Episode Summary

In this episode of Pneu-Adventures (aka New Adventures), Josh talks with Karen Herman, co-founder and director of Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary in northern New Mexico. Karen shares how her team rescues “least-adoptable” mustangs, manages free-roaming herds on rugged public lands, and uses science + technology—including PZP immunocontraception and Pneu-Dart’s Excalibur remote delivery systems—to reduce foaling, improve herd health, and protect habitat. She explains why PZP is a humane, reversible, non-hormonal approach that can stabilize populations over time, and tells a moving sanctuary story about a starving mare with navicular disease who recovered after low-stress treatment delivered via remote darting. It’s a masterclass in pairing compassion with practical fieldwork.

Show Notes

Guest:

• Karen Herman — Co-Founder & Director, Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary (New Mexico)

What We Cover

• The Big Picture: Why Sky Mountain’s vision is “a world in which all wildlife live free and thrive,” and how land balance matters for all species—not just horses.
• How Many Horses? At least 100,000 wild horses roam across 10 Western states (likely more), with complex, often controversial management challenges.
• Rescue & Sanctuary Care: Intake ranges from healthy to near-starvation; each horse gets individualized, low-stress care (sometimes months in special care facilities).
• Tech that Helps (Quietly): Why the air-powered Pneu-Dart Excalibur is ideal—lightweight, durable, and quiet(reducing panic in family bands).
• Immunocontraception (PZP):
• A vaccine against conception (non-hormonal, non-steroidal, reversible).
• Safe for pregnant mares, nursing foals, and food chains.
• Field-proven efficacy: Programs see dramatic foal reductions (e.g., urban-interface herd nearly zeroed reproduction; rugged-terrain herd ~6% foaling in treated mares vs. 20–40% untreated).
• Durations: 1-year doses (annual booster). A multi-year version (pending EPA approval) historically provided 2–6 years of effect with an initial series + one booster.
• Why Not Just Roundups? Roundups can trigger compensatory reproduction, are costly, stressful, and create placement bottlenecks. On-range PZP is lower-stress and cost-effective long-term.
• Success Story: A starving mare with severe hoof disease was safely sedated via Excal, x-rayed, trimmed, and rehabilitated—now roaming free with her foal on sanctuary land.
• Long Game Mindset: Stabilizing herds with PZP is a decade-scale project—but it enables horses to remain healthy, free, and home on their range.

Memorable Quotes

• “We center the animal and create the lowest-stress environment—on the range or at sanctuary.”
• “Science and technology offer a better path: healthier mares, healthier herds, healthier range.”
• “Two darts, four to six years of reduced foaling—that’s transformative for field management.”
• “Our hope is to make sanctuary obsolete by keeping horses healthy and free on their home ranges.”

Resources & Mentions

• Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary — mission, rescue work, and on-range management
• PZP Immunocontraception — vaccine-based, non-hormonal, reversible population control
• Pneu-Dart Excalibur — air-powered, quiet remote delivery for low-stress fieldwork

How to Support / Connect

• Sky Mountain Wild Horse Sanctuary — learn, volunteer, donate
• https://www.skymountainwildhorse.org