Wild horses

Wild horses exist on both public and private land and threaten conservation areas.

Wild horses can also be a threat to humans and road safety. They pose a collision risk where populations stray onto roads and can cause serious injuries for motor vehicle drivers and riders.

They also have serious impacts on vegetation, wetlands, streams, native animals and landscapes, especially in sensitive environments.

Wild horse control

While community perspectives on wild horses in the environment vary considerably, humane management methods are important.

Strategies to control wild horses include raising awareness with land managers, supporting development, trial, and implementation of humane control practices, protecting sensitive environments, and increasing public safety and reduce traffic impacts.

For more information on pest species and biosecurity, visit Pestsmart and the Department of Primary Industries.

If you wish to report any wild horse sightings or activity in your area,  contact your local Biosecurity Officer. Otherwise, contact us if you require wild horse pest animal management advice.

North Coast Wild Horse Management Program

Our North Coast Invasive Pests team have been working with rescue organisations to humanely trap and rehome wild horses. To date this program has resulted in 94 wild horses being rehomed.

General Biosecurity Direction

A general biosecurity direction for the control of wild horses is in affect for areas of the Clarence and Coffs Harbour

This General Biosecurity Direction specifically relates to activities in connection with the presence, spread or increase of wild horses within the North Coast LLS Wild Horse Management Area Zone.

The complete list of Lots/DPs that this General Biosecurity Direction covers can be viewed by downloading the information pack below.

Landholders in the zone must take actions to manage wild horses on their land including:

• reporting the presence of wild horses
• by Friday 1 December 2023, develop a written wild horse management program using the approved template in the information pack
• maintain records of their actions to control wild horses on their land.

For more information, download the North Coast Wild Horse Management General Biosecurity Direction PDF, 1861.22 KB.

Please note, this information pack contains a map and table that may not be fully accessible to screen-readers or other assistive technologies. If you require additional information, please contact tiffany.felton@lls.nsw.gov.au

Application for ownership of wild horses in the Clarence and Coffs Harbour region

North Coast LLS are currently seeking EOI’s from members of the public who are interested in taking ownership of wild horses trapped in the Clarence and Coffs Harbour region.

All applicants will be required to complete an application form for any and all wild horses they want to take ownership of.

Applicants acknowledge that:

• the prioritisation of applications will be based on the time of submission to NCLLS
• they must be able to provide appropriate facilities that meet the basic requirements and provide humane care of the wild horses
• the wild horses are not tame and are unaccustomed to human contact
• no photographs, videos or recordings of any kind are to be taken when the wild horses are delivered or collected from the NCLLS holding yards or other specified location
• they must accept all liability associated with the wild horses once the wild horses are delivered or collected and loaded onto the applicants nominated transport at the NCLLS holding yards or other specified location
• they take all responsibility of the wild horses’ welfare and biosecurity risks once the wild horses are delivered or collected and loaded onto the applicants nominated transport at the NCLLS holding yards or other specified location
• unless specifically advised by NCLLS, the wild horses have received no health treatments or vet checks, as a result, their parasitic burden and disease/health status is unknown
• the wild horses (and if pregnant, its offspring) become the applicants’ possession and responsibility once delivered or loaded onto the applicants nominated transport at the NCLLS holding yards or other specified location.

If you are interested in applying or require further information about applying for a wild horse, please contact the Senior Biosecurity Officer Tiffany Felton or Invasive Pest Team Grafton at tiffany.felton@lls.nsw.gov.au or 1300 795 299.