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.
There is a certain amount of controversy as to whether these animals are horses or ponies. The official height distinction between the two classes for competition purposes is 14.2 hands in most countries. This equates to 147 centimeters or 58 inches. There are other controversies surrounding their history on the island.
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.
According to legend, the animals are descended from a band of Moor ponies that swam to the island from a shipwrecked Spanish vessel, the Santo Cristo, around 1600. The animals were originally en route from Spain to the Viceroy of Peru. Some sources describe the animals as Arabians. Another story is that the animals were released into the wild by a rancher in order to avoid paying tax on the livestock.
The herd of around 140 animals that dwell on the Virginia side of the island is owned and cared for by the volunteer firefighters on Chincoteague Island. The Maryland side of the family, on the other hand, number around 130 and are owned and taken care of by the state park service in Maryland. The two groups are kept apart by a fence marking the state border.
The legend behind this breed of animals, somewhat stodgy in shape due to retention of water from a high-salt diet, was immortalized in the children's novel, "Misty of Chincoteague". The author of the book, published in 1947, was Marguerite Henry, who followed it with two sequels. The legend was brought to the silver screen in a movie called simply, "Misty" in 1961.
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.
Whichever version of events you decide to believe, the story of the Assateague horses is a delightful tale. Today, the National Chincoteague Pony Association (NCPA), based in Bellingham in the State of Washington, works to promote and improve the breed. The fact that they are located on the opposite shore from where they originated just goes to show how widely popular they are.
There is a certain amount of controversy as to whether these animals are horses or ponies. The official height distinction between the two classes for competition purposes is 14.2 hands in most countries. This equates to 147 centimeters or 58 inches. There are other controversies surrounding their history on the island.
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.
According to legend, the animals are descended from a band of Moor ponies that swam to the island from a shipwrecked Spanish vessel, the Santo Cristo, around 1600. The animals were originally en route from Spain to the Viceroy of Peru. Some sources describe the animals as Arabians. Another story is that the animals were released into the wild by a rancher in order to avoid paying tax on the livestock.
The herd of around 140 animals that dwell on the Virginia side of the island is owned and cared for by the volunteer firefighters on Chincoteague Island. The Maryland side of the family, on the other hand, number around 130 and are owned and taken care of by the state park service in Maryland. The two groups are kept apart by a fence marking the state border.
The legend behind this breed of animals, somewhat stodgy in shape due to retention of water from a high-salt diet, was immortalized in the children's novel, "Misty of Chincoteague". The author of the book, published in 1947, was Marguerite Henry, who followed it with two sequels. The legend was brought to the silver screen in a movie called simply, "Misty" in 1961.
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.
Whichever version of events you decide to believe, the story of the Assateague horses is a delightful tale. Today, the National Chincoteague Pony Association (NCPA), based in Bellingham in the State of Washington, works to promote and improve the breed. The fact that they are located on the opposite shore from where they originated just goes to show how widely popular they are.
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