State Animal
Horse
Equus caballus
Description Needs little description, as it is virtually identical to its progenitor, the domestic horse. Very large animal with elongate snout, mane, long tail, and large, semi-circular, uncloven hooves. Western race larger than Assateague (East Coast) race. Ht western 1415 hands (48"5/1.421.52 m); Assateague rarely over 13 hands (44"/1.32 m); Wt western male 795860 lb (360390 kg), western female 595750 lb (270340 kg); Assateague Wt unavailable.
Breeding Reproductive season generally late springearly autumn. Gestation about 11 months, with estrus following birth by 711 days. Often reproduces in alternate years, especially when food is scarce. 1 (rarely 2) young born fully haired with eyes open.
Habitat Variable: densely forested, mountainous terrain, brushlands, dry ridges, and swamps.
Range In West, Oregon, California, Nevada (largest population), Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. In East, on Assateague Island National Seashore and in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge off coast of Maryland and Virginia. Also, some feral horses on Shackleford Island, off North Carolina, and on Cumberland Island, off Georgia.
Discussion The horse was domesticated in southern Ukraine about 5,000 years ago, and domestic horses have been introduced all over the world. Today there are feral populations on the East Coast and in the western U.S. The feral (or wild) horse spends about 80 percent of the day grazing and 20 percent resting; at night it grazes about 50 percent of the time. The horse is entirely herbivorous, eating a great variety of grasses and forbs in summer. In winter, it becomes a browser, in the West feeding heavily on brushy species such as saltbush, rabbit bush, sagebrush, and greasewood. About 80 percent of the diet of the Assateague Ponies of the East is grasses, particularly salt-marsh cordgrass, followed by American beach grass, American three-square rush, giant reed phragmites, and various woody plants in winter. Intestinal microfauna help facilitate digestion of cellulose. The animal drinks water from freshwater pools.
The wild horse exhibits several vocalizations: snorts, which indicate danger and are used mostly by the stallion; neighs, which are a distress call, used mostly by the mare; nickers, for communication and courtship; squeals, used by the female when the male sniffs her genitalia, or by the male as a sign of aggression; and screams, the aggressive call of the male. The wild horse also has facial expressions. One is the greeting, in which the head is extended to touch another horses muzzle and lips; the greeting can change to the threat, in which the ears are directed backward, with the mouth possibly open as well. Another characteristic expression is the flehmen, in which the neck is extended and the upper lip curled, exposing the teeth; this expression is used by a stallion during pre-copulatory activity with a mare.
There are two types of social groups among wild horses: territorial and harem. Territorial groups consist of males and females, and can change in number and sex ratio at any time. Harem groups are made up of one or two dominant males with five or six mares. These groups stay together even if the stallion is lost or replaced by another stallion; a mature mare rarely changes harem group. The dominant individual in a harem group is usually a mature male; if there is currently no dominant male, it may be the dominant female who rules. The dominant individual leads the herd to forage or to water. A dominant stallion has exclusive rights to the mares in the harem; he may herd them by biting their necks, flanks, or hindquarters if they move too slowly. The stallion needs to defend his harem against other stallions trying to raid it. In confrontations between stallions, the two stare at each other; then they both defecate, smell the feces, and again stare. Either combatant may leave; if one does not, the two move toward each other, necks arched and tails high. They sniff each other, emit screams, and then may fight, standing side by side, kicking, and attempting to knock the other off balance, until one or the other leaves or is beaten. A young male wards off attack by exhibiting a type of submissive behavior known as champing: The young male moves toward the stallion, facing him nose to nose, but the ears are in the upright (non-threatening) position. A solitary horse is usually an adolescent male, a male who has matured and is trying to establish his own harem, or an old stallion who has lost his harem.The mare becomes sexually active at about three years of age; she separates from the band when about to give birth. Shortly after it is born, the newborn runs and swims with the mother; it is returned to the band in a few hours. The foal, which nurses four to seven times per hour, is protected by its own mother and other members of the band. Nursing decreases until weaning occurs, around the time a new foal is produced. The young horse then disperses to a different area.
Mutual grooming occurs between members of a herd; it consists of using the incisor teeth to groom the neck, withers, and base of the mane. The horse also self-grooms by rubbing some part of its body against a tree or fence post, or by rolling in dusting areas or in water or mud. Mutual grooming helps to maintain social ties.
Wild ponies on Assateague Island have no important enemies except humans and biting flies. Horses sometimes walk through thick brush or enter water to rid themselves of the flies. The origin of the Assateague Pony is not clear, but it has been present in its current range for at least three centuries. Originally this pony was a solid color, but many are now brown and white as a result of interbreeding with other ponies released in the region early in the 20th century. It is thought that the original Assateague animals were full-size, and that the small size is not genetically based, but possibly related to diet. The population size of the herd on the Assateague Island National Seashore is maintained by seashore personnel at 150 animals by birth-control measures, but otherwise is not manipulated. The Chincoteague animals are managed by the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, which sells foals and adds horses to its herd.
