Assateague Horse Humanely Euthanized

ASSATEAGUE- The wild horse struck by a vehicle on Assateague Island on August 6 had to be humanely euthanized on Wednesday, serving as a grim reminder to visitors to obey the speed limits and give the island’s famed residents plenty of space.

Around 9 p.m. on Monday, August 6, a two-year-old stallion known as Adriana’s Yankee Prince was struck by a motor vehicle on Assateague along the Route 611 causeway closest to the entry to the barrier island where many of the famed wild horses tend to congregate. Adriana’s Yankee Prince was found to have a swollen left hind leg, but was placing full weight on it and foraging without much difficulty at the time.

In addition, the injured horse had a small laceration on its left rib cage. Despite the injuries, Adriana’s Yankee Prince was monitored closely by the National Park Service and was expected early on to make a recovery. However, the horse was reported down in the saltmarsh and unable to stand early Wednesday morning. As a result, Adriana’s Yankee Prince had to be humanely euthanized on Wednesday.

The loss brings the total population of wild horses on the Maryland side of Assateague Island to 78, including 20 mares and 58 stallions. Two additional horses- Braidwood and Dani- were reported missing or presumed dead after the July census. The ideal population range for the wild horses on Assateague is 80-100,

With the loss of Adriana’s Yankee Prince this week, along with Braidwood and Dani, the number has now dipped below that threshold. One mare was found to be pregnant in 2018 based on the annual testing and birthed the foal in April. No other mares are known to be pregnant at this time.

Wednesday’s unfortunate loss of Adriana’s Yankee Pride is a reminder of the importance of using care and caution while driving on the island and interacting with its famous wild inhabitants. The horses often interact and mingle with the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the island with sometimes dangerous or deadly results.

Many of the horses inhabit wild and seldom visited areas of the island, but more than a few can routinely be seen in and around the visitor areas, interacting with vehicles, beach goers and campers. Of the 29 horses that have been killed on the roads on the island since 1982, 16 have been on the causeway near the bridge.

Drivers are reminded to be alert at all times on the barrier island. When approaching horses in or on the side of the road, it may be necessary to drive even slower than the posted speed limit as common sense would dictate. Unfortunately, common sense, like horse sense, is often in short supply with vacationers interacting with wild animals on the barrier island.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.