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There are several local legends about the origins of the ponies on Assateague. The most popular (as found in Misty of Chincoteague) is that the ponies swam ashore from a Spanish ship that had run aground, while another story has it that they came from a wrecked ship that had been on its way to the English colonies. A third claims that pirates brought the ponies to the island. Some historians assert that the ponies are simply descendants of livestock turned loose by early settlers

In any event, the ponies have been on Assateague for about 300 years. 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. 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.

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.

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. While pony penning on the islands can be traced back to the 17th century, the modern version was organized in 1924 by the fire company as a fund raiser.

Because 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.

Source: "Firefighters care for herd" which appeared in The Daily Times on July 20th, 1995.
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Horse enthusiasts attending this year’s Chincoteague Pony Penning and Auction will have the rare opportunity of seeing wild animals that are well cared for by man.

What many visitors may not realize, however, is that maintaining the ponies’ health and welfare is a year-round effort. As in years past, the sometimes daily responsibility of tending to the herd rests with members of the Chicoteague Volunteer Fire Company’s Pony Committee.

"Some of the ponies live better than some people I know," pony committee member Chris Bowden said.

Like other members of the committee, Bowden said his love of horses gives him a personal interest in caring for the ponies. In turn, his personal interest allows him to do whatever it takes to ensure their welfare.

"1 really enjoy being around horses, but I can't afford to own one," Bowden said. "As a member of the pony committee, I feel like I own 150 horses."

As the June 26 [1995] pony swim approaches, Bowden and fellow committee members begin to concentrate on the herd's safe passage across the Assateague Channel. The process begins the Sunday before the ponies make the 500-yard swim to Chincoteague Island and can take days to accomplish.

Prior to the swim, riders on horseback go to the northern end of Assateague Island to gather bands of ponies into holding areas. Later, those ponies are run down the beach to holding pens located on the southern portion of the island. Eventually, all ponies are held on Southern Assateague Island.

After the herds are combined, the ponies are examined by veterinarians to determine their fitness to make the swim to Chincoteague Island. This year, the ponies are under the care of veterinarians Charles and Paula Cameron of the Eastern Shore Animal Hospital. The Camerons serve as the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company’s veterinarians.

"On the days of the swim and the return swim, there is a vet present to make sure that the ponies are okay." Bowden explained.

Bowden said special measures are taken for ponies physically unable to make the swims. "If a vet says a pony can't make the swim, we load it in a trailer and take it to the carnival grounds by road," Bowden said.

When slack tide occurs on the morning of swim day, the ponies are led to the shore to make the swim to Chincoteague. The swim route is lined with official and private boats.

The ponies make the swim during slack tide to prevent younger animals from being swept down the channel. The boats are welcome as they provide a lane for the ponies.

Veterinarians closely monitor the swim to watch for signs of distress. The veterinarians are fully equipped to deal with the rare emergencies that may arise. To date, a pony has never been lost In the channel, according to every source connected with the event.

After the ponies come ashore on Chincoteague Island, they are rested for approximately one hour before being taken to the carnival grounds. After spending the night at the grounds, the foals are sold at auction the following day. Pony committee members say the auction allows the fire company to maintain a herd of 150 ponies on Assateague Island.

Failure to keep the herd size in check could lead to starvation or upset the balance of nature on the island. The fire company is allowed to keep 150 ponies on the island under a federal grazing permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Event organizers are quick to point out that unweaned foals are not permitted to leave the island following the auction.

After the ponies are sold, special attention Is given to the method in which they're transported to their new homes. State law governs the modes of transportation and .requires they be safe for the animals. Usually, a horse trailer or a pickup truck with a safe pen in the load area may be used.

Suitable shipping crates and other such means, approved by the Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals or the American Horse Protection Association (AHPA), are allowed.

After the foals are sold and the remainder of the herd returned to Assateague Island, the pony committee, along with the Fish and Wildlife Service, resume the never ending job of caring for the animals.

Each spring and fall, the ponies are rounded up and examined by veterinarians. The ponies are vaccinated, dewormed and have their hooves trimmed.

Along with medical care, pony committee members feed Injured ponies. Members travel to the Island to bore holes in the ice so the horses have water to drink during freezing conditions.

Source: by Nancy Namoski,"Chincoteague Insights," in The Chincoteague Beacon (published in 1995)
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An orphaned Chincoteague pony colt was saved last week by Arthur Leonard and a mare willing to nurse an orphaned foal.

Bob and Myrna Tarr of Chincoteague saw the colt alone on Assateague Island. "He was all by himself with no other horses around him," Leonard said.

The Tarrs stopped by the Refuge Motel to report the orphaned foal just as Leonard returned to the motel from the Osprey's evening cruises.

He contacted John Bloxom, chairman of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company Pony Committee. They found the colt on the Black Duck Marsh of Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

"We determined he was an orphan," Leonard said. "We don't know what happened to his mother." The brown and white pinto colt is about 3 weeks old.

The colt was on a march separated from road by a ditch filled with water about 6 or 7 feet deep. Leonard and Bloxom had to borrow a small boat from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to cross the deep ditch.

It was about 8:30 p.m. and becoming dark. Bloxom called a fire truck to the refuge to shine its large lights across the marsh, and other fire fighters joined the search.

"It shows how much the firemen care about the ponies. About 30 guys were running after this little colt," Leonard said. "They were really concerned about it."

The little pony was weak and lethargic, "but every time we would go to catch him, he would have just enough energy to get away into the marsh," Leonard said.

He did not want to ruin his shoes in the marsh, so he was running barefoot after the colt.

Finally, the firefighters lost the colt. They gave up the search around 10 p.m., deciding the pony way lying down in the brush where they could not find him in the darkness.

Leonard returned alone to the marsh around noon the next day. "I was determined to catch the colt because he was in such bad shape," he said. This time, he went into the marsh with hip boots and a rope.

Leonard has years of experience catching colts at the Pony Penning Auction corral and bringing them out before the bidders. He caught the orphaned colt in the same area where the firemen lost the pony the night before.

He then had to call his wife, Mary Esther, on the car phone so she could come to the refuge to drive his pickup truck while he held the colt in the back.

They took the little pony to Donald Leonard's barn on the north end of the island. The orphan drank homogenized milk with sugar and ate some grain, but he really needed a mother's milk.

Michael’s Mare came to the rescue. She was producing milk for her own foal, who was about 2 months and old enough to be weaned.

The Leonards took the mare's own foal away for part of the day so the orphan could nurse. Michael's Mare adopted the colt and gave him milk just like he was her own baby. The mare is owned by Michael, son of Carlton Leonard and grandson of Donald Leonard.

The colt's ribs are still showing, but he is growing stronger every day. Arthur Leonard is glad that the Tarrs saw the colt alone on the refuge and reported it. "I don’t know how long he would have lasted in the wild," Arthur said. "He was in really bad shape."

[Note: The pony has since been returned to Assateague by Arthur Leonard and is doing fine.]

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