MESA, Ariz. — Tubing down the Salt River, you can always expect to see a few wild horses.

But that could soon change.

According to the management group that cares for these wild horses, the State Department of Agriculture wants to cut the Salt River horse population.

"We don't want to see these horses anywhere else," said Simone Netherlands.

She's the founder and president of the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. In 2018, Netherlands said they were contracted by the state to protect the horses. The non-profit is made up of about 100 volunteers who maintain fencing to keep the animals on federal land, feed them when necessary, and reduce the number of horses through fertility control.

At this time, Netherlands estimates there are about 280 wild horses near the Salt River. Through

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