An image of the Bronson Forest horses taken from amateur video supplied to CBC.

A herd of wild ponies in Saskatchewan is now protected under a new law passed Thursday by the provincial legislature.

The private member's bill, passed unanimously, ensures that a group of horses in an area known as the Bronson Forest won't be disturbed by making it an offence to harm the animals.

The wild animals are believed to be descendants of workhorses used by pioneers or First Nations people and have been in the area for more than a century.

The Bronson Forest is about 170 kilometres north of Lloydminster, in Saskatchewan's northwest.

The wild herd has been in decline in recent years. It currently numbers about three dozen animals compared to more than over 100 four years ago.