For our faithful Assateague Horse followers, youve probably heard that the March population survey left one horse unaccounted for. The body of Rambo, X15W, was later found and the population of the Maryland herd now sits at 100 horses, the top range of the resource management goal of 80-100 horses. Pictured here, Rambo, showing off his long mane and forelock, died a 16 year old stallion. Not too shabby for a stallion who fought for mares, living wild and free in the harsh environment on Assateague Island. A lot has changed on Assateague Island since his birth. From 1994-2004 the population of the Maryland herd was between 166-175 horses. At that population size, the oldest living stallion was just shy of 18 and the majority of stallions were between 1 and 10 years old. Compared to data from 2012 when the population hovered around 110 horses, the oldest stallions were 21 years old with the majority of stallions between 12-21 years. With a reduced population the island is better able to support and sustain horses and other wildlife, and as a result the horses are healthier and living longer.
Posted on: Wed, 21 May 2014 11:00:00 +0000
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