Berlin, MD - The National Park Service has completed its February 2019 population census of the wild horses on Assateague Island. The total population of the Maryland herd is currently at 76 horses, including 21 stallions and 55 mares. Three aged mares, N6BK “Bessy Twister", N6H and X24M “Patty" are missing and presumed dead. The National Park Service collects fecal samples in the fall of each year to test for pregnancy hormones in selected mares. There were four positives among the pregnancy test samples collected in November 2018 including: N2BHS-A “Gokey GoGo Bones", N2BHS-AL “Ms. Macky", N2BHS-I “Annie Laurie", and N2BHS-M “Susi Sole" (foaled in January). The testing cannot predict due date, only that the mares were at least 3 months pregnant at the time the samples were collected.
The National Park Service completes a full census of the horse population in Maryland six times per year, in February, March, May, July, September, and November. Managed as a wildlife population, the Assateague horses are free to roam over approximately 27 miles of the barrier island and can be difficult to find at times. During each census, horses are identified by their distinguishing characteristics, mapped and counted. Individual horses that are not observed during multiple census periods are presumed dead. The purpose of the census is to monitor the overall population dynamics of the horse herd in support of the long term fertility control program that was initiated in 1994.
Tags: assateague island national seashore wild horse horse update ponies assateague island
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
