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A website that covers the people, places, ponies and wildlife of Chincoteague and Assateague Islands on the East Coast of Virginia.
Feather Fund Makes Another Dream Come True
By Sonora Hannah Originally posted on 1 / 05/ 12
“I believe that in the moment God created me, He put in my soul a love and a passion for horses. It is something I was born with… a part of me that has always existed, even before I discovered it was there.”
When I sent my application to the Feather Fund in the spring of 2010, I pretty much felt sick to my stomach. I thought that after I sent it, I’d finally be able to stop thinking about it and get some relief from the rollercoaster of emotions I’d been living with for months…
Read the rest of this story at: http://wildponytales.info/archives/2213
A Better Life Now for Rescued Chincoteague Ponies
By Robert Boswell, Publisher
The three Chincoteague ponies who were rescued by Debbie Ober and her husband, Tom, from an auction barn in Pennsylvania in September are nearly back to full health. As a result of our stories some donations have come in and so have requests for adoption.
More donations are needed though. See the information at the end of the story.
The moment the three Chincoteague ponies she had rescued from near slaughter came out of the trailer Debbie had sent to get them is not a time she will ever forget. She still can’t talk about it without her voice breaking up.
Read the rest of this story at: http://wildponytales.info/archives/2164
Chairs Filled, the Chincoteague Pony Auction Begins
By Kate White and Windy Mason Originally posted on 9/29/10.
By 8 a.m. nearly all the chairs had been filled, along with all available bleacher seats. Hundreds of visitors from across the U.S. had settled in for the start of the 85th annual Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company’s Wild Pony Auction.
On this July 29, the auction, held at the Chincoteague Carnival grounds, would continue past noon and bring in $77,225.
During the evening hours after the widely attended swim the day before, people had posted signs and placed chairs under the pavilion to reserve their seating for this event. Some are said to have even camped out in anticipation of the auctioning off this year of 59 Chincoteague Wild Ponies.
Read the rest of the story here: http://wildponytales.info/archives/1375
Bus Tour, Great Way to Learn About Assateague
By Brianna Bowden
I have lived near Assateague Island in Virginia all my life. Most of my ancestors were born nearby, on Chincoteague Island and many have lived there for years. I have visited them often over the years and have been to the beautiful Assateague Beach many times….
Read the rest of the letter here: http://wildponytales.info/archives/871.
This Palomino stallion shows off his wild side as the wranglers try and hold him steady.
$6,700 Highest Bid at Chincoteague Pony Auction
Originally posted on Aug 11, 2011
By Zackrey Hoverson
Hands flying up, the auctioneer talking so fast it sounds like gibberish and little foals whinnying, trying to escape their wranglers. These are some of the things that stay in your memory after attending the Chincoteague Pony Auction.
The purpose of the auction is to raise money for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, and to maintain the size of the herd that lives year-round on nearby Assateague Island. A grazing permit issued by the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge allows about 150 adult ponies to stay there.
Read the rest of the letter here: http://wildponytales.info/archives/2004.
Cowboys got up early to escort the northern herd along the Atlantic beach last year on their way to the big southern corral on Beach Road. Riders this year can no longer use whips, even though they were never used to strike the ponies.
Ponies, Cowboys Make Early Morning Run Along Atlantic Beach
Originally posted on Aug. 10, 2010.
By Misty Thornton
Each year thousands of pony lovers arrive on the island of Chincoteague, Virginia the last week in July just to wrap their eyes around the famous Chincoteague ponies, many for a whole week full of fun and sight-seeing.
The Saltwater Cowboys, almost as famous as the Chincoteague ponies, begin their work on Saturday, the week before Pony Penning, with the roundup of the southern herd. Then, on Sunday they move to the northern range at the tip of the Virginia side of the island to round up the larger herd of around 100 ponies plus foals. Where the land is so much bigger than the southern range, it takes longer to round the ponies up and put them into their corra l. The northern herd is less seen by the public because the access road, which runs 7.5 miles into the wilderness, is only open to hikers.
Read the rest of the story here: http://wildponytales.info/archives/1302.
A long Day in the Chincoteague Marsh, But the Ponies Finally Swim
Originally posted on Aug 11, 2011
By Misty Thornton
Editor – Wild Pony Tales
It is the time of the year when children’s eyes mist over. It is the time when the sounds of summer become nays, whinnies, squeals and an occasional snort. It is the annual Swim of the wild ponies across Assateague Channel as thousands settle into the marshy banks and others jockey their boats to get a close-up view as the ponies, heads bobbing, make their way to shore on Chincoteague Island.
For most of the foals the swim means leaving home. They will be sold to the highest bidders the next day and board trailers to go to new homes across the country.
Read the rest of the story here http://wildponytales.info/archives/1994.
Horses, Like People have their Bad Days: Trainer Katye Allen
By Robert Boswell
Originally Posted on July 21, 2009.
Men beware.
If you perk up one ear, lick or chew on your lips a little, or watch your mate with only one eye you have given yourself away. You are the submissive type and from here on out you are at the will of your trainer.
When Katye Allen steps into the ring to begin training a horse, these are the signs she is looking for. Once she sees them, she knows she has her subject’s attention. Before long, no matter where she moves in the ring, the horse will face her and follow her. “When I see those signs,” said Katye, “I will step in front of him and back up. I want him to turn and face me; I never want their butt toward me. That is a sign of disrespect.”
Read the rest of the story here http://wildponytales.info/archives/613.
Assateague Island, a Virginia Home to the Wild Ponies Also Home to Wildlife
By Jessica Van Dessel Originally posted on Feb 7, 2009.
Fall and winter can be stormy, so this is the time to stay on the high ground, and grow heavy, scruffy coats for protection. With the whole of Assateague at their disposal, the ponies separate into small herds, and pick different parts of the island for their home territory. The herds usually consist of the stallion, his mares and their foals. A typical day begins with an early morning visit to a fresh water pond, followed by eating, eating, and more eating, another session at the pond, and then the shelter of the trees at night. The ponies’ favorite foods are cord grass, which grows in the marshes, and American beach grass, found in the dunes. But they’ll eat almost anything on the island – including poison ivy.
This channel is about a quarter of a mile wide. When the tide is slack, the ponies are driven into the water, to make the swim across to the opposite shore. It takes them less than 10 minutes. They generally have no problem with the swim, but boats are waiting to pick up any pony that has difficulty.
Read more of this story at http://wildponytales.info/archives/398.
From Destroyed Nest, Life Begins Anew for Eaglets
By Robert Boswell Originally posted on May 17, 2011
Most parents leave the first moments of care of their newborn up to skilled doctors and nurses.
But those lucky enough to be watching the live eagle cam at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge this past week could see that mom has to handle the details of those very first moments all by herself.
Around 10:30 Saturday morning, May 7, the first of two eaglets began using his beak tooth to peck through his shell. Mom, who had been taking turns with Mr. Eagle sitting on the eggs, moved off to the side a little so she could watch. It did not take long for a tiny head to appear and at that point mom got in on the action. She helped chip away the remaining shell and appeared to eat it. Suddenly the newest member of the eagle family began moving around a little. But not for long.
Mom seemed to have prepared a hole, or slight impression, in the nest, high in a pine tree on the Wildlife Loop, next to the other egg. Into this she pushed her little one and then covered him with straw and promptly sat on top of her newborn and the egg which was still sheltering his brother or sister.
Read more on this story here: http://wildponytales.info/archives/1754.
I was wondering if we can access your eagle cam from our home? I was looking at the one From Blackwater refuge on line And would like to look at yours too.
Thank you.
Karen Donnelly
Karen, we have asked Refuge officials about this but they say they don’t have the infrastructure. Thanks for asking. We will bring it up again. Meanwhile, we will have an update to our story and photos later this week. Robert Boswell, publisher.
Good Morning I am interested in one of the 3 ponys that were rescued from slaughter would you share with me the procedure and how I can donate some money to your cause or do you have a wish list? thanks and have a nice day my father has contacted you also his name is Gordon Miles thanks Deb