The children's book Misty of Chincoteague helped make the ponies on Assateague Island the most famous mammals on the island. Some believe that the wild ponies of Assateague arrived on the island when a Spanish cargo ship sank off the coast and the horses swam to shore. Others believe the wild ponies descend from colonial horses allowed to run loose. While the history remains uncertain, I'm certain your kids will enjoy seeing wild ponies.
Some sites will call the famous ponies "wild horses" and others will call them "wild ponies". They are called ponies because they fall under 14.2 hands (85 inches). The ponies are feral animals, descendants of domestic animals that have reverted to a wild state, which roam freely and feed mainly on saltmarsh cord grass. You can see them from a distance by visiting Assateague Island along the coast of Maryland or Virginia. We visited from the Maryland side through the Assateague Island National Seashore. According to Patricia Schultz’s book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, the Maryland side is the more popular entry point “Two-thirds of the island is in Maryland, where a good portion of the 2.5 million annual visitors gain access”.
The National Park Service dedicated the land as a national seashore in 1965. For nine other National Seashores, visit my article. Also visit the nps website for tips. I should have read their tip to wear bug spray considering the mosquitos and biting flies. We hiked to see the ponies from a viewing platform which was a beautiful site. However, we paid for it in bug bites.
You can support the conservation efforts by fostering a horse through the Assateague Island Alliance. You could also visit the Pony Penning Day auction in July. Once a year a portion the Salt Water Cowboys from the Chicoteague Volunteer Fire Company round-up the ponies to swim across a channel at low tide and many are put up for action.
Assateague Island makes the list of the Smithsonian magazines "The Best Places to See Wild Horses in North America". Five other places make the list:
1. The Virginia Range (NV)
2. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND)
3. The Pryor Mountains (MT & WY)
4. Outer Banks (NC)
5. Sable Island, Nova Scotia (Canada)
Assateague has more to explore than just observing ponies. Your kids will enjoy seeing or hearing the many birds on Assateague. The island has over 320 species of birds. This includes the piping plover, a threatened species that nests on the island. Besides admiring wild animals, the island offers clamming, swimming, hiking, four wheel driving, and kayaking. With so much diversity, it's no wonder that Assateague attracts over a million visitors per year.
You can support the conservation efforts by fostering a horse through the Assateague Island Alliance. You could also visit the Pony Penning Day auction in July. Once a year a portion the Salt Water Cowboys from the Chicoteague Volunteer Fire Company round-up the ponies to swim across a channel at low tide and many are put up for action.
Assateague Island makes the list of the Smithsonian magazines "The Best Places to See Wild Horses in North America". Five other places make the list:
1. The Virginia Range (NV)
2. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND)
3. The Pryor Mountains (MT & WY)
4. Outer Banks (NC)
5. Sable Island, Nova Scotia (Canada)
Assateague has more to explore than just observing ponies. Your kids will enjoy seeing or hearing the many birds on Assateague. The island has over 320 species of birds. This includes the piping plover, a threatened species that nests on the island. Besides admiring wild animals, the island offers clamming, swimming, hiking, four wheel driving, and kayaking. With so much diversity, it's no wonder that Assateague attracts over a million visitors per year.
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