Assateague Island Alliance - AIA Community

08/22/2026

With it being Joy’s Birthday, there have been questions and concerns about him. AIA cannot officially announce the passing of a horse without confirmation from the National Park Service. That confirmation may come if the horse is found and NPS is notified, or through the park’s next official herd census.

Until then, we are unable to make an official announcement. We know how much these horses mean to everyone and appreciate your understanding as we wait for official confirmation.

08/22/2026

Good rainy morning! Beach Yoga is CANCELLED today. Join AIA for Full Moon Yoga this Friday, 8/28/26 at 7pm and next Saturday at 8am.

08/20/2026

They may walk through our campgrounds, stand beside our roads and seem completely comfortable around people—but the horses of Assateague are wild animals, and we need to help keep them that way.

Giving wildlife at least 40 feet of space — about one bus length — isn’t only about protecting people. It protects the horses, too.

Approaching, touching, feeding or crowding them can change their natural behavior and teach them that people, food and vehicles are nothing to fear. Sometimes loving wildlife means simply standing back and allowing them to be wild.

The article below is an important reminder about what can happen when the line between wildlife and human interaction becomes blurred.

👇 Please take a few minutes to read and share.

https://rachelcarsoncouncil.org/playing-with-ponies-human-wildlife-interactions-on-assateague-island/

And when you visit Assateague, remember:

GIVE ’EM 40.

Give them space.

Keep them wild. Keep them safe❤️

08/20/2026

We want to address two specific topics that have been heavily discussed over the last few days: the relocation of Susi’s foal to Chincoteague and the name selection. While these are incredibly important to our community, these topics have now been thoroughly covered. Unfortunately, even positive posts about the foal are drawing repetitive arguments and rhetoric that pull our focus away from supportive, civil discussion. Going forward, we will be removing any new posts or comments regarding the foal transfer or the naming process. The decisions have been made, the updates have been shared, and it is time to give the situation—and our comment sections—some breathing room. Thank you for helping us keep this space respectful and focused on the immediate welfare of the herd.

08/18/2026

The loss of Susi remains heavy on all of our hearts. The grief, anger, and frustration being felt throughout our community are understandable. We care deeply about these horses, and when we lose one so tragically, it is natural to have questions and to want answers.

Over the past several days, we at Assateague Island Alliance have allowed more flexibility with our usual page guidelines because we understand that people needed a place to grieve, express their emotions, and process what happened.

As we move forward, however, we ask that our conversations remain respectful and grounded in what we know to be true. There is an important difference between asking questions and spreading speculation. We will not discourage respectful questions, concerns, or conversations about what happened to Susi or about ways we can better protect the horses in the future. At the same time, accusations, personal attacks, and rumors presented as fact do not help the horses or this community.

We may not have every answer right now, but that does not mean we stop caring, asking thoughtful questions, or looking for ways to make Assateague safer.

Going forward, comments or posts that are mean-spirited, personally attacking, or based on unverified rumors may be removed. Respectful disagreement and constructive discussion are welcome.

We all share the same goal: protecting this remarkable herd.

Let’s honor Susi by turning our grief into something meaningful—through education, advocacy, responsible behavior, and continued efforts to make the island safer for the horses who remain.

For Susi, and for all of them. ❤️

08/17/2026

From a friend of Assateague Island Alliance. Lots of good information to help us in moving forward.

©equus ferus-wild horse photography® & ©karen mclain studio We need your help We need the public’s help at Assateague. We need data on any horse-vehicle interactions (fatal, injured, or near-mi…

08/16/2026

The Assateague Island Alliance (AIA)⁠ is the official Friends Group of Assateague Island National Seashore. It was created specifically to help the National Park Service accomplish things that normal federal funding and staffing may not fully cover. The NPS describes AIA’s mission as supporting the park’s preservation, education, stewardship, and recreational opportunities.

In practical terms, AIA helps the park by:

* Raising money for the National Seashore. Memberships, donations, grants, fundraisers and programs generate money that can be directed toward park needs.
* Supporting the wild horse management program. AIA says proceeds from activities such as its horse-naming fundraisers typically support the National Seashore’s wild horse management program.
* Funding horse-management staff/interns. AIA currently highlights that donations have fully funded two Horse Management Interns who educate visitors and encourage behaviors that protect people and horses.
* Protecting wildlife and habitat by helping fund research, monitoring, education and conservation projects.
* Providing education and outreach, including programs for adults and children, citizen science, publications and other educational efforts.
* Organizing volunteers to assist with projects and stewardship activities.
* Helping pay for physical improvements and preservation projects. The NPS says AIA funds can support educational exhibits, historic-structure preservation, natural-resource monitoring, capital improvements and recreational opportunities.
* Creating specific horse-safety projects. One excellent example is the “A Fed Horse Is a Dead Horse” campaign. AIA raised money and obtained grant support for cooler straps and 222 food-storage tables throughout the island to prevent horses from accessing human food.

One important distinction is that AIA doesn’t manage the National Seashore or make/enforce park regulations. The National Park Service does that. AIA is the nonprofit partner that can raise private money, obtain grants, organize volunteers, educate the public and fund projects the NPS identifies as beneficial to the park. The formal relationship is described by NPS as implementing “mutually agreed to projects, programs, and activities” for the benefit of the National Seashore.

08/16/2026

We want to acknowledge what many of you are seeing and hearing regarding the young c**t being removed from Assateague Island.

We are learning about this at the same time you are. Assateague Island Alliance was not involved in making this decision or in the arrangements for his removal. These plans were made by the National Park Service following the tragic loss of his mother.

The c**t has now been removed from the island and has been taken into the care of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.

We understand that people have many questions, and we do too. Rather than speculate or share information that has not been confirmed, we want to wait until we receive accurate information directly from the National Park Service regarding the circumstances, decision-making process, and plans moving forward.

As soon as NPS provides us with additional information that we are able to share, we will share it with you.

We know how deeply people care about this c**t and the Assateague horses, especially after such a heartbreaking week. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding while we wait for confirmed information.

08/16/2026

We are aware of the post describing the scene. We cannot confirm or deny those claims but the post has been removed. AIA is not privy to the specific details surrounding Susi’s death. The NPS does not release this information to AIA and only they and the police have those details.

08/15/2026

We know emotions are running high right now — and we understand why. We are upset, angry, heartbroken and concerned too. We care deeply about the horses and all of the wildlife on Assateague, and recent events have affected all of us.

Please understand that removing certain posts or comments does not mean we are trying to silence anyone, nor does it mean we don’t care. Quite the opposite.

There are important conversations that need to happen about protecting the wildlife on Assateague, and we want this to be a place where those conversations can happen. But comments that are rude, disrespectful, threatening, argumentative simply for the sake of arguing, or that spread unverified information will be removed. They don’t help the situation, and they distract from what we should all be focused on.

We are just as concerned as everyone else. We want change too.

It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to be frustrated. It’s okay to ask questions and have different opinions about what needs to happen next. But we ask that everyone please keep the conversation respectful and productive.

At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: for the horses and all of Assateague’s wildlife to be safe and protected.

Let’s put our energy there. ❤️