Those who would combat myths about wild horses are often the greatest spreaders thereof.
Genetic viability correlates with breeding populations, not AMLs or herd sizes.
You have to correct the figures for the number of mares that have been ruined or are in the process of being ruined with fertility control pesticides.
For example, the current population at the Salt River is approximately 260 and most advocates would conclude that genetic diversity is satisfactory when in fact most of the mares have been sterilized by PZP and the breeding population can be counted on one hand.
As for carrying capacity, if a wild horse area is subject to permitted grazing, which is almost always the case, the AML is small relative to the available resources and the land can support many more animals than the bureaucrats admit.
The Silver King HMA in eastern Nevada supports livestock equivalent to 2,530 wild horses, on top of the 128 allowed by plan.
A herd that large is not safe from the advocates.
Volunteers with the Campaign Against America’s Wild horses are wiping out the Virginia Range mustangs with PZP, a population that exceeded 3,000.
Western Horse Watchers Association 