▁horses ▁were ▁significantly ▁reducing ▁plant ▁stock s ▁on ▁the ▁island , ▁and ▁reducing ▁future ▁plant ▁production ▁due ▁to ▁tram pling . ▁A ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁study ▁of ▁gen etic ▁variation ▁in ▁fer al ▁horse ▁her ds ▁on ▁eastern ▁US ▁bar rier ▁islands ▁was ▁conducted ▁by ▁research ers ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Georgia ▁and ▁University ▁of ▁Kentucky . ▁The ▁study ▁concluded ▁that ▁a ▁her d ▁of ▁ 1 2 2 ▁was ▁the ▁minimum ▁size ▁necessary ▁to ▁prevent ▁in bre eding . ▁The ▁research ers ▁noted ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁looking ▁at ▁her d ▁size ▁sole ly ▁as ▁it ▁related ▁to ▁gen etic ▁variation , ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁environmental ▁damage ▁into ▁consideration . ▁In ▁addition , ▁it ▁was ▁found ▁that ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁introduced ▁blood ▁from ▁outside ▁horses , ▁the ▁C umber land ▁Island ▁horses ▁were ▁not ▁gen et ically ▁unique . ▁Due ▁to ▁this , ▁and ▁the ▁on going ▁environmental ▁damage , ▁it ▁was ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁horses ▁met ▁neither ▁the ▁gen etic ▁nor ▁the ▁environmental ▁requirements ▁for ▁fer al ▁horses ▁on ▁public ▁lands ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁her d ▁should ▁be ▁reduced ▁or ▁removed ▁completely . ▁The ▁research ers ▁conced ed , ▁however , ▁that ▁their ▁analysis ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁" local ▁historical ▁and ▁cultural ▁elements " ▁into ▁consideration , ▁only ▁environmental ▁and ▁gen etic . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁the ▁N PS ▁began ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁developing ▁a ▁management ▁plan ▁for ▁the ▁C umber land ▁Island ▁horse . ▁After ▁compiling ▁information , ▁they ▁released