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Wild Horse Annie Act of 1959

Celebrating Women’s History Month by remembering Wild Horse Annie

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

March is Women’s History Month, a time of year when we pay homage to all the incredible accomplishments and contributions women have made to our nation’s rich history. In that spirit, we would like to take this opportunity to honor Velma B. Johnston, better known as “Wild Horse Annie.”

Velma Johnston was born in Reno, Nevada in 1912. She grew up around horses from an early age since her father used them for his freighting service. When she was 11 years old, she tragically caught polio — the experience left a huge impact on her and made her very empathetic to the suffering of animals. After she recovered, she devoted her time to caring for the animals on her father’s ranch. 

One morning while on her way to work, Velma witnessed an appalling scene — a trailer filled with bloodied, injured wild horses recently captured from Nevada’s Virginia Range. Bravely, Velma followed the truck to its final destination, a slaughterhouse. After this experience, she learned that  “mustangers” — usually ranchers and hunters — were capturing wild horses for commercial slaughter using airplanes and trucks, often with no regard for the injuries they caused. Velma was horrified. 

Once she saw the brutality, she could not ignore it. From that day forward, she dedicated her life to stopping the inhumane treatment, abuse, and slaughter of wild horses. 

Velma organized a huge grassroots campaign to put an end to these devastating practices, driving national attention to this issue. Her efforts were successful and resulted in the passage of the Wild Horse Annie Act of 1959. This Act prohibited the use of motorized vehicles to hunt wild horses and burros on all public lands, but it did not include her recommendations for federal protection and management of the wild horse population. So, Velma kept fighting in Washington. 

She inspired thousands of school children to write letters to their elected officials and even testified before Congress herself! After another decade of advocacy, Congress finally passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the significant and influential piece of legislation that is credited with saving the West’s iconic wild horses and burros from total eradication. 

Wild Horse Annie’s story is a testament to the strength and resilience of women everywhere. She fought fiercely for a cause that she deeply believed in and left behind a legacy of compassion for the majestic animals we continue our fight to protect.

So this Women’s History Month, we wanted to recognize Velma Johnston and share with you the hard-working and dedicated women of AWHC who are honored to carry on her legacy to preserve the freedom of our cherished wild herds.

Through each and every one of us, the work of Wild Horse Annie lives on.

– American Wild Horse Campaign

Meet the woman who inspired a movement: Wild Horse Annie

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We are forever grateful for the historic contributions and lifetime of advocacy of Velma B. Johnston. But many of you probably know her better as “Wild Horse Annie.”

During the 1950’s in Nevada, Wild Horse Annie witnessed firsthand the ruthless and indiscriminate manner in which wild horses were being rounded up from public lands. America’s wild horse population was in rapid decline with ranchers, hunters, and “mustangers” capturing them for commercial slaughter.

From that moment onward, Annie began organizing a grassroots campaign to stop the mistreatment, abuse, and eradication of wild horses, driving national attention to this issue. Her efforts were successful and resulted in the passage of the Wild Horse Annie Act of 1959.

The Wild Horse Annie Act, which prohibited the use of motorized vehicles to hunt wild horses and burros on all public lands, did not include her recommendations for federal protection and management of the wild horse population (meaning that the vast majority of wild horses in the West were still vulnerable and lacked basic protections).

So Annie and the tens of thousands of Americans she inspired continued to push for legislation that would establish those protections. She mobilized so many citizens, especially school children, that wild horse protection was the second most popular issue that constituents wrote to Congress about in 1971.

As a result, Congress unanimously passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the most significant and influential piece of legislation affecting wild horses in the U.S..

On International Women’s Day, we wanted to express our deep gratitude to Wild Horse Annie and share with you the hard working and dedicated women who lead and work behind the scenes with the American Wild Horse Campaign.

And most importantly, we want to acknowledge all the women who make our work possible — the volunteers who brave all kinds of weather to dart and document horses in our fertility control program, the donors who fuel our efforts and the supporters who use their voices to speak up for wild horses and burros in their communities, states and on Capitol Hill. You are the backbone of our movement and the key to our success!

We wouldn’t be where we are without Annie and we couldn’t do what we do without the tireless contributions of the women who follow in her footsteps and spend each and every day working to keep America’s wild horses and burros free!

Through each and every one of us, the legacy of Wild Horse Annie lives on.

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Campaign