While no one knows with any certainty the exact origins of the Chincoteague ponies, it is strongly believed that they came from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon. This seems very probable. So probable in fact, that John Amrhein wrote a book that gave very convincing evidence.
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.
However these horses got there, they made the islands their home. But the harsh environment took its toll on them. The lack of good quality food and uncontrolled inbreeding introduced many faults to the breed, resulting in a poor quality of pony. Many were stunted in growth.
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.
Twenty mustangs were added to the herd in 1939 by the Bureau of Land Management in another attempt to increase quality. Arabian stallions were used two different times as well. The first was a failure as the stallion placed within the herd did not survive. However the second attempt was more successful. Mares from the herd were singled out and bred with the stallion and then placed back into the herd. This addition of Arabian blood was to add height to the pony breed.
Of course a history of these hardy ponies would not be complete without mention of the practice of pony penning. The first written record of this practice was in 1835, but by that time pony penning was already a well-established tradition. Today this tradition is still going strong and has become a very popular annual event for the islands. It is also referred to as 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.
However these horses got there, they made the islands their home. But the harsh environment took its toll on them. The lack of good quality food and uncontrolled inbreeding introduced many faults to the breed, resulting in a poor quality of pony. Many were stunted in growth.
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.
Twenty mustangs were added to the herd in 1939 by the Bureau of Land Management in another attempt to increase quality. Arabian stallions were used two different times as well. The first was a failure as the stallion placed within the herd did not survive. However the second attempt was more successful. Mares from the herd were singled out and bred with the stallion and then placed back into the herd. This addition of Arabian blood was to add height to the pony breed.
Of course a history of these hardy ponies would not be complete without mention of the practice of pony penning. The first written record of this practice was in 1835, but by that time pony penning was already a well-established tradition. Today this tradition is still going strong and has become a very popular annual event for the islands. It is also referred to as 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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