The wild horses of Assateague Island National Seashore are managed as a wildlife population. They're an introduced species with no natural predators, so the park has to keep their numbers in balance with the barrier island they now call home.
Horses in the salt marsh on the north end of Assateague Island. NPS photo.
Counting the herd
Park staff take a census six times a year, aiming to find every horse and record band membership, births and deaths. The March count matters most: by then most winter deaths have happened and been recorded, and most foals haven't yet been born, so it gives a fair year-to-year comparison.
March 2024 results
| March | Horses |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 76 |
| 2023 | 75 |
| 2024 | 73 — 30 stallions and 43 mares, including one new colt |
Since the March 2023 census, 10 deaths and 8 births were recorded.
Assateague horse population, 1968–2024; the orange bar marks the target range of 80–100 horses, and gaps are missing data. NPS image.
Fertility control
A long-term fertility control program began in 1994 to reduce the Maryland herd. The population has since reached the goal range of 80–100 horses — large enough to stay genetically viable, small enough to limit damage to the island's vegetation and habitat — and the last mare to receive contraception was a single two-year-old in 2016. Regular monitoring now supports keeping the herd near that range.
Give foals space
More foals were expected in the season ahead. Visitors can help by giving the horses — especially pregnant mares and new foals — plenty of extra room, sparing them the stress and disturbance that births tend to attract.
Sources
Based on "2024 Annual Horse Population Update for Assateague Island National Seashore," National Park Service; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
In these publicationsAssateague Island National Seashore
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.nps.gov
1
0
0
0
Comments
