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Many years ago, according to legend, a 16th century Spanish galleon got caught in a violent storm on the way to South America. The ship was wrecked off the coast of Assateague Island, a 37-mile barrier island off the coasts of Maryland and Virginia. Seventeen Arabian horses that were on board the ship managed to swim to the safety of the island, where they ate what they could to survive, including coarse saltmarsh cordgrass, American beachgrass, bayberry twigs, rose hips, seaweed, and even poison ivy. They also drank salt water. This poor diet stunted the horses’ growth, and the salt water gave their stomachs a bloated appearance. Over the years, the wild horses continued to thrive and breed on the island, evolving into what is known today as the Chincoteague Pony.
As immigrants from Virginia settled on neighboring Chincoteague Island in the late 1600s, the ponies often swam the narrow channel between the islands to raid crops. The farmers soon found the ponies to be ideal for work and pleasure.
Today, the breed is separated into two groups on Assateague, divided by the Maryland and Virginia state lines. The Maryland group is managed by the Maryland Park Service, while the Virginia group is managed by the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. A veterinarian checks the herd twice a year and vaccinates the ponies against encephalitis, rabies and tetanus. They are also dewormed and checked for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) and their hooves are trimmed.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service restricts the Virginia herd to about 150 full-grown ponies. To help maintain this limit, an annual Pony Round-up and Pony Swim is held each year on the last Wednesday and Thursday in July. Volunteer firemen herd the ponies across the channel at “slack tide”, which means that the water is at its calmest and the tide is neither coming in nor going out. The swim normally takes the ponies about 10 minutes. Most of the foals are auctioned, and the rest of the herd is allowed to swim back across the channel. The tradition began in 1924 as a fund-raiser for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.
In 1940, the Chincoteague Ponies were made famous in the book “Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry. The book detailed the true story of a pony purchased at the round up. “Stormy, Misty’s Foal” followed in 1963, and “Misty’s Twilight” was published in 1992.
Today, privately owned Chincoteague Ponies are found in many parts of the United States. Gale Park Frederick formed the National Chincoteague Pony Association in 1984 to promote the breed across the United States and Canada. She keeps a small herd of the ponies on her farm in Bellingham, Washington.
Chincoteague Ponies are mostly pinto and are palomino-bay on white. However, blacks and sorrels are sometimes found as well. The breed is known for its hardy, well-proportioned appearance and strong, muscular body. Their manes and tails are extra thick, and they grow heavy coats of hair in the winter months, resulting in a shaggy appearance. The ponies have expressive faces with large, wide-set eyes. They are small in stature, generally not reaching over 14 hands and weighing about 750 pounds. Chincoteague Ponies are good-natured, gentle and intelligent.
For more information:
The National Chincoteague Pony Association
2595 Jensen Road
Bellingham, WA 98226
The Chincoteague Pony Association
P.O. Box 407
Chincoteague Island, VA 23336-0407
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