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.
While it is true that the animals in question do fall below this minimum height, they display other phenotypic features of the horse, such as their temperament and conformation. Their short stature is believed by some to be a consequence of their poor diet from grazing on high-salt plants hardy enough to survive in the salt marsh ecosystem.
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.
There are disputes as to whether Misty was captured in the wild, as in the book, or foaled in domesticity on Chincoteague Island. Chincoteague Island is distinct from Assateague Island, separated by a narrow inlet of water. Both Misty and her offspring, Stormy, were preserved via taxidermy and are now on display at the Beebe Ranch in Chincoteague, Virginia.
Whichever tale you choose to believe about their arrival on the island, the story of the Assateague horses is a fascinating one. The National Chincoteague Pony Association in Bellingham, Washington, was founded in 1980 with a mission to improve and promote the breeding of these intriguing animals. The location of the association in the State of Washington is proof that the once local herd has attracted national attention.
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.
While it is true that the animals in question do fall below this minimum height, they display other phenotypic features of the horse, such as their temperament and conformation. Their short stature is believed by some to be a consequence of their poor diet from grazing on high-salt plants hardy enough to survive in the salt marsh ecosystem.
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.
There are disputes as to whether Misty was captured in the wild, as in the book, or foaled in domesticity on Chincoteague Island. Chincoteague Island is distinct from Assateague Island, separated by a narrow inlet of water. Both Misty and her offspring, Stormy, were preserved via taxidermy and are now on display at the Beebe Ranch in Chincoteague, Virginia.
Whichever tale you choose to believe about their arrival on the island, the story of the Assateague horses is a fascinating one. The National Chincoteague Pony Association in Bellingham, Washington, was founded in 1980 with a mission to improve and promote the breeding of these intriguing animals. The location of the association in the State of Washington is proof that the once local herd has attracted national attention.
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