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.
In his book, "The Hidden Galleon", Mr. Amrhein presents his theory quite well. In 1750 a Spanish galleon by the name of the La Galga wrecked very close to the island of Assateague, where the herd of Chincoteague ponies can now be found. In that time period shipwrecks were common in that area as ships guided by nothing more than lighthouses could easily become grounded on sandbars and beaten apart by the wind and waves. His crowning fact is that the beach ponies appeared right around this time period.
Another theory is that these ponies descended from horses brought to the islands by mainland farmers. At that time, there were no fencing laws and livestock was allowed to graze at will. It is possible that a wild herd could have emerged from this livestock and perhaps been 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.
To combat the effect of inbreeding, other breeds were introduced into the herd. Shetland and Welsh ponies were probably the first to be added in an effort to upgrade the stock. Pinto colored horses were introduced as well.
In 1939 the Bureau of Land Management donated twenty mustangs to infiltrate the herd and help increase its quality. Arabian horses were used as well on two separate occasions. On the first a stallion was put into the herd but did not survive. The second attempt bore more fruit. Mares were taken from the herd and bred with an Arabian stallion. Once with foal, they were then returned to the herd. The addition of Arabian blood was an attempt to add some height to the 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.
Before the annual pony swim, all of the herd is checked. Any horses that would not be able to make the crossing between the islands are taken from the herd. These include any mares close to birthing foals and the very youngest members of the herd. All of the other ponies are gathered and brought across the channel from Assateague to Chincoteague Island. There they are checked by veterinarians and the older foals are auctioned. The rest of the herd is then returned to their island.
If you are looking for a fun and education vacation opportunity, perhaps a visit to the Chincoteague ponies annual swim might be right for you. Be sure to make your reservations early as this is a very popular event!
In his book, "The Hidden Galleon", Mr. Amrhein presents his theory quite well. In 1750 a Spanish galleon by the name of the La Galga wrecked very close to the island of Assateague, where the herd of Chincoteague ponies can now be found. In that time period shipwrecks were common in that area as ships guided by nothing more than lighthouses could easily become grounded on sandbars and beaten apart by the wind and waves. His crowning fact is that the beach ponies appeared right around this time period.
Another theory is that these ponies descended from horses brought to the islands by mainland farmers. At that time, there were no fencing laws and livestock was allowed to graze at will. It is possible that a wild herd could have emerged from this livestock and perhaps been 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.
To combat the effect of inbreeding, other breeds were introduced into the herd. Shetland and Welsh ponies were probably the first to be added in an effort to upgrade the stock. Pinto colored horses were introduced as well.
In 1939 the Bureau of Land Management donated twenty mustangs to infiltrate the herd and help increase its quality. Arabian horses were used as well on two separate occasions. On the first a stallion was put into the herd but did not survive. The second attempt bore more fruit. Mares were taken from the herd and bred with an Arabian stallion. Once with foal, they were then returned to the herd. The addition of Arabian blood was an attempt to add some height to the 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.
Before the annual pony swim, all of the herd is checked. Any horses that would not be able to make the crossing between the islands are taken from the herd. These include any mares close to birthing foals and the very youngest members of the herd. All of the other ponies are gathered and brought across the channel from Assateague to Chincoteague Island. There they are checked by veterinarians and the older foals are auctioned. The rest of the herd is then returned to their island.
If you are looking for a fun and education vacation opportunity, perhaps a visit to the Chincoteague ponies annual swim might be right for you. Be sure to make your reservations early as this is a very popular event!
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