•5:13 PM
It is impossible to uncover for sure the origins of the herd of Chincoteague ponies. However, one very popular belief is that they originated from a Spanish galleon shipwrecked close to the islands. This theory is so probable that a book was written about it by John Amrhein.
The book "The Hidden Galleon" by John Amrhein portrays this theory very well. The La Galga, a Spanish galleon from 1750, was in fact shipwrecked not far from the island of Assateague. This is the island where the Chincoteague ponies have made their home. In that era, ships were dependent upon the light from lighthouses to guide them, and many were lost on sandbars near the shore during storms. Once grounded on the sandbar, the ship fell prey to the ravages of wind and waves. Mr. Amrhein then points out that this is also the time period when these ponies made their first appearance.
These horses might also by descendants of horses that were brought to the islands by farmers from the mainland. There weren't any fencing laws back then and livestock were allowed to roam and graze wherever they chose. It's quite possible that this herd could have come from this livestock that strayed and was left behind.
No matter how they got there, the horses made their home on the islands. But the islands gave them a harsh environment that hurt the breed. There was a definite lack of quality food available and that, coupled with rampant inbreeding, resulted in a very poor breed of pony. Many of them were stunted.
In an effort to combat the inbreeding and upgrade the stock, different breeds were brought into the herd. The first to be included were Shetland ponies and Welsh too. Horses with Pinto markings were also introduced.
The Bureau of Land Management gave the herd twenty mustangs in 1939. These horses were allowed to join the herd and help dilute the poor stock. On two different occasions, Arabian blood was also introduced to the herd. The first attempt was to add a stallion to the herd, but he did not survive. The second, more successful attempt was to cull mares from the herd and breed them with an Arabian stud. The mares were then placed back into the herd. This Arabian addition was an effort to add height to the pony breed.
The story of these rugged ponies wouldn't be complete without mentioning the tradition of pony penning. This tradition was already well established by the first written record of it in 1835. Today the practice is still going and has in fact become a very popular event that is held on the islands annually. It is also called the pony swim.
Prior to the pony swim, members of the herd are checked. All that might not make the crossing are removed. This includes the very young foals and mares that are in late stages of foaling. The rest of the ponies are brought across the water from Assateague to the island of Chincoteague. When they arrive veterinarians check them and then the older of the foals are auctioned off. The rest are returned to Assateague Island.
A visit to the annual Chincoteague ponies swim is a great vacation opportunity. One that is both fun and educational! Just be sure to reserve your spot early as the event is a very popular one.
The book "The Hidden Galleon" by John Amrhein portrays this theory very well. The La Galga, a Spanish galleon from 1750, was in fact shipwrecked not far from the island of Assateague. This is the island where the Chincoteague ponies have made their home. In that era, ships were dependent upon the light from lighthouses to guide them, and many were lost on sandbars near the shore during storms. Once grounded on the sandbar, the ship fell prey to the ravages of wind and waves. Mr. Amrhein then points out that this is also the time period when these ponies made their first appearance.
These horses might also by descendants of horses that were brought to the islands by farmers from the mainland. There weren't any fencing laws back then and livestock were allowed to roam and graze wherever they chose. It's quite possible that this herd could have come from this livestock that strayed and was left behind.
No matter how they got there, the horses made their home on the islands. But the islands gave them a harsh environment that hurt the breed. There was a definite lack of quality food available and that, coupled with rampant inbreeding, resulted in a very poor breed of pony. Many of them were stunted.
In an effort to combat the inbreeding and upgrade the stock, different breeds were brought into the herd. The first to be included were Shetland ponies and Welsh too. Horses with Pinto markings were also introduced.
The Bureau of Land Management gave the herd twenty mustangs in 1939. These horses were allowed to join the herd and help dilute the poor stock. On two different occasions, Arabian blood was also introduced to the herd. The first attempt was to add a stallion to the herd, but he did not survive. The second, more successful attempt was to cull mares from the herd and breed them with an Arabian stud. The mares were then placed back into the herd. This Arabian addition was an effort to add height to the pony breed.
The story of these rugged ponies wouldn't be complete without mentioning the tradition of pony penning. This tradition was already well established by the first written record of it in 1835. Today the practice is still going and has in fact become a very popular event that is held on the islands annually. It is also called the pony swim.
Prior to the pony swim, members of the herd are checked. All that might not make the crossing are removed. This includes the very young foals and mares that are in late stages of foaling. The rest of the ponies are brought across the water from Assateague to the island of Chincoteague. When they arrive veterinarians check them and then the older of the foals are auctioned off. The rest are returned to Assateague Island.
A visit to the annual Chincoteague ponies swim is a great vacation opportunity. One that is both fun and educational! Just be sure to reserve your spot early as the event is a very popular one.
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