Examination

In 2017, Jenkins reached Sable Island and hoped she’d find at least a few horse carcasses. As per their expectations, the research team had plenty of samples to collect. Jenkins told The StarPhoenix that they found 30 viable sets of remains and left behind further 20 as they could not use or safely access them.

Endangered?

The team found that around 50 carcasses showed Sable Island’s horse population was under significant pressure. In that regard, Jenkins told CBC, “the year following their initial visit, they had only found five equine carcasses on the island. The 50 dead horses spotted in 2017 represented 10 percent of the island’s entire population of the feral animals.”

Conclusion

After analyzing the 30 sets of remains, Jenkins and the rest of the research team drew a handful of conclusions about why so many Sable Island horses had died. Jenkins, in an interview with The StarPhoenix, revealed, “The main finding was emaciation or starvation and hypothermia – especially for the young horses.”

Extra Care

Jenkins added, “All of the young horses we looked at were basically out of reserves. They had nothing left; they were emaciated.” This meant yearlings were not able to put on enough body fat to make it through the winter which ultimately led them to taste death. Under her observation,  foals were being nursed so that they could have a better chance of survival, as they were receiving crucial extra nutrition.

Hierarchy

Jenkins also explained that adult horses were more important in the species’ social hierarchy. If a fully grown horse had passed away, then, it would typically appear to be in better shape than the younger animals that had also deceased.  Therefore starvation wasn’t typically the only cause of death for the mature horses.

Photoshopped?

Sable Island tends to be covered with verdant green during summers and remains typically free of vegetation during winters. Upon seeing images of lush grasses covering the area in July and August, Jenkins was perplexed. She later recalled, “I’m like, ‘Did you guys Photoshop this?’ Because it’s green, totally green. And when I go out, it is brown. There is not a scrap of vegetation.”