LIFE

Foals join healthy, growing herd on Assateague

Gray Hughes
rghughes@dmg.gannett.com
Assateague Island's newest foal is seen in the foliage on July 4, 2016, at 1 week old.

The famous horse herd of Assateague Island is growing this summer. The herd has already welcomed in three foals, all colts, and is expecting one more.

Although these foals did not arrive on the island through a shipwreck, like in the common myth about how the ponies arrived on Assateague, these babies are still a noteworthy addition to the famous feral horse herd that roams the Assateague beaches.

“Since we have been trying to manage the size of the herd, four new foals are more than we have been getting lately,” said Allison Turner, a biological technician who works on Assateague Island as a part of the National Park Service.

The first foal was born April 16 and the most recent foal was born June 27. It is not known when the next foal will be birthed.

READ MORE: Assateague Island welcomes pony Jojo in May

Turner said when a foal is added to the herd, it is generally greeted with curiosity and not any aggression from any other horse in the herd.

“The horses will come over and sniff the new foal,” she said, “but the mother will only allow so many of the horses to do so. Eventually, the natural curiosity fades away, and the horse blends into the herd.”

When a foal is born, it is assigned an alphanumeric name based on its mother’s name and the year it was born.

“The purpose of this is to track the material lineage of the horse,” Turner said. “The foal keeps its mother’s name and a letter is added on the end of the name to signify the year it was born.”

The first foal born this year’s name is N2BHS-O, with “N2BHS” signifying its mother’s name, while the “O” signifies the horse was born in 2016.

Assateague Island's newest foal is seen with mother, Gokey, on July 4, 2016.

Keeping up with the herd

To ensure the herd stays at a healthy and manageable size, Assateague Island uses a contraceptive dart.   Since the use of the contraception started, birth rates and death rates are starting to balance out.

“The fact that four foals are going to be birthed this year means birth rate and death rate are starting to balance out,” Turner said.

The contraceptives have greatly improved the overall health of the herd and of the mares that birth the horses.

“Only 10 to 15 years ago, the herd was at 175 horses,” Turner said. “We are really trying to control the population.”

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Assateague Island tries to keep the size of the herd between 80 and 100.

“The herd as of right now is at 87 horses,” Turner said. “And the mares are living longer, healthier lives now.”

According to Turner, the oldest mare is 34 and there are several mares in their 20s.

“Before contraceptives were being used, it would be rare to see a mare survive until their 20s,” Turner said. “The average life span of a horse has increased 50 percent.”

This spells good news for the herd.

Further, the herd is in good, physical health, a fact with which turner is quite pleased.

Wild horses kick and bite

Despite the fact horses are normally domesticated animals, it is important to remember for the public to keep their distance from these horses.

Although they look like the smaller version of the typical horse one would see in a barnyard, these horses are still wild animals and can be dangerous. These horses do kick and bite and have the potential to seriously injure anyone who may upset it.

Assateague Island's newest foal is seen with mother, Gokey, on July 4, 2016.

A minimum $100 fine will be assessed to any Assateague Island visitor who is seen approaching or feeding the horses, anywhere from one’s vehicle to their spot on the beach.

This is to ensure not only the safety of beach visitors but also to ensure horses do not become dependent on humans for food. If horses become too reliant on humans for food, there is a strong chance the horses may die of starvation during the winter months.

rghughes@dmg.gannett.com

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