A barrier island is a type of coastal land form consisting of a long, narrow band of sand that lies parallel to the coast of the mainland. One such land form is Assateague Island off the Delmarva Peninsula, home of the Assateague horses. While Delmarva Peninsula consists of most of Delaware as well as parts of Virginia and Maryland, Assateague Island does not extend over the Delaware border. On the Virginia side of the island, the herd is referred to as the Chincoteague ponies. Here, the two terms are used interchangeably. On both sides of the island, the animals are descended from a domestic population that later escaped into the wild. This makes them feral.
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.
Legend has it that they swam to shore from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon called the Santo Cristo on its voyage to Peru in 1600. They were destined for sale to the Viceroy there. Their origin has been variously described as Moor ponies as well as Arabian horses. The more likely, and less glamorous, explanation is that they were dispatched into the wild by a rancher who did not wish to pay the required livestock tax on the animals.
The herd living on the Maryland side of the island, is owned by the Maryland Park Service and consists of around 140 head. The Chincoteague herd dwells on the Virginia side of the island and is owned by Chinoteague Volunteer Fire Department. This herd numbers around 130. The two herds are physically separated by a fence along the Maryland/Virginia 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.
Whether you wish to believe the legend of the feisty swimmers or the more mundane tale of the rogue rancher, the history of the Assateague horses is an interesting one. Their fame has spread all over the country, as testified by the fact that the National Chincoteague Pony Association was established in Bellingham, Washington, in 1980.
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.
Legend has it that they swam to shore from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon called the Santo Cristo on its voyage to Peru in 1600. They were destined for sale to the Viceroy there. Their origin has been variously described as Moor ponies as well as Arabian horses. The more likely, and less glamorous, explanation is that they were dispatched into the wild by a rancher who did not wish to pay the required livestock tax on the animals.
The herd living on the Maryland side of the island, is owned by the Maryland Park Service and consists of around 140 head. The Chincoteague herd dwells on the Virginia side of the island and is owned by Chinoteague Volunteer Fire Department. This herd numbers around 130. The two herds are physically separated by a fence along the Maryland/Virginia 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.
Whether you wish to believe the legend of the feisty swimmers or the more mundane tale of the rogue rancher, the history of the Assateague horses is an interesting one. Their fame has spread all over the country, as testified by the fact that the National Chincoteague Pony Association was established in Bellingham, Washington, in 1980.
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