Roaming Free: Wild Horse Wonders at Assateague in Summer

Summer is a great time to see the horses at Assateague Island National Seashore in Coastal Maryland. Be sure to check out the link at the end of the video to see more horses!
The "wild" horses on Assateague are actually feral animals, meaning that they are descendants of domestic animals that have reverted to a wild state. Evidence suggests that domestic horses (Equus caballus) were on Assateague as early as 1669 when settlers put their livestock, including horses, on the island. Descendants of these animals have been living in the wild on Assateague for well over 300 years. It is important to keep your distance from these horses since they are wild and unpredictable.
Assateague's horses are beautiful, tough, and wild. They have learned to survive in a harsh environment. Feeding and/or petting them is detrimental to both visitors and horses. Horses can get sick from human food. Those that learn to come up to the road to beg for food are often hit and killed by cars. Visitors are kicked, bitten and knocked down every year as a direct result of getting too close to the wild horses. Treating wild horses like tame animals takes away the wildness that makes them special. Protect your family by respecting theirs. Give the horses the space they need to be wild.
To learn more, check out this page: www.nps.gov/as...
Horses at Assateague Island National Seashore are managed as a wildlife population. Regular monitoring of population dynamics is necessary to support the long-term fertility control program that was initiated in 1994 to reduce the numbers of the Maryland herd, and now, management of the population close to the goal range of 80-100 individuals.
To learn more about the monitoring process, check out this page: nps.gov/asis/l...
All videos and photos credit Wondering About Nature.
Equipment used:
NIKON - COOLPIX P950
Benro MeFOTO RoadTrip PRO Series 1 5-Section 6-In-1 Carbon Fiber Tripod