral horse populations in ecologically sensitive regions (Tables 1 and 2). Program and expert reporting shows benefits for water, vegetation, soil, waterbirds and native fish from horse removal in these systems (Rowland, Moore, and Walsh 2023; Just et al. 2025). The NSW Government's Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018 diverges from the policies of other States, and conflicts with the NSW KTP listing, by mandating retention of 3000 horses in one third of Kosciuszko National Park. This is despite extensive scientific evidence of the environmental harm caused by feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park, across other alpine, subalpine and riverine regions (Figure 1), and in other ecosystems (Nimmo and Miller 2007; Driscoll et al. 2019; Stobo-Wilson et al. 2020).

Complete removal via culling of feral horses from threatened alpine and subalpine ecosystems, including peatlands and wetlands, is recommended (Beeton and Johnson 2019). Excluding horses from sensitive locations (e.g., through fencing), or using fertility control methods, is insufficient for preserving ecological function and connectivity of sensitive ecosystems such as alpine peatlands and wetlands (Driscoll et al. 2019; Hobbs and Hinds 2018).

Horse control must be coordinated with integrated fire and pest management strategies addressing other invasive herbivores and omnivores, weeds and invasive predators (Keith et al. 2022; Rowland, Walsh, et al. 2023). Restoration, including moss layer transfers and hydrological repair in peatlands, may reverse some damage and recover lost carbon storage capacity once horses are removed (Treby and Grover 2023).

Uncensored evidence-based communication of feral horse impacts by State agency staff, independent scientists and political leaders is essential to make the cost of inaction clear (Nimmo and Miller 2007). The evidence is unequivocal: feral horses present a significant ecological threat to Australia's alpine and subalpine environments. Legislation that supports effective feral horse control throughout national parks and other public land designated for conservation purposes must be in place.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.