The wild horses on the Salt River have received an early Christmas present.

That “present” should take them through the Christmas season, but what their status will be in the new year has yet to be determined.

Tonto National Forest Supervisor Neil Bosworth postponed any action regarding the horses for at least four months.

“I have decided to postpone any Forest Service action associated with the impound notice for at least 120 days,” he said in a statement last week.

“Over the coming months, I hope to work with the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group and with other interested parties and stakeholders to try to find a collaborative solution to address the Salt River horses.

“In addition, I am committing to provide the public and interested parties with at least 30 days’ notice prior to the Forest Service taking any actions associated with the impound notice.”

The Forest Service had printed a public notice announcing the planned “impound” of the approximately 100 horses, causing a public outcry and legal action against the move.

The Forest Service considers the horses as “stray” animals that have wandered over the years from adjacent areas such as ranches and Indian reservations.

Officials have said federal law does protect truly wild horses and burrows, but these animals are not classified as “wild.”

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group disputes that argument and is pursuing legal means in federal court to stop the roundup.

Another advocacy group has come forward to take on the federal government as well.

Friends of Animals (FoA) has filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service to stop the round-up and permanent removal of the horses.

The lawsuit states that USFS’ July 31 notice, which classifies wild horses in the Tonto National Forest as “unauthorized livestock” and authorizes their “impoundment” — they could be auctioned off, sold privately or disposed of — violated the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act (WHBA) because the agency did not make any determination there were excess horses that needed to be removed.

FoA also states the defendants failed to fulfill their obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act to prepare any environmental analysis or Environmental Impact Statement, and completely failed to involve the public in its decision-making process prior to issuing the impoundment notice.

The lawsuit also states that contrary to the USFS’s claims, there is documentation that these wild horses, known as the Salt River wild horses, were in the area long before passage of the WHBA in 1971, which means they should be protected under the law.

“Calling these wild horses ‘unauthorized livestock’ is just plain wrong as these horses have been there for over a century,” said Jenni Barnes, staff attorney for FoA’s Wildlife Law Program.

“Not only is it reckless to allow them to be auctioned off for slaughter, it’s unlawful.”

“It defies logic that the Forest Service insists on violating the WHBA by assailing beloved wild horses in Tonto National Forest – dismissing and undermining them as ‘unauthorized livestock,’” said Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals.

“This assures they’d be slaughtered, a horrifying notion considering there’s no evidence whatsoever that their disposal is justified.”

Bosworth said the Forest Service is attempting to respond to public questions and concerns about the horses by posting questions and answers on the Tonto National Forest Frequently Asked Questions web page (www.fs.usda.gov/tonto).