Eric and I are staying at Assateague State Park's Campground. Our campsite is seaside and there's always a breeze. We, along with everyone else want to see the island's wild horses.
Why are there wild horses on the Maryland and Virginia Shores? No one knows for sure... Some believe that the horses arrived in this region following a shipwreck. Others believe that 17th century farmers brought the horses' ancestors to this barrier island to graze, avoiding taxation and the cost of building fences.
The horses became wild because they were no longer cared for, purposefully bred, and used for work by humans. They are very hardy, thriving in a harsh environment that can be stormy, hot and mosquito plagued while eating poor-quality food.
The most important rule here is to stay 40 feet away from any wild horse. Visitors have been injured when trying to engage with horses that don't know how to interact with humans. (My pictures were taken with a camera with a long lens. At no time was I close enough to a horse to feel its breath.)
Eric & I walk around our
campground & watch
horses grazing near
camping trailers.
I notice that the horses are muscular with beautiful coats and manes. They're getting the nutrition they need and are well adapted to the Maryland Shore's varied climate.
Campers continue their activities
as horses saunter by...
beach grass.
Three others head to the
sandy beach.
The Horse Crossing Zone
includes every road in
this Campground.
This horse has unique markings.
Eric and I decided to ride our bikes to Assateague Island National Seashore to look for horses.
Eric stops to take a picture of the
horse ambling toward him.
He backs up as the horse
approaches.
A mare & her foal are safe
behind the guide rail.
photo of mom & her baby.
Horses, horses everywhere!
This horse almost melts into
the nearby sand dune.
Cars creep past horses
in the road.
Our visit to Assateague Island is everything I hoped for, and more! Sharing space with wild horses is a unique experience. And there have been no swarms of mosquitos during our stay.
