By Casandra Cotton


There are many people who have never been to Assateague Island. The Assateague horses roam this beautiful island, and are in fact feral herds. That means that they are may be direct descendants of the other domestic breeds which have returned to their natural habitat. They live naturally and in accordance with the rules of nature.

Suffering from an array of problems, such as having to deal with an abundance of mosquitoes, scorching conditions as well as the rough thunderstorms the island gets. Although these beautiful creatures can be admired from a far, one is still able to do their part in helping them. These animals roam freely for everyone who wants to see them in their natural state.

In the general folklore it is said that these pristine animals were the survivors of a shipwreck just off the Virginia coast. Unfortunately, the legend of their hardships and suffering was not recorded and remains a mystery. A likely explanation is that these ponies were probably brought by their owners from the barrier islands.

With beautiful Virginia on the one side of Assateague and Maryland on the other, this breed is split into two herds. The state line between Maryland and Virginia is separated by a fence. They have split themselves into herds of roughly two to twelve animals. A different home range is occupied by these herds. The ponies roaming Virginia are commonly known as the "Chincoteague" herd.

Marguerite Henry's book, titled "Misty of Chincoteague" teaches many visitors about the happenings of these stunning animals. The book is set around a traditional festival of Chincoteague which is called "Pony Penning". The last Wednesday of July sees these animals being swum from the island to Virginia. The next day the foals are auctioned off and the proceeds go to the island's Volunteer Fire Department.

Amid the island's blazing summers, the stallions become irritated with each other and fights occur. The males are ready to fight to the death with any other intruder that may come even close to their harems. These wonderful creatures are very protective over their herds, not allowing any passers by to get close to them.

These awesome animals are hardy, spectacular and untamed. They live in a challenging environment which takes its toll on them. Feeding and petting is not a very good approach, as the animals easily become ill from human foodstuff. They may seem quite tame and familiar with people, and often wander up to the streets to look for food. This is not a good idea, as a great number of horses are killed by vehicles traveling on the roads.

Many places in the States have wild ponies that can be observed by the general public. This unique breed boasts a wide range of behaviors. Take any chance you can to see these amazing creatures. Lovers of nature and photographic experts are able to take advantage of their time with this beautiful breed. To see these horses in their natural habitat is an amazing sight, and it makes one wonder about the order of nature. Viewing these stunning Assateague horses is truly an incredible experience.




About the Author:



0 comments

Web site development, PHP programming's Fan Box