Secret Life of Canada

Sable Island: A wild horse sanctuary like no other

Leah and Falen dig into the history of a remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia where horses roam free.

The uninhabited island has a wild horse population of around 350 (as estimated in 2023)

A singular horse looks to the sky while standing atop a hill on Sable Island. The text "WHERE HORSES RULE" is written above it.
Sable Island is well known for its population of wild horses, and these feral horses are protected by law. (Photo by Robert Short/CBC)

Sable Island is the stuff of legends. A desolate tiny island in the Atlantic Ocean, where no one is permitted to live, except for wild horses. We figure out how they got there, how they've lived without humans since the 1700s and why many scientists think it's time to remove the horses out of their unique habitat.

Five horses stand on the sandy shore of the pond.
The island is protected and managed by Parks Canada. (Robert Short/CBC)

Listen to the Sable Island episode here, and get transcripts of our series here.

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