ASSATEAGUE ISLAND, Md.- The National Park Service's March 2020 census of the wild horses on Assateague Island National Seashore found there are 73 horses in the Maryland herd, including 21 stallions and 51 mares, and one new foal whose sex is unknown at this time.
Three deaths were documented for the winter, including N6EM, N9BFT and T3DMY.
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.
The census goal is to locate each individual horse, and document band associations, births, and deaths. Regular monitoring of population dynamics is necessary to support the long-term fertility control program that was initiated in 1994 to reduce the population, and now, management of the population close to the goal range.
The NPS said there are several significant reasons why the annual census is conducted in March. By the end of March, most winter deaths have occurred and been documented, and most foals have not yet been born. This allows a good comparison of changes in population size over the years.
