The body condition of feral ponies on Assateague Island

The summer body condition of 47 adult feral ponies on Assateague Island (off the coast of Maryland, USA) was assessed in June 1988 using a visual body condition scoring system. Winter body condition for 36 of the ponies was assessed in February and March, 1989. The ponies were categorised by gender, reproductive status and location on the island, and body condition scores of the ponies in each category were then compared by statistical analyses. No significant seasonal differences were found in the body conditions of the ponies. However, body condition of stallions was better than that of mares. Also, lactating mares had lower body condition scores than non-lactating mares. Finally, in the summer, ponies on the southern part of the island were in better condition than those on the northern end where food and other resources were more limited. Thus gender, reproductive status and habitat, according to the criteria of this study, all had an effect on the body condition of Assateague Island feral ponies, whereas seasonal effects were not evident. Future studies could clarify the correlation between the condition of the mares during the breeding season and birth rate and survival of foals the following spring.