PrintEver since I read Misty of Chincoteague when I was a kid, I’ve wanted to attend Pony Penning Day and bring home a Misty all of my own. Of course, that wish was always a far-fetched one, since I grew up on the West Coast, thousands of miles away from the two islands and adventures that Marguerite Henry described in her book. It’s been a long time since I’ve picked up the novel, but I still remember being swept away by the story of Misty.
The ponies that live on Assateague Island in Maryland and Virginia have many different legends surrounding them, but there are two main theories of how they came to live there. The most popular, which was immortalized in Henry’s book, was that a Spanish galleon wrecked off the coast, and the ponies swam to the island. However, there’s little evidence to support the idea, and the more logical origin is that colonists from the early 17th century let the ponies loose on the island to avoid taxes. No matter which theory is true, the ponies have been living on the island for hundreds of years.
Over time, the ponies adapted to the climate and conditions of the 37-mile barrier island. They eat marsh and sand dune grasses, rosehips, bayberry twigs and persimmons, as well as the salt marsh cord grasses along the shoreline. Because they graze on the salty grasses, they drink much more fresh water than other horses, which contributes to their roly-poly appearance.
Both the Maryland and Virginia sides of Assateague Island host wild pony herds, and a fence at the state line separates the two herds to prevent overgrazing. The ponies are descended from the same stock, but the Maryland ponies are called “Assateague Horses” and are looked over by the National Park Service. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns and manages the Virginia ponies, which are allowed to graze on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge through a special permit. This permit keeps the herd restricted to 150 adult ponies. The Virginia ponies are often referred to as the “Chincoteague Ponies.”
In order to keep both herds and their habitats healthy, several management techniques have been incorporated by the NPS. In Maryland, some mares are given a contraceptive vaccine, which has proven to reduce the amount of pregnancies without harmful side effects. Of course, in Virginia, the Annual Pony Swim keeps the population at a manageable level.
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company came to be in May of 1924 after several fires destroyed many buildings in the remote town. Twenty-five men came together and passed a hat around, gathering $4.16 to start the company. In order to pay for the fire truck they needed to protect their town, the company organized their first carnival and Pony Penning Day. The celebration has taken place every year since 1924 (except for during World War II, 1943-1945), and has served as a fundraiser for the Company since its inception.
