Five New Foals Await Names at Assateague Island

Assateague Island is celebrating the arrival of five new foals, and the public has a unique opportunity to name them. This initiative not only allows people to connect with the island's wildlife but also supports the National Seashore's wild horse management program.

The four foals, identified as N2BHS-O, N2BHS-AO, N2BHS-AIO, and N10T-JO, are in need of more suitable names. The naming rights for N6BMT-FO were raffled off, with the winner's suggestion pending approval from National Seashore Superintendent Debbie Darden. Only 500 tickets were sold at $20 each for this raffle.

The remaining foals' naming rights will be auctioned on eBay under the seller name “AIA2009,” managed by the Assateague Island Alliance, a nonprofit organization supporting the National Seashore. N2BHS-O's auction is currently live and will end on November 11, with the highest bidder earning the naming rights. This unmarked sorrel colt was born on April 18.

Subsequent auctions will follow, concluding by mid-December. Each auction starts at $300, with last year's event raising $7,900 for the park and the wild horse management program.

“It’s really exciting, with five new foals, it gives people more opportunity to further connect to the island, and makes an interesting story to tell,” said Ashlie Kozlowski, AIA outreach coordinator. “People really connect with the horses, and it’s one of the main reasons people keep coming back year after year.”

Kozlowski noted that funds raised would support genetic testing for the herd, aiding in effective population management. “Some people don’t agree with the program, some people love it,” she added. “People will make gifts of the names, or choose one born on the same day.”

The program is expected to grow alongside the herd next year. “We’re at 88 horses right now,” Kozlowski said, indicating that no contraception will be administered this year.

Since 1994, the park has used contraceptives to manage the herd's population, which once reached about 170 horses, exceeding the habitat's capacity. Allison Turner, the biological technician managing the herd since the late 1980s, explained that PZP, a Porcine Zona Pellucida vaccine, is used to prevent fertilization by deactivating sperm receptors in egg cells.

“We have 45 mares, and they all could foal next year,” Kozlowski said. While unlikely, next year could be another significant one for Assateague Island.

Originally posted by Ocean City Today