Come on, say it with me…
OMG PONIES!!!1
… I had to do it. Seriously, though, I know you’ve seen them (tell me you haven’t missed them), but how much do you really know about the fabulous Assateague Ponies? In addition to being super cute, they are really a fascinating little animal community.
A lot of people will tell you to go see the “wild ponies” at Assateague, but technically the ponies are feral, not wild — wild means an animal that has never been domesticated, but the Assateague ponies were actually brought to this country in captivity by European settlers, and were reintroduced into the world. Technically, America has no “wild horses.” No word on whether or not Assateague ponies could actually drag Mick Jagger away.
Some people will also tell you a terribly romantic story about how the ponies were first introduced when a Spanish galleon carrying horses crashed on the rocks off Maryland’s coast. However, the US government has categorized this story as a “legend,” and the version widely acknowledged to be true is that English settlers in the 17th century set their ponies free on the island to avoid paying steep livestock taxes.
The breed has no true “type” or standard description because their heritage includes a mixture of different breeds. They do tend to be small and very hearty, capable of surviving extreme weather conditions outdoors. They come in all colors and a wide variety of patterns. To many of us, though, including one somewhat nostalgic blogger in Maryland, the classic Chincoteague pony is Misty, made famous by Marguerite Henry in her classic young-adult novels. Misty was a real pony, and her descendants are still being bred and shown as “ambassadors” of Chincoteague.
Once a year on “Pony Penning Day,” locals herd the ponies from Assateague to Chincoteague, leading them to swim across the river and through the town. The ponies are groomed, cared for and sold at auction to benefit the maintenance of the herds.