Assateague Island is a barrier island off the Delmarva Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the United States. Delmarva is occupied by most of the State of Delaware as well as parts of Maryland and Virginia. The Assateague horses form a population of feral horses in the Maryland portion of the island. The term, "feral" refers to the fact that they were once domesticated and reverted to a wild life, rather than being fully wild. They are referred to as the Chincoteague ponies on the Virginia side of the island. The two terms are used synonymously herein.
The pony/horse dichotomy on either side of the island stems from the fact that these animals are shorter in stature than the minimum for classification in the horse category for purposes of competition. This minimum height, while varying slightly from country to country, is approximately 14.2 hands, equal to 147 centimeters or 58 inches.
Although the Chincoteague ponies do fall below the minimum height, there are those who feel the animals display phenotypic features of a horse in other ways. These features include such characteristics as conformation and temperament. Their diminutive stature may be the product of a poor-quality diet as a result of occupying a salt marsh habitat.
Legend has it that the beasts swam to shore from a shipwrecked galleon en route from Spain to Peru, where they were intended for sale to the Viceroy. It is unclear whether the original stock were Moor ponies or Arabian stock. A more mundane story of the animals' heritage is that they were dispatched into the wild by an unscrupulous rancher who wanted to avoid paying livestock tax.
The herd living on the Maryland side of the island, is owned by the Maryland Park Service and consists of around 140 head. The Chincoteague herd dwells on the Virginia side of the island and is owned by Chinoteague Volunteer Fire Department. This herd numbers around 130. The two herds are physically separated by a fence along the Maryland/Virginia border.
Their charming story was captured in book form in the children's novel, "Misty of Chincoteague." The book was penned by Marguerite Henry in 1947 and made into a film in 1961. The book earned the Newbery Honor. The author wrote two sequels to the original story.
It has been claimed that Misty was foaled in domesticity on Chincoteague Island and not captured in the wild as told in the book. Chincoteague Island, resting entirely in the State of Virginia, is separated from the barrier island of Assateague by a tiny inlet. Misty and her foal, Stormy, are both on display as taxidermy at Beebe Ranch in Chincoteague, Virginia.
Whether you wish to believe the legend of the feisty swimmers or the more mundane tale of the rogue rancher, the history of the Assateague horses is an interesting one. Their fame has spread all over the country, as testified by the fact that the National Chincoteague Pony Association was established in Bellingham, Washington, in 1980.
The pony/horse dichotomy on either side of the island stems from the fact that these animals are shorter in stature than the minimum for classification in the horse category for purposes of competition. This minimum height, while varying slightly from country to country, is approximately 14.2 hands, equal to 147 centimeters or 58 inches.
Although the Chincoteague ponies do fall below the minimum height, there are those who feel the animals display phenotypic features of a horse in other ways. These features include such characteristics as conformation and temperament. Their diminutive stature may be the product of a poor-quality diet as a result of occupying a salt marsh habitat.
Legend has it that the beasts swam to shore from a shipwrecked galleon en route from Spain to Peru, where they were intended for sale to the Viceroy. It is unclear whether the original stock were Moor ponies or Arabian stock. A more mundane story of the animals' heritage is that they were dispatched into the wild by an unscrupulous rancher who wanted to avoid paying livestock tax.
The herd living on the Maryland side of the island, is owned by the Maryland Park Service and consists of around 140 head. The Chincoteague herd dwells on the Virginia side of the island and is owned by Chinoteague Volunteer Fire Department. This herd numbers around 130. The two herds are physically separated by a fence along the Maryland/Virginia border.
Their charming story was captured in book form in the children's novel, "Misty of Chincoteague." The book was penned by Marguerite Henry in 1947 and made into a film in 1961. The book earned the Newbery Honor. The author wrote two sequels to the original story.
It has been claimed that Misty was foaled in domesticity on Chincoteague Island and not captured in the wild as told in the book. Chincoteague Island, resting entirely in the State of Virginia, is separated from the barrier island of Assateague by a tiny inlet. Misty and her foal, Stormy, are both on display as taxidermy at Beebe Ranch in Chincoteague, Virginia.
Whether you wish to believe the legend of the feisty swimmers or the more mundane tale of the rogue rancher, the history of the Assateague horses is an interesting one. Their fame has spread all over the country, as testified by the fact that the National Chincoteague Pony Association was established in Bellingham, Washington, in 1980.
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