Wild Horses

Feral horses that roam freely across the island, descended from horses brought by Spanish missionaries and later settlers

Cumberland Island's wild horses are one of its most immediately visible and memorable features. Around 150 to 200 horses roam freely across the island — through the maritime forest, onto the beach, through the ruins of Dungeness, past the visitor dock. They are completely accustomed to human presence and will walk within a few metres without concern.

The National Park Service asks visitors not to feed the horses or attempt to pet them, both for the horses' welfare and because they can kick. Watching them is entirely unrestricted. Early morning on the beach, when the light is good and the horses come down to graze on the wrack line, is one of those wildlife encounters that stays with you. They are present all over the island but particularly common in the southern third, around the Dungeness area.

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A story
The horses arrived on Cumberland Island in the 16th century with Spanish missionaries who established missions on the Georgia coast. Subsequent waves of settlers brought more horses; when the missions were abandoned and the settlers eventually left, the horses stayed. They have lived wild on the island for generations, adapting to a diet of marsh grass and coastal vegetation. Genetic studies suggest the Cumberland Island horses retain some of the oldest equine bloodlines on the East Coast.

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