<Ul> <Li> Equus ferus caballus </Li> </Ul> <Li> Equus ferus caballus </Li> <P> The Cumberland Island horses are a band of feral horses living on Cumberland Island in the state of Georgia . Popular myth holds that horses arrived on the island some time in the 16th century with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors . However, it is unlikely that any horses left by the Spanish survived, and more likely the current population descends from horses brought to the island in the 18th century by the English . Cumberland Island became part of the Cumberland Island National Seashore in 1972, when the National Park Service (NPS) took over its management . These horses are similar to the bands of horses living on the islands of Chincoteague and Assateague . There is estimated to be a population of between 150 and 200 horses on the island . Horses on Cumberland Island have a relatively short life expectancy, due to pest infestations, disease and their rugged environment . In 2000 a behavioral study found that instability marks the bands, with large numbers of co-dominant stallions, early dispersal of juveniles, and frequent band - changing among mares . </P> <P> The herd has been studied periodically since the late 1980s, with researchers recommending various management strategies depending on the focus of their study . Current herd levels have been shown to have a negative effect on their environment, and researchers focused on environmental issues recommend a severe reduction in herd numbers . Other researchers, looking at genetic variability, state that a herd size nearly as large as current is necessary to prevent inbreeding, but also state the herd is not genetically unique enough to warrant special preservation . The National Park Service has no current management plan for the horses, and their one effort to create one was blocked by Jack Kingston, a Georgia member of the US House of Representatives . </P>

Where did the horses on cumberland island come from