It’s hard to miss the horses on the way to the mountains.

Wild horses have established populations throughout Alberta’s eastern slopes, with herds of free-roaming horses almost guaranteed to be seen off Highway 1 west of Calgary year-round.

But the abundance of what the Alberta government calls “feral horses” has reached “unacceptable” levels, according to the province’s horse management strategy.

Results from the province’s annual feral horse survey released in April suggest there are at least 2,072 wild horses in Alberta’s six equine management zones — the highest number ever counted — with population levels in the Sundre, Ghost River, Elbow and Clearwater zones “not ecologically sustainable.”