The norm on Assateague Island, Maryland is wild horses that roam around the island, and the locals are pretty used to them. Although they can’t get away sneaking up on locals as they’re so well known, with the tourists who visit, it’s a whole different story.
David Whitney is a frequent visitor to the Assateague National Park, and one day when he was relaxing on the beach in the park, he notices a group of horses arriving on the beach. Although he has seen these majestic creatures before, this is the first time he has seen them hanging out in the beach.
In an interview, Whitney had this to say about the visitors: “We (along with most other people) noticed a fairly large group (about five to six in size) of horses go onto the beach after the lifeguards left.” As the horses knew they shouldn’t be there, they waited till the coast was clear before they snuck over to the beach. Many people knew to keep their distance from these horses and admire them from afar. As some people had made the mistake and left their things unattended, the horses took this opportunity to raid these unattended things.
Each time these horses came across stuff that wasn’t being guarded, they looked for snacks and ransacked everything. However, when the owners notice their stuff being stolen, it was too late, as these huge horses were hungry and were adamant on getting their snacks. Everyone had to just wait and watch as these horses’ dragged coolers across the beach, and all they could do was laugh at the cute band of horse thieves. Whitney also said that: “The horses probably hit more than a dozen different groups as they made their way down the beach.”
Although these horses on Assateague Island are tame, if people start feeding them, they tend to get aggressive, asking for more food, hence the rule against feeding them. No matter the rules, there are times that horses take matters into their own hands. Whitney also had this to say: “At first we just thought the situation was cute and funny.
The horses weren’t being very destructive and were just going through people's stuff. However, as they went down the beach, they became more forceful and aggressive, with the horses busting open coolers … Nobody got hurt, so things remained largely entertaining, but it was a good reminder to people that these horses are still wild.” Although these horses are absolutely stunning, they should always be admired from afar, as after all, they are wild animal, and the island is their home. This is why if you leave your things unattended on the beach, they think that it’s within their rights to have at it, as it’s horse rules.
