Review: Challenges and opportunities in rising feral horse populations

The ever-increasing feral horse population in the United States is creating both challenges and opportunities that affect science, the environment, and society. Although the presence of feral horses is well-known, the implications of these rapidly growing populations are not fully appreciated nor understood. In this review, the aims are to first summarize the nature of the feral horse populations in the United States and then to discuss the main challenges along with their impact and potential solutions. Our analysis is expected to be helpful both for the scientific community as well as the public in the United States and elsewhere.