Assateague pony

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Assateague pony
AssateaguePony1.jpg
Important data
Origin: Assateague
Main breeding area: United States
Distribution: United States
Stick measure : by 122 cm
Colors : all colors, mostly piebalds
Main application area:
Chincoteague ponies arriving on the island

The Assateague pony (also Chincoteague pony ) is a North American horse breed that is native to the Atlantic island of Assateague . There the ponies live in the wild, but are under human care. Some of the young horses are regularly sold, so there are now quite a few Chincoteague breeders in the United States . The Chincoteague Pony Breeders Association was founded in 2006.

All colors are found among the representatives, but most Assateague ponies are piebalds. Although the height is only about 122 cm, the body is more like that of a small horse than that of a pony. If handled carefully, the Assateague pony is an intelligent and friendly pony that is well suited for children.

According to legend, the ponies on the island are descended from Spanish horses that were able to save themselves by swimming in a shipwreck near the American east coast. Another theory is that early settlers from the mainland or the neighboring island of Chincoteague released their horses there to avoid paying taxes.

When the ponies became known in the early 1920s, incest symptoms were already clearly evident. On the other hand, the harsh conditions on the island ensured that only the toughest and most frugal animals could survive. Like all wild horses, they became smaller and correspondingly tougher under the harsh living conditions over the generations. Welsh ponies , Shetland ponies and pintos were crossed to refresh their blood .

Today the ponies are divided into two herds, as the southern part of the island belongs to the US state of Virginia and the northern part to the US state of Maryland . The herds are separated by a secure wire fence that divides the island in two. The Virginia herd ponies are known as the Chincoteague ponies and are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department . The Maryland herd ponies are owned by the National Park Service . Both herds are limited to approximately 150 adult animals.

Every year, the surplus young Chincoteague stallions are caught and swimming with the help of boats to the neighboring island of Chincoteague, where they are then auctioned off. The profit will be used for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and to preserve the breed.

See also

Web links

Commons : Chincoteague Pony  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files