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  Absolutely Everything You Ever Wanted to
Know About the Ponies on the Atlantic Islands of Chincoteague &
Assateague off the Coast
of Virginia* |
Henry Mallard has been to many places in the world and has strong opinions about them all. |
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The
Chincoteague Ponies
And here's what raised Darwin's bushy eyebrows. Occasionally, one or two wouldn't make it, so there would be a little more marsh grass for those who did. "Analogy would lead me to the belief," Darwin later wrote, "that all animals and plants are descended from some one prototype, and I believe it to be marsh grass." He went on to say, "Furthermore, it is my considered opinion, that this swimming of the channel has some deeper meaning that will only be understood by later generations." As for the legend that the ponies arrived on Assateague from a Spanish or English ship that ran aground, Darwin wrote, "That is nonsense. This hardy little equine species didn't need a boat - they swam here."
It took almost one hundred years - until 1920 - for the islanders to form a fire company to do something about the ponies. (Actually, a fire on September 5th, 1920, which destroyed a whole block was also involved in the decision to start a fire company.) Being short of funds, the fire company - in 1924 - decided to pen and sell some of the ponies. Now, each year on the last Wednesday in July, foals and yearlings from the fire company's herd, escorted by Chincoteague cowboys, swim the channel from Assateague to Chincoteague. On Thursday they are auctioned off, and those that are not sold will eventually swim back to Assateague for their traditional meal of marsh grass. (See also the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce web site - "Ponies & Fire Co.")
So back to the ponies. While the early ponies had solid coloring, a good number now have brown and white patches due to interbreeding with new ponies brought to the island in the last hundred years. (Actually, as you can see in my photos, the patches are gray and white.) The mating season runs from around May to September; the young (one and sometimes two) are born about eleven months later. While the ponies may show up just about anywhere on Assateague, on the refuge it's most likely that you'll spot them in the marshes on the south side of the island's main road. Sometimes, you'll find that the observation platform located along the Woodland Trail is a good place to view them. And sometimes, they can be seen along the Wildlife Loop or in the beach parking area. I like to look in on them a few days before the annual swim - they are rounded up and penned along the main Assateague road near Toms Cove. After the swim and before the auction, you can visit with them on the carnival grounds.
Today, a fence on the state line between Virginia and Maryland separates the island's
two herds of about 120-150 ponies each. The National Park Service watches over the
Maryland herd on the northern part of the island, and the Virginia ponies -
known as
"Chincoteague ponies" - are the property of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire
Company. Because, as Darwin noted in his fine book, the ponies graze on the salty marsh grasses - saltmarsh cordgrass and American beachgrass in particular - they drink much more than other horses and usually appear to be bloated or fat. Chincoteague ponies sold by the Fire Company are eligible for registration in the Chincoteague Pony Association Registry. |
At
that time, the ponies were in the habit of enjoying a hearty meal of
marsh grass and then swimming across Assateague Channel every few days
to see if anyone on Chincoteague wanted to buy them. But the islanders,
who fished and raised oysters a good part of the time, had little use
for aquatic ponies - "There are those darned seahorses again,"
they would say, "the Fire Company should do something about
them!" Since there was no fire company yet on Chincoteague, nothing
was done. Frustrated in their efforts, the ponies would swim back
to Assateague and eat more marsh grass.
The
ponies in Darwin's time would be pleased to see how well the Fire
Company has organized things. On a good number of days in July (see the
Events Listing in my 