06/27/2025
Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia, USA is home to nearly 200 wild horses! Cumberland Island National Seashore is a barrier island off the southernmost corner of Georgia, and has been preserved as a national park since 1972. It is 16 miles long and 3 miles wide, and is a mix of swamps, marshland, and forests. The island is only accessible by boat and no cars are allowed. The horses on the island are believed to be descendants of the horses brought by the English in the 18th century and are genetically related to Tennessee Walkers, Arabians, and American Quarter Horses. The first sighting of horses on the island was in 1742. Throughout the 1800s, horses were transported to the island for recreation and work, brought by the Carnegie family and stabled at the famous Dungeness mansion, but by the 1900s, the horses were abandoned on the island. The horses have a short life span due to the harsh terrain of the island, parasitic infections, and disease. Concerns about the herd’s impact on native species and terrain have been debated for decades. Population size, lack of genetic diversity, and overgrazing have all been concerns since the 1990s, and there still is no consensus for a solution. The herd is the only herd on the Atlantic coast that is not cared for by humans, meaning no food, water, veterinary care or population control is provided to the horses. Currently, the herd is considered “feral, free-ranging and unmanaged” according to the National Park Service.