Chincoteague pony: Difference between revisions

Chincoteague pony
	Chincoteague pony
Other names	Assateague horse
Country of origin	United States
Standard	Chincoteague Pony Association
Traits
Distinguishing features	height: 13.2 hands (54 inches, 137 cm); all colors;
	Equus ferus caballus;

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 21:55, 26 August 2024

The Chincoteague pony, also known as the Assateague horse, is a breed of horse that developed, and now lives, within a semi-feral or feral population on Assateague Island in the US states of Virginia and Maryland. The Chincoteague pony is one of the many breeds of feral horses in the United States. The breed was made famous by the Misty of Chincoteague novels, written by pony book author Marguerite Henry, and first published in 1947, and the pony Misty of Chincoteague.

Although popularly known as Chincoteague ponies, the feral ponies live on Assateague Island. The entire island is owned by the federal government and is split by a fence at the Maryland/Virginia state line, with a herd of around 150 ponies living on the Virginia side of the fence, and 80 on the Maryland side. The herds live on land managed by two different federal agencies with very different management strategies. Ponies from the Maryland herd (referred to in the literature of the National Park Service as Assateague horses) live within Assateague Island National Seashore. They are generally treated as wild animals, given no more or less assistance than any other species on the island, other than contraceptive treatments to curb overpopulation. Conversely, the Virginia herd (referred to as Chincoteague ponies) lives within the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, and is owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The Virginia ponies are treated to twice-yearly veterinary inspections, which prepare them for life among the general equine population if they are sold at auction. While only around 300 feral ponies live on Assateague Island, around 1,000 more live off-island, having been purchased or bred by private breeders.

The Code of Virginia § 1-510 was amended to name the Chincoteague Pony breed as the designated pony of Virginia by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia in February 2023, effective July 1, 2023.^[1]^[2]

Breed characteristics

While phenotypically horses, the Chincoteague is most often referred to as a pony breed.^[3] Chincoteagues average around 13.2 hands (54 inches, 137 cm) in their feral state, but grow to at least 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) when domesticated and provided better nutrition. They generally weigh around 850 pounds (390 kg). All solid colors are found in the breed, as are pinto patterns, with the exception of the leopard complex.^[4] Horses with pinto coloration tend to sell for the most money at the annual auction, and are a favorite among breed enthusiasts, as the coat patterning was made popular by the 1947 book Misty of Chincoteague by pony book author Marguerite Henry.

Island Chincoteagues live on a diet of salt marsh plants and brush. This poor-quality (and often seasonally-scarce) food source—combined with uncontrolled inbreeding—created a propensity for conformation faults in the Chincoteague; new bloodlines began to be introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Due to outside bloodlines being added to the Chincoteague herd, there is some variation in physical characteristics and conformation. In general, the breed tends to have a straight or slightly concave facial profile with a broad forehead and refined throatlatch and neck. The shoulders are well angled, the ribs well sprung, the chest broad and the back short with broad loins. The croup is rounded, with a thick, low-set tail. The breed's legs tend to be straight, with good, dense bone that makes them sound and sturdy.^[5]^{: 287–290}

Domesticated Chincoteagues are considered intelligent and willing to please.^[3] They are viewed as easy to train, and are used as hunter, driving, and trail ponies.^[5]^{: 287–290} In terms of health, they are generally hardy and easy keepers (able to live on little food).^[3] In the late 19th century, one author praised their "good manners and gentle disposition" while reporting the story of one pony who was ridden a distance of around 1,000 miles (1,600 km) in 34 days by a man with equipment, a load that weighed around 160 pounds (73 kg)—the pony weighed approximately 500 pounds (230 kg).^[6]^{: 224–225}

Due to their small size and stature, Chincoteague ponies are often crossed with taller horse breeds – such as the Arabian horse, Morgan horse, Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse, American Paint Horse, Tennessee Walking Horse, Canadian horse, Friesian horse, Mustang, Spanish Mustang, and others – to produce show ponies and riding ponies with more refined conformation, as well as higher genetic diversity. Pony crosses also included the Welsh pony and Shetland pony. Previous attempts at refining the poor conformation of the wild Chincoteague and Assateague pony herds also included regularly crossing native Chincoteague mares to Arabian stallions from the 1960s to the 1980s, including a gray named Skowreym (1962); a chestnut named Al-Marah Sunny Jim (1965); a bay tobiano Arabian and Paint cross named Gordo (1979-1980); and buckskin half-Arabian named Gunner's Moon (1982-1983). In 1995, the Arabian stallion Premierre ("Premier") was brought to Chincoteague to breed with native mares by Stanley White of Grandeur Arabians; Premier was later released out on Assateague Island, where he died in 1999. The bay Arabian stallion Striking Cadet ("Striking Gold") replaced him, and was crossed with Chincoteague mares from 2000-2002; the bay Arabian stallion Calistoe also sired foals with Chincoteague mares in the 1990s and 2000s.^[7]

In 1896, Leonard D. Sale wrote in The Horse Review of Chicago that an Assateague resident imported and released a "Canadian-bred pony stallion" in an effort to improve the breed. The resulting foals from the Canadian pony sire were also gaited, indicating the sire may have had Narragansett Pacer genes: "A few island ponies pace, but they carry an infusion of the Canadian scrub blood." In 1976, restaurant owner Bob Evans, the founder of the Bob Evans Restaurants franchise, donated two buckskin Spanish Mustang stallions to the Chincoteague and Assateague herds from his own personal herd to help improve the breed.^[7]

The influence of the Arabian horse breed on Chincoteague ponies continues to be seen today, with many Chincoteague ponies having the refined, wedge-shaped heads, a broad forehead, large eyes, large nostrils, and small muzzles – or the "concave, dished profile" – seen with many Arabian crosses. Some Chincoteagues have stock horse conformation, while others have more elegant and "refined" body types. The stockier types are considered to be the "Traditional Type" of pony, while more "refined" ponies are considered to the "Sport Type" variety. "Traditional Type" Chincoteague ponies typically stand from 11 to 13.3 hands high, whereas "Sport Type" Chincoteague ponies stand at an average of 13 to 14 hands high, with the tallest individuals growing to a maximum of 15 hands. Conformation influence from the Arabian, Mustang, American Quarter Horse, American Paint Horse, and/or Thoroughbred is allowed for the "Sport Type".^[8]

History

Legend states that Chincoteague ponies descend from Spanish horses shipwrecked off the Virginia coast on their way to Peru in the 16th century.^[9]^{: 244–245} Another story holds that they descend from horses left on the island by pirates. Other evidence points to their ancestors actually being horses brought to the islands in the 17th century by mainland farmers. Livestock on the islands were not subject to taxes or fencing laws, and so many animals, including hogs, sheep, cattle and horses, were brought to the islands.^[5]^{: 287–290}

While the National Park Service holds to the theory that the horses were brought to the island in the 17th century,^[10] the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which owns the ponies on the Virginia side of Assateague,^[10] argues that the Spanish shipwreck theory is correct. They argue that horses were too valuable in the 17th century to have been left to run wild on the island, and claim that there are two sunken Spanish galleons off the Virginia coast in support of their theory.^[3] The National Chincoteague Pony Association also promotes the shipwreck theory.^[11] In 2022, a DNA study of a 500-year-old Spanish horse tooth from Puerto Real, Vieques, Puerto Rico indicated that its closest genetic relative was the Chincoteague pony, supporting the theory that the ponies are descended from colonial Spanish bloodstock.^[12]^[13]

In the early 1900s, they were described as having been on the islands since well before the American Revolution, and were described at that time as "very diminutive, but many of them are of perfect symmetry and extraordinary powers of action and endurance". In the early 1800s, Virginia governor Henry A. Wise released what one author called the "earliest printed testimony" on the Chincoteague.^[14] In 1835, the practice of pony penning began, with residents rounding up a number of ponies and relocating them to the mainland. In 1924, the first official "Pony Penning Day" was held by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, where ponies were auctioned as a way to raise money for fire equipment. Some younger ponies are kept for domesticating, such as training, riding and general taming work, with many ponies eventually becoming cherished and obedient animals. The annual event has continued in the same fashion almost uninterrupted to the present day.

During the 1920s, before the herds were managed by various agencies, many conformation faults were found—the effects of uncontrolled inbreeding. Misshapen legs, narrow chests, poor bone and a lack of substance plagued the breed, with many stunted animals not growing above 12 hands (48 inches, 122 cm). This was partially due to the limited and poor-quality feed found on the islands, although this harsh habitat also allowed only the hardiest and most adaptable ponies to survive. Welsh pony and Shetland pony blood was added to upgrade the stock; horses with pinto coloring were introduced to give the herd its common distinctive patterns, and contribute to the more horse-like phenotype of the breed.^[9]^{: 244–245} Twenty Mustangs owned by the Bureau of Land Management were introduced in 1939. Arabian blood was added in the hopes of adding refinement and height to the breed, as well as increasing the length of their legs;^[5]^{: 287–290} blood from the Morgan horse, Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse, American Paint Horse, Canadian horse, Mustang, Spanish Mustang was also added through crossbreeding.^[7]

The Chincoteague pony has a similar history to the Shackleford Banker Horse, which comes from the Shackleford Banks off the coast of North Carolina. However, the Shackleford is a more isolated population, with no outside blood added to the herd.^[5]^: 324

The island itself has also undergone change. At one time, the island was connected to the southernmost point of Fenwick Island. In August 1933, a hurricane created an inlet south of Ocean City, Maryland,^[15] separating the two landforms. After the storm, between 1933 and 1935, a permanent system of artificial jetties was built to preserve the inlet as a navigation channel.^[16] As a result of the jetties disrupting sand movement in the area, the island has drifted westward, and the two landmasses are now over 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) apart.^[15]

Pony penning and auction

In 1835, the first written description of "pony penning" (roundup) appeared, though the practice of rounding up livestock on the island existed for many years before that. Initially, unclaimed animals were marked for ownership by groups of settlers. By 1885, the event had become a festival day, and two days of horse and sheep roundups were held on Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. While the sheep population diminished over time, the pony population grew.^[5]^{: 287–290}

In 1909, the last Wednesday and Thursday of July were designated as the annual days for pony penning, still taking place on both Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. However, in the early 1920s, much of Assateague Island was purchased by a wealthy farmer, forcing many settlers to move to Chincoteague Island and necessitating a change in the pony penning format.

By 1923, all parts of pony penning except for the actual roundup had moved to Chincoteague Island, with the ponies being transported by truck for the first two years before the annual swim was begun.^[17]^: 80 By the early 1900s, Chincoteague Island had been established as a tourism and sport haven, and in 1922, a causeway was completed that connected the island to the Virginia mainland. After a pair of fires ravaged Chincoteague Island that same year, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company was established. In 1924, the first official Pony Penning Day was held, where the foals were auctioned at $25–50 each to raise money for fire equipment. Pony Penning Day has been held annually ever since, with the exception of 1942, 1943, and 2020.^[5]^{: 287–290}

As many as 50,000 visitors gather on the last Wednesday in July to watch mounted riders bring the Virginia herd from Assateague and swim them across the channel to Chincoteague Island. The swim takes five to ten minutes, with both the rider and the observers on hand to assist horses, especially foals, who may have a hard time with the crossing.^[5]^{: 287–290} Before the swim, the herd is evaluated and mares in the late stages of pregnancy and those with very young foals are removed from the herd to be trailered between the islands. During the swim, some lactating mares become affected with hypocalcemia, which is treated by on-site veterinarians.^[18] Larger foals are auctioned the next day and the majority of the herd, including any young foals, are returned to Assateague on Friday.^[5]^{: 287–290}

As of 2015, the highest price paid for a pony was $25,000, and the lowest price was $500. Some ponies are purchased under "buy back" conditions, where the bidder donates the money to the fire department but allows the pony to be released back onto Assateague Island.^[19]

From 2020 to 2021, the Chincoteague annual pony auction was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pony swim was cancelled for the first time since World War II.^[20] The 2020 online auction raised $388,000 from the sale of 68 ponies; and in the 2021 online auction, 75 ponies, including 10 buybacks, were auctioned for $416,950. The auction returned to being in-person in 2022, and raised a record $450,200 from the sale of 63 ponies, including 10 buybacks. Prices averaged out to about ~$7,000 per pony, with prices rising to $32,000 for the highest price paid for a pony, and $2,500 the lowest price paid.^[21]

Breed registry and preservation

The National Chincoteague Pony Association (NCPA) was founded in 1985, and the International Chincoteague Pony Association and Registry (ICPAR) was founded in 2021. The associations maintain a studbook and register ponies from the annual fire company auction and ponies from private breeders. The ICPAR registers half-Chincoteague Ponies from private breeders. The Chincoteague Pony Association (CPA) was founded by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company in 1994, and closed in 2012.^[22] Many ponies are registered with multiple associations, especially if they are half-Chincoteague pony crosses with other horse breeds. There are more than 1,000 Chincoteague ponies owned by private individuals off Chincoteague Island, spread throughout the United States and Canada.^[5]^{: 287–290}^[23]^[24]

Management

All of Chincoteague Island lies within Virginia state lines, while Assateague Island is split between two states—a larger northern portion in Maryland and the smaller southern section within Virginia. Two separate herds of ponies live on Assateague Island, separated by a fence that runs along the Maryland-Virginia state border. Though descended from the same original stock, the Maryland feral ponies are called "Assateague horses" and are maintained by the National Park Service.

The Virginia feral ponies are called "Chincoteague ponies", and are owned by Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department.^[10] In 1943, the entire island was purchased by the federal government and divided into two protected areas, Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. The two herds lie under the jurisdiction of different governmental agencies, and different management strategies have been applied to each herd.^[25] The Maryland section of Assateague also contains Assateague State Park, state-owned land where the ponies are allowed to roam, although the state plays little or no part in their management.^[26]

The feral ponies in both herds separate themselves into small bands, with most consisting of a stallion, several mares and their foals.^[27]^: 48–50 Ponies on Assateague have a diet that consists mainly of cordgrass, a coarse grass that grows in salt marshes, which makes up around 80 percent of their food. This diet is supplemented by other vegetation such as rose hips, bayberry, greenbriar, American beach grass, seaweed and poison ivy. Chincoteague ponies require up to twice as much water as most horses require due to the saltiness of their diet.^[27]^: 48–50 The increased amount of water that they drink contributes to many ponies appearing to be bloated or fat.^[28]

Maryland herd

The Maryland herd, often called the Assateague herd, is owned and managed by the National Park Service. Its presence on a relatively small and naturally confined area has made it ideal for scientific study. Since the late 1970s, scientists have used the herd to conduct studies on feral horse behavior, social structure, ecology, remote contraceptive delivery and pregnancy testing, and the effects of human intervention on other wild animal populations. There are few other wildlife populations of any species worldwide that have been studied in as much detail over as long a period as the Maryland herd of Chincoteague ponies.^[29]

Herd numbers grew from 28 to over 165 between 1968 and 1997 and overgrazing negatively impacted their living environment. To manage population numbers, long-term, non-hormonal contraceptives have been employed, proving 95 percent effective over a seven-year field trial.^[5]^{: 287–290} The contraceptive, which began to be used at a management level in 1995 although it was used in smaller amounts as early as 1989, has also proven effective at improving the health and increasing the life expectancy of older mares through the removal of pregnancy and lactation-related stress. Since 1990, general herd health has improved, early mortality has decreased and older ponies are now found, with many over the age of 20 and some even over 25. No horse has ever been injured during the dart-administered treatments, although there is a 0.2 percent rate of abscess at the injection site, which normally heals within two weeks. Each mare between two and four years old is given contraceptives, and treatment is then withdrawn until she produces a foal. Once she has produced enough foals to be well represented genetically within the herd, she is placed on a yearly treatment plan until her death.^[30] After the introduction of the contraceptive, herd numbers continued to rise to a high of 175 in 2001 to 2005, but then dropped significantly to around 130 in 2009. In 2009, a study determined that mitochondrial DNA diversity in the herd was quite low, most likely due to their isolation, but that their nuclear genetic diversity remained at a level similar to that of breeds from the mainland.^[29]

Other than the contraceptive and treatment in emergencies, ponies from the Maryland herd are treated much like other wildlife, with no extra attention paid to them by Park Service employees. It is thought likely that the Maryland herd carries equine infectious anemia (EIA); they are effectively quarantined, however, by allowing no riding or camping with privately owned horses along the mainland shore during the insect season which stretches from mid-May to October.^[3] Due to their treatment as wild animals, ponies from the Maryland herd can be aggressive, and there have been reports of them tearing down tents and biting, kicking and knocking down visitors. In 2010, after an increase in biting incidents, the National Park Service implemented new measures for educating visitors about the ponies. These measures included new safety information in brochures and recommended viewing distances between the visitors and the ponies. There is also some danger to the ponies from the visitors: ponies have become ill from being fed inappropriate human foods, and on average one Maryland pony a year is killed by a car. Since 1991 there has been a "Pony Patrol", where volunteers on bikes patrol the island, educating visitors about the ponies.^[31]

Virginia herd

The Virginia herd, often called the Chincoteague herd, is owned and managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) allows the ponies to live on Assateague under a special use grazing permit, allowing approximately 150 adult ponies in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.^[10]^[32]

60 to approximately 70 foals are born into the Chincoteague herd each year. The annual Pony Pennings are used to maintain the herd size at around 150 animals.^[5]^{: 287–290} Since 1943, the FWS has been working on the island to protect and increase the wildfowl population, and their efforts have sometimes endangered the Chincoteague herd. Due to the placement of fences by the FWS, a reduced amount of land is available for grazing by the ponies. The fencing also prevents them from reaching the sea, where they often went to escape biting insects, including mosquitos. In 1962, several ponies were trapped in an enclosure by high water and died when they were carried out to sea during a storm.^[9]^{: 244–245} Unlike the Maryland herd, ponies on the Virginia side of the island are fenced off from roadways to prevent auto accidents and to discourage visitors from feeding the ponies.^[28]

In the late 20th century, some ponies previously sold at auction were returned to Assateague Island when population numbers threatened to drop below the targeted numbers due to large numbers of deaths from storms or other issues.^[27]^: 48–50 Since 1990, the ponies from the Virginia herd have been rounded up biannually for veterinary treatment, including deworming and vaccinations for diseases such as rabies, tetanus and Eastern and Western encephalitis, although they make the swim to Chincoteague only once per year. In addition, continual monitoring and basic first aid for any minor injuries is performed by a committee from the fire department. Such intervention is needed because many of the ponies will be brought into the general horse population through the auction and purchase by private buyers.^[3] During the veterinary visits, they are also tested for EIA.^[28]

The Chincoteague pony was added to the Code of Virginia § 1-510 (Official emblems and designations) as the designated pony of Virginia by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia in February 2023.^[2]

Books

In 1947, pony book author Marguerite Henry released the children's book Misty of Chincoteague, the first in a series of novels that made the Chincoteague breed internationally famous. The real Misty was foaled on Chincoteague Island in 1946, and was purchased as a weanling by Henry.^[33]^: 62 In 1961, the publicity was increased even more when the film Misty was made, based on the book.^[9]^{: 244–245}

The publicity assisted the Chincoteague Fire Department and the breed in remaining viable into the 21st century. While fictionalized, the books were based on a real horse and ranch on Chincoteague Island. The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation was established in 1990 to preserve the Beebe Ranch, the home of Misty of Chincoteague, and to establish a museum with memorabilia from the series.^[5]^{: 287–290}

In 2019, the Beebee Ranch lost their horse barn in a fire. No horses were injured.^[34] In February 2023,^[35] the Beebe family decided to sell Beebe Ranch after over 100 years of owning the property. They considered offers from several developers, but declined offers that were not focused on preserving the farm.^[36] As of April 2023, the 10-acre property is currently under contract to be sold to the Museum of Chincoteague Island and the Misty of Chincoteague Foundation for $625,000 to preserve the location as a historic site.^[37]^[38]

References

^ General Assembly of Virginia. "An Act to amend and reenact § 1-510 of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; state pony". www.lis.virginia.gov. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Archived May 16, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Kelleher, Colleen (February 8, 2023). "Chincoteague Pony to Become Official Virginia Pony".
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Goode, Kristin Ingwell (October 10, 2001). "Chincoteague Ponies". The Horse. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
^ Geci, Amanda (September 19, 2020). The Colorful Chincoteague: Chincoteague Pony Colors and Patterns. Self-published. ISBN 979-8682856534. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Dutson, Judith (2005). Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America. Storey Publishing. ISBN 1580176135.
^ Lawley, F. (1893). "The Chincoteague Ponies". Bailey's magazine of sports and pastimes, volume 60. Bailey Bros. OCLC 12030733.
^ ^a ^b ^c Geci, Amanda (September 19, 2020). The Colorful Chincoteague: Chincoteague Pony Colors and Patterns. Self-published. ISBN 9798682856534. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
^ "Chincoteague Pony Breed Standards". International Chincoteague Pony Association & Registry. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Edwards, Elwyn Hartley (1994). The Encyclopedia of the Horse (1st American ed.). New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 1564586146.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Assateague's Wild Horses". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
^ Frederick, Gale Park. "The Chincoteague Pony History Page". National Chincoteague Pony Association. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
^ Pinson, Jerald (July 27, 2022). "Chincoteague Ponies: DNA Analysis Lends Credence To Spanish Shipwreck Folklore". Paulick Report. Ray Paulick. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023.
^ Delsol, Nicolas; Stucky, Brian J.; Oswald, Jessica A.; Reitz, Elizabeth J.; Emery, Kitty F.; Guralnick, Robert (2022). "Analysis of the earliest complete mtDNA genome of a Caribbean colonial horse (Equus caballus) from 16th-century Haiti". PLOS ONE. 17 (7): e0270600. Bibcode:2022PLoSO..1770600D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0270600. PMC 9328532. PMID 35895670. Art. No. e0270600.
^ "The Equine FFVs: A Study of the Evidence for the English Horses Imported to Virginia before the Revolution". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 35 (4): 365. October 1927.
^ ^a ^b Williams, Jeff (November 2002). "USGS Research Contributes to Assateague Island Restoration—Mitigating 70 Years of Coastal Erosion Due to Ocean City Inlet Jetties". Sound Waves. U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original on March 1, 2003. Retrieved December 3, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Archived 1 March 2003.
^ "State of the Parks: Assateague Island National Seashore" (PDF). National Parks Conservation Association. August 2007. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
^ Moira C. Harris, Bob Langrish (2006). America's Horses: A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U.S.A. Guilford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press. ISBN 1592288936.
^ Osborne, Malinda (2009). "Chincoteague pony swim poses unique challenges for local veterinarian". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 233 (9): 1377. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011.
^ "Official 2018 Chincoteague Island Pony Swim Guide". Chincoteague Island, Virginia First Official Tourist page. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
^ "Filly tops Chincoteague pony sale at $28,250". Horsetalk.co.nz. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
^ Desai, Kamleshkumar. "Chincoteague Pony Auction sets new records in 2022". Delmarva Now. USA Today. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
^ "OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE CONCERNING THE CHINCOTEAGUE PONY ASSOCIATION" (PDF). Chincoteague Island, VA, USA: Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
^ "Pony Swim Guide". Chincoteague Island, VA, USA: Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
^ "International Chincoteague Pony Association and Registry LLC". Elgin, MN, USA. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
^ "Chincoteague Pony". International Museum of the Horse. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
^ "Assateague State Park". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on April 19, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hendricks, Bonnie (2007). International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806138848.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Chincoteague Pony". Oklahoma State University. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
^ ^a ^b Eggert, Lori S.; Powell, David M.; Ballou, Jonathan D.; Malo, Aurelio F.; Turner, Allison; Kumer, Jack; Zimmerman, Carl; Fleischer, Robert C.; Maldonado, Jesús E. (2010). "Pedigrees and the Study of the Wild Horse Population of Assateague Island National Seashore" (PDF). Journal of Wildlife Management. 74 (5): 963–973. Bibcode:2010JWMan..74..963E. doi:10.2193/2009-231. JSTOR 40665170. S2CID 26875416.
^ Kirkpatrick, Jay F.; Fazio, Patricia M. (2009). "Immunocontraceptive Reproductive Control Utilizing Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) in Federal Wild Horse Populations" (PDF) (2nd ed.). American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 3, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
^ LeMay, Courtney (June 7, 2010). "Assateague Steps Up Wild Horse Educational Efforts". The Horse. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
^ "The Ponies of Chincoteague and Pony Penning". Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
^ Nan DeVincent-Hayes, Bo Bennett (2000). Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738505625.
^ Gonzalez, Lucas. "Beebe Ranch fire: The rich legacy of Misty of Chincoteague's birthplace". Delmarva Now. USA Today. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
^ Orens, Kyle (February 28, 2023). "The Clock is Ticking to Save a Piece of Chincoteague History". WBOC. CBS News. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
^ Cechini, Hannah (April 24, 2023). "Museum of Chincoteague Island to close deal on Beebe Ranch purchase". 47 ABC WMDT. ABC News. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
^ Demko, Keith. "Beebe Ranch, home to Misty of Chincoteague, gets its savior with big museum announcement". Delmarva Now. USA Today. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
^ Patrickis, Caroline (March 13, 2023). "Museum of Chincoteague Island hopes to save Beebe Ranch from being sold to developers". ABC 7 WJLA. ABC 7 News. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

External links

[1] General Assembly of Virginia. "An Act to amend and reenact § 1-510 of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; state pony". www.lis.virginia.gov. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Archived May 16, 2023.

[:0-2] Kelleher, Colleen (February 8, 2023). "Chincoteague Pony to Become Official Virginia Pony".

[Goode-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Goode, Kristin Ingwell (October 10, 2001). "Chincoteague Ponies". The Horse. Retrieved May 11, 2019.

[4] Geci, Amanda (September 19, 2020). The Colorful Chincoteague: Chincoteague Pony Colors and Patterns. Self-published. ISBN 979-8682856534. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

[dutson-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Dutson, Judith (2005). Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America. Storey Publishing. ISBN 1580176135.

[lawley-6] Lawley, F. (1893). "The Chincoteague Ponies". Bailey's magazine of sports and pastimes, volume 60. Bailey Bros. OCLC 12030733.

[geci-7] Geci, Amanda (September 19, 2020). The Colorful Chincoteague: Chincoteague Pony Colors and Patterns. Self-published. ISBN 9798682856534. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

[8] "Chincoteague Pony Breed Standards". International Chincoteague Pony Association & Registry. Retrieved June 22, 2023.

[edwards-9] Edwards, Elwyn Hartley (1994). The Encyclopedia of the Horse (1st American ed.). New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 1564586146.

[nps-10] "Assateague's Wild Horses". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved June 10, 2010.

[11] Frederick, Gale Park. "The Chincoteague Pony History Page". National Chincoteague Pony Association. Retrieved January 15, 2011.

[12] Pinson, Jerald (July 27, 2022). "Chincoteague Ponies: DNA Analysis Lends Credence To Spanish Shipwreck Folklore". Paulick Report. Ray Paulick. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023.

[13] Delsol, Nicolas; Stucky, Brian J.; Oswald, Jessica A.; Reitz, Elizabeth J.; Emery, Kitty F.; Guralnick, Robert (2022). "Analysis of the earliest complete mtDNA genome of a Caribbean colonial horse (Equus caballus) from 16th-century Haiti". PLOS ONE. 17 (7): e0270600. Bibcode:2022PLoSO..1770600D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0270600. PMC 9328532. PMID 35895670. Art. No. e0270600.

[14] "The Equine FFVs: A Study of the Evidence for the English Horses Imported to Virginia before the Revolution". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 35 (4): 365. October 1927.

[soundwaves-15] Williams, Jeff (November 2002). "USGS Research Contributes to Assateague Island Restoration—Mitigating 70 Years of Coastal Erosion Due to Ocean City Inlet Jetties". Sound Waves. U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original on March 1, 2003. Retrieved December 3, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Archived 1 March 2003.

[16] "State of the Parks: Assateague Island National Seashore" (PDF). National Parks Conservation Association. August 2007. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2010.

[moira-17] Moira C. Harris, Bob Langrish (2006). America's Horses: A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U.S.A. Guilford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press. ISBN 1592288936.

[18] Osborne, Malinda (2009). "Chincoteague pony swim poses unique challenges for local veterinarian". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 233 (9): 1377. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011.

[19] "Official 2018 Chincoteague Island Pony Swim Guide". Chincoteague Island, Virginia First Official Tourist page. Retrieved December 29, 2018.

[20] "Filly tops Chincoteague pony sale at $28,250". Horsetalk.co.nz. Retrieved June 22, 2023.

[21] Desai, Kamleshkumar. "Chincoteague Pony Auction sets new records in 2022". Delmarva Now. USA Today. Retrieved June 22, 2023.

[22] "OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE CONCERNING THE CHINCOTEAGUE PONY ASSOCIATION" (PDF). Chincoteague Island, VA, USA: Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Retrieved October 13, 2021.

[CVFC-23] "Pony Swim Guide". Chincoteague Island, VA, USA: Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Retrieved November 28, 2011.

[24] "International Chincoteague Pony Association and Registry LLC". Elgin, MN, USA. Retrieved October 13, 2021.

[25] "Chincoteague Pony". International Museum of the Horse. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2012.

[26] "Assateague State Park". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on April 19, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.

[bonnie-27] Hendricks, Bonnie (2007). International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806138848.

[OSU-28] "Chincoteague Pony". Oklahoma State University. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2011.

[Pedigree-29] Eggert, Lori S.; Powell, David M.; Ballou, Jonathan D.; Malo, Aurelio F.; Turner, Allison; Kumer, Jack; Zimmerman, Carl; Fleischer, Robert C.; Maldonado, Jesús E. (2010). "Pedigrees and the Study of the Wild Horse Population of Assateague Island National Seashore" (PDF). Journal of Wildlife Management. 74 (5): 963–973. Bibcode:2010JWMan..74..963E. doi:10.2193/2009-231. JSTOR 40665170. S2CID 26875416.

[30] Kirkpatrick, Jay F.; Fazio, Patricia M. (2009). "Immunocontraceptive Reproductive Control Utilizing Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) in Federal Wild Horse Populations" (PDF) (2nd ed.). American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 3, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.

[LeMay-31] LeMay, Courtney (June 7, 2010). "Assateague Steps Up Wild Horse Educational Efforts". The Horse. Retrieved May 11, 2019.

[32] "The Ponies of Chincoteague and Pony Penning". Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved December 19, 2008.

[nan-33] Nan DeVincent-Hayes, Bo Bennett (2000). Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738505625.

[34] Gonzalez, Lucas. "Beebe Ranch fire: The rich legacy of Misty of Chincoteague's birthplace". Delmarva Now. USA Today. Retrieved June 22, 2023.

[35] Orens, Kyle (February 28, 2023). "The Clock is Ticking to Save a Piece of Chincoteague History". WBOC. CBS News. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

[36] Cechini, Hannah (April 24, 2023). "Museum of Chincoteague Island to close deal on Beebe Ranch purchase". 47 ABC WMDT. ABC News. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

[37] Demko, Keith. "Beebe Ranch, home to Misty of Chincoteague, gets its savior with big museum announcement". Delmarva Now. USA Today. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

[38] Patrickis, Caroline (March 13, 2023). "Museum of Chincoteague Island hopes to save Beebe Ranch from being sold to developers". ABC 7 WJLA. ABC 7 News. Retrieved June 21, 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}}
 {{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
-<!-- Begin Infobox horse.  The text of the article should go AFTER this section.-->
-{{Infobox horse
+{{Infobox horse breed
-|name= Chincoteague pony
+| name            = Chincoteague pony
-|image= Wild Pony at Assateague.jpg
+| image           = Wild Pony at Assateague.jpg
-|image_caption= Chincoteague pony
+| image_caption   = Chincoteague pony
-|features = {{unbulleted list|{{nobreak|height: {{hands|13.2}}}}|all colors}}
+| features        = {{unbulleted list|{{nobreak|height: {{hands|13.2}}}}|all colors}}
-|altname= Assateague horse
+| altname         = Assateague horse
-|country= [[United States]]
+| country         = United States
+| standard        = [https://www.chincoteagueponyassociation.com/breed-standards.html Chincoteague Pony Association]
 }}
-<!-- End Infobox horse info. Article Begins Here -->
-The '''Chincoteague pony''', also known as the '''Assateague horse''', is a [[horse breed|breed]] of horse that developed, and now lives, within a [[feral horse|feral]] population on [[Assateague Island]] in the US states of [[Virginia]] and [[Maryland]]. The Chincoteague pony is one of the many breeds of [[horses in the United States|feral horses in the United States]]. The breed was made famous by the  ''[[Misty of Chincoteague]]'' novels (written by [[Marguerite Henry]]), first published in 1947.
+The '''Chincoteague pony''', also known as the '''Assateague horse''', is a [[horse breed|breed]] of horse that developed, and now lives, within a [[semi-feral]] or [[feral horse|feral]] population on [[Assateague Island]] in the US states of [[Virginia]] and [[Maryland]]. The Chincoteague pony is one of the many breeds of [[horses in the United States|feral horses in the United States]]. The breed was made famous by the  ''[[Misty of Chincoteague (novel)|Misty of Chincoteague]]'' novels, written by [[pony book]] author [[Marguerite Henry]], and first published in 1947, and the [[pony]] [[Misty of Chincoteague (horse)|Misty of Chincoteague]].
-Although popularly known as Chincoteague ponies, the [[feral]] ponies live on Assateague Island. The entire island is owned by the federal government and is split by a fence at the Maryland/Virginia state line, with a herd of around 150 ponies living on the Virginia side of the fence, and 80 on the Maryland side. The herds live on land managed by two different federal agencies with very different management strategies. Ponies from the Maryland herd (referred to in the literature of the [[National Park Service]] as Assateague horses) live within [[Assateague Island National Seashore]]. They are generally treated as wild animals, given no more or less assistance than any other species on the island, other [[contraceptive]] treatments to curb overpopulation. Conversely, the Virginia herd (referred to as Chincoteague ponies) lives within the [[Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge]], and is owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The Virginia ponies are treated to twice-yearly veterinary inspections, which prepare them for life among the general equine population if they are sold at auction. While only around 300 feral ponies live on Assateague Island, around 1,000 more live off-island, having been purchased or bred by private breeders.
+Although popularly known as Chincoteague ponies, the [[feral]] ponies live on Assateague Island. The entire island is owned by the federal government and is split by a fence at the Maryland/Virginia state line, with a herd of around 150 ponies living on the Virginia side of the fence, and 80 on the Maryland side. The herds live on land managed by two different federal agencies with very different management strategies. Ponies from the Maryland herd (referred to in the literature of the [[National Park Service]] as Assateague horses) live within [[Assateague Island National Seashore]]. They are generally treated as wild animals, given no more or less assistance than any other species on the island, other than [[contraceptive]] treatments to curb overpopulation. Conversely, the Virginia herd (referred to as Chincoteague ponies) lives within the [[Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge]], and is owned by the [[Chincoteague Fire Department|Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company]]. The Virginia ponies are treated to twice-yearly veterinary inspections, which prepare them for life among the general equine population if they are sold at auction. While only around 300 feral ponies live on Assateague Island, around 1,000 more live off-island, having been purchased or bred by private breeders.
-The Code of Virginia § 1-510 was amended to name the Chincoteague Pony breed as the designated pony of [[Virginia (state)|Virginia]] by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia in February 2023, effective 1 July 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=General Assembly of Virginia |title=An Act to amend and reenact § 1-510 of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; state pony. |url=https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+HB1951ER |url-status=live |access-date=May 16, 2023 |website=www.lis.virginia.gov}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Kelleher |first=Colleen |date=February 8, 2023 |title=Chincoteague Pony to Become Official Virginia Pony |url=https://northernvirginiamag.com/culture/news/2023/02/08/chincoteague-pony-to-become-official-virginia-pony/}}</ref>
+The Code of Virginia § 1-510 was amended to name the Chincoteague Pony breed as the designated pony of [[Virginia (state)|Virginia]] by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia in February 2023, effective July 1, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=General Assembly of Virginia |title=An Act to amend and reenact § 1-510 of the Code of Virginia, relating to official emblems and designations; state pony. |url=https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+HB1951ER |access-date= |website=www.lis.virginia.gov |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516195043/https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+ful+HB1951ER |url-status=bot: unknown }} Archived May 16, 2023.</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Kelleher |first=Colleen |date=February 8, 2023 |title=Chincoteague Pony to Become Official Virginia Pony |url=https://northernvirginiamag.com/culture/news/2023/02/08/chincoteague-pony-to-become-official-virginia-pony/}}</ref>
 ==Breed characteristics==
+While [[phenotype|phenotypically]] horses, the Chincoteague is most often referred to as a pony breed.<ref name=Goode>{{cite journal|url=https://thehorse.com/14802/chincoteague-ponies/|title=Chincoteague Ponies|access-date=May 11, 2019|journal=The Horse|author=Goode, Kristin Ingwell|date=October 10, 2001}}</ref> Chincoteagues average around {{hands|13.2}} in their [[feral]] state, but grow to at least {{hands|14.2}} when domesticated and provided better nutrition. They generally weigh around {{convert|850|lbs|kg}}. All [[equine coat color|solid colors]] are found in the breed, as are [[pinto horse|pinto patterns]], with the exception of the [[leopard complex]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Geci |first1=Amanda |title=The Colorful Chincoteague: Chincoteague Pony Colors and Patterns |date=19 September 2020 |publisher=Self-published |isbn=979-8682856534 |url=http://www.thecolorfulchincoteague.com/historical.html |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref> Horses with pinto coloration tend to sell for the most money at the annual auction, and are a favorite among breed enthusiasts, as the coat patterning was made popular by the 1947 [[Children's literature|book]] ''[[Misty of Chincoteague (novel)|Misty of Chincoteague]]'' by [[pony book]] author [[Marguerite Henry]].
-[[File:Whisper of Living Legend.jpg|thumb|right|Whisper of Living Legend ("Whisper"), a [[palomino]] [[tobiano]] Chincoteague [[mare]] foaled in 2000 displaying "refined" [[equine conformation|conformation]]. She is 75% Chincoteague, 25% [[Arabian horse|Arabian]], of the Premier [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] bloodline.]]
-While [[phenotype|phenotypically]] horses, the Chincoteague is most often referred to as a pony breed.<ref name=Goode>{{cite journal|url=https://thehorse.com/14802/chincoteague-ponies/|title=Chincoteague Ponies|access-date=May 11, 2019|journal=The Horse|author=Goode, Kristin Ingwell|date=October 10, 2001}}</ref> Chincoteagues average around {{hands|13.2}} in their [[feral]] state, but grow to at least {{hands|14.2}} when domesticated and provided better nutrition. They generally weigh around {{convert|850|lbs|kg}}. All [[equine coat color|solid colors]] are found in the breed, as are [[pinto horse|pinto patterns]]. Horses with pinto coloration tend to sell for the most money at the annual auction, and are a favorite among breed enthusiasts, as the coat patterning was made popular by the 1947 [[Children's literature|children's book]] ''[[Misty of Chincoteague]]'' by [[pony book]] author [[Marguerite Henry]].
-Island Chincoteagues live on a diet of [[salt marsh]] plants and brush. This poor-quality (and often seasonally-scarce) food source—combined with uncontrolled inbreeding—created a propensity for [[equine conformation|conformation faults]] in the Chincoteague; new bloodlines began to be introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Due to outside bloodlines being added to the Chincoteague herd, there is some variation in physical characteristics and [[Equine conformation|conformation]]. In general, the breed tends to have a straight or slightly concave facial profile with a broad forehead and refined [[Equine anatomy#External anatomy|throatlatch]] and neck. The shoulders are well angled, the ribs well sprung, the chest broad and the [[back (horse)|back]] short with broad loins. The [[rump (animal)|croup]] is rounded, with a thick, low-set tail. The breed's legs tend to be straight, with good, dense bone that makes them sound and sturdy.<ref name="Dutson">Dutson, pp. 287–290</ref>
+Island Chincoteagues live on a diet of [[salt marsh]] plants and brush. This poor-quality (and often seasonally-scarce) food source—combined with uncontrolled inbreeding—created a propensity for [[equine conformation|conformation faults]] in the Chincoteague; new bloodlines began to be introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Due to outside bloodlines being added to the Chincoteague herd, there is some variation in physical characteristics and [[Equine conformation|conformation]]. In general, the breed tends to have a straight or slightly concave facial profile with a broad forehead and refined [[Equine anatomy#External anatomy|throatlatch]] and neck. The shoulders are well angled, the ribs well sprung, the chest broad and the [[back (horse)|back]] short with broad loins. The [[rump (animal)|croup]] is rounded, with a thick, low-set tail. The breed's legs tend to be straight, with good, dense bone that makes them sound and sturdy.{{r|dutson|p=287–290}}
-Domesticated Chincoteagues are considered intelligent and willing to please.<ref name=Goode/> They are viewed as easy to train, and are used as [[show hunter|hunter]], [[driving (horse)|driving]], and [[trail horse|trail ponies]].<ref name="Dutson"/> In terms of health, they are generally hardy and [[easy keeper]]s (able to live on little food).<ref name=Goode/> In the late 19th century, one author praised their "good manners and gentle disposition" while reporting the story of one pony who was ridden a distance of around {{convert|1000|mi|km}} in 34 days by a man with equipment, a load that weighed around {{convert|160|lbs|kg}}—the pony weighed approximately {{convert|500|lbs|kg}}.<ref>Lawley, pp. 224–225</ref>
+Domesticated Chincoteagues are considered intelligent and willing to please.<ref name=Goode/> They are viewed as easy to train, and are used as [[show hunter|hunter]], [[driving (horse)|driving]], and [[trail horse|trail ponies]].{{r|dutson|p=287–290}} In terms of health, they are generally hardy and [[easy keeper]]s (able to live on little food).<ref name=Goode/> In the late 19th century, one author praised their "good manners and gentle disposition" while reporting the story of one pony who was ridden a distance of around {{convert|1000|mi|km}} in 34 days by a man with equipment, a load that weighed around {{convert|160|lbs|kg}}—the pony weighed approximately {{convert|500|lbs|kg}}.{{r|lawley|p=224–225}}
+Due to their small size and stature, Chincoteague ponies are often crossed with taller [[horse breed|horse breeds]]{{snd}} such as the [[Arabian horse]], [[Morgan horse]], [[Thoroughbred]], [[American Quarter Horse]], [[American Paint Horse]], [[Tennessee Walking Horse]], [[Canadian horse]], [[Friesian horse]], [[Mustang]], [[Spanish Mustang]], and others{{snd}} to produce [[horse show|show]] [[pony|ponies]] and [[riding pony|riding ponies]] with more refined [[equine conformation|conformation]], as well as higher [[genetic diversity]]. Pony crosses also included the [[Welsh pony]] and [[Shetland pony]]. Previous attempts at refining the poor [[equine conformation|conformation]] of the wild Chincoteague and Assateague pony herds also included regularly crossing native Chincoteague mares to [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] stallions from the 1960s to the 1980s, including a [[gray (horse)|gray]] named Skowreym (1962); a [[chestnut (horse color)|chestnut]] named Al-Marah Sunny Jim (1965); a [[bay (horse)|bay]] [[tobiano]] [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] and [[American Paint Horse|Paint]] cross named Gordo (1979-1980); and [[buckskin (horse)|buckskin]] half-[[Arabian horse|Arabian]] named Gunner's Moon (1982-1983). In 1995, the [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] stallion Premierre ("Premier") was brought to Chincoteague to breed with native mares by Stanley White of Grandeur Arabians; Premier was later released out on [[Assateague Island]], where he died in 1999. The [[bay (horse)|bay]] [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] [[stallion]] Striking Cadet ("Striking Gold") replaced him, and was crossed with Chincoteague mares from 2000-2002; the [[bay (horse)|bay]] [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] [[stallion]] Calistoe also sired foals with Chincoteague mares in the 1990s and 2000s.{{r|geci}}
-[[File:Hendrick's Shadow Dancer.jpg|thumb|left|Hendrick's Shadow Dancer, a 15.0 [[Hand (unit)|hh]] [[black horse|black]] [[tobiano]] [[Friesian horse|Friesian]] and Chincoteague cross [[gelding]]. He is by the [[Friesian horse|Friesian]] [[stallion]] Hendrik (16.2hh) out of the Chincoteague mare Misty's Moon Dancer (13.3hh), the latter having [[Thoroughbred]] blood. Hendrick's Shadow Dancer was registered as an [[American Warmblood]], though he is also a [[Friesian Sporthorse]].]]
-Due to their small size and stature, Chincoteague ponies are often crossed with taller [[horse breed|horse breeds]] - such as the [[Arabian horse]], [[Morgan horse]], [[Thoroughbred]], [[American Quarter Horse]], [[American Paint Horse]], [[Tennessee Walking Horse]], [[Canadian horse]], [[Friesian horse]], [[Mustang]], [[Spanish Mustang]], and others - to produce [[horse show|show]] [[pony|ponies]] and [[riding pony|riding ponies]] with more refined [[equine conformation|conformation]], as well as higher [[genetic diversity]]. Pony crosses also included the [[Welsh pony]] and [[Shetland pony]]. Previous attempts at refining the poor [[equine conformation|conformation]] of the wild Chincoteague and Assateague pony herds also included regularly crossing native Chincoteague mares to [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] stallions from the 1960s to the 1980s, including a [[gray (horse)|gray]] named Skowreym (1962); a [[chestnut (horse color)|chestnut]] named Al-Marah Sunny Jim (1965); a [[bay (horse)|bay]] [[tobiano]] [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] and [[American Paint Horse|Paint]] cross named Gordo (1979-1980); and [[buckskin (horse)|buckskin]] half-[[Arabian horse|Arabian]] named Gunner's Moon (1982-1983). In 1995, the [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] stallion Premierre ("Premier") was brought to Chincoteague to breed with native mares by Stanley White of Grandeur Arabians; Premier was later released out on [[Assateague Island]], where he died in 1999. The [[bay (horse)|bay]] [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] [[stallion]] Striking Cadet ("Striking Gold") replaced him, and was crossed with Chincoteague mares from 2000-2002; the [[bay (horse)|bay]] [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] [[stallion]] Calistoe also sired foals with Chincoteague mares in the 1990s and 2000s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Geci |first1=Amanda |title=The Colorful Chincoteague: Chincoteague Pony Colors and Patterns |date=19 September 2020 |publisher=Self-published |isbn=979-8682856534 |url=http://www.thecolorfulchincoteague.com/outcrosshistory.html |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
-In 1896, Leonard D. Sale wrote in ''The Horse Review of Chicago'' that an Assateague resident imported and released a "[[Canadian Horse|Canadian-bred]] [[pony]] [[stallion]]" in an effort to improve the breed. The resulting foals from the [[Canadian horse|Canadian pony]] sire were also [[Horse gait|gaited]], indicating the sire may have had [[Narragansett Pacer]] genes: "A few island ponies pace, but they carry an infusion of the Canadian scrub blood." In 1976, restaurant owner [[Bob Evans (restaurateur)|Bob Evans]], the founder of the [[Bob Evans Restaurants]] [[franchising|franchise]], donated two [[buckskin (horse)|buckskin]] [[Spanish Mustang]] stallions to the Chincoteague and Assateague herds from his own personal herd to help improve the breed.<ref name="Geci">Geci, see link.</ref>
+In 1896, Leonard D. Sale wrote in ''The Horse Review of Chicago'' that an Assateague resident imported and released a "[[Canadian Horse|Canadian-bred]] [[pony]] [[stallion]]" in an effort to improve the breed. The resulting foals from the [[Canadian horse|Canadian pony]] sire were also [[Horse gait|gaited]], indicating the sire may have had [[Narragansett Pacer]] genes: "A few island ponies pace, but they carry an infusion of the Canadian scrub blood." In 1976, restaurant owner [[Bob Evans (restaurateur)|Bob Evans]], the founder of the [[Bob Evans Restaurants]] [[franchising|franchise]], donated two [[buckskin (horse)|buckskin]] [[Spanish Mustang]] stallions to the Chincoteague and Assateague herds from his own personal herd to help improve the breed.{{r|geci}}
-The influence of the [[Arabian horse]] [[horse breed|breed]] on Chincoteague ponies continues to be seen today, with many Chincoteague ponies having the refined, wedge-shaped heads, a broad forehead, large eyes, large nostrils, and small muzzles - or the "concave, dished profile" - seen with many Arabian crosses. Some Chincoteagues have [[stock horse]] [[equine conformation|conformation]], while others have more elegant and "refined" body types.
+The influence of the [[Arabian horse]] [[horse breed|breed]] on Chincoteague ponies continues to be seen today, with many Chincoteague ponies having the refined, wedge-shaped heads, a broad forehead, large eyes, large nostrils, and small muzzles{{snd}} or the "concave, dished profile"{{snd}} seen with many [[Part-Arabian|Arabian crosses]]. Some Chincoteagues have [[stock horse]] [[equine conformation|conformation]], while others have more elegant and "refined" body types. The stockier types are considered to be the "Traditional Type" of pony, while more "refined" ponies are considered to the "Sport Type" variety. "Traditional Type" Chincoteague ponies typically stand from 11 to 13.3 [[hand (unit)|hands high]], whereas "Sport Type" Chincoteague ponies stand at an average of 13 to 14 [[hand (unit)|hands high]], with the tallest individuals growing to a maximum of 15 hands. [[Equine conformation|Conformation]] influence from the [[Arabian horse|Arabian]], [[Mustang]], [[American Quarter Horse]], [[American Paint Horse]], and/or [[Thoroughbred]] is allowed for the "Sport Type".<ref>{{cite web |title=Chincoteague Pony Breed Standards |url=https://www.chincoteagueponyassociation.com/breed-standards.html |website=International Chincoteague Pony Association & Registry |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref>
 ==History==
 [[File:Spanish horses.jpg|thumb|right| [[Iberian horse|Spanish horses]], portrayed here as the [[Andalusian horse|Andalusian]] [[horse breed]], as depicted by artist Carl Rakeman in his painting ''1539 Coming of the Horse''.]]
-Legend states that Chincoteague ponies descend from [[Iberian horse|Spanish horses]] shipwrecked off the Virginia coast on their way to [[Peru]] in the 16th century.<ref name=Edwards/> Another story holds that they descend from horses left on the island by [[Piracy|pirates]]. Other evidence points to their ancestors actually being horses brought to the islands in the 17th century by mainland farmers. Livestock on the islands were not subject to taxes or fencing laws, and so many animals, including hogs, sheep, cattle and horses, were brought to the islands.<ref name=Dutson/>
+Legend states that Chincoteague ponies descend from [[Iberian horse|Spanish horses]] shipwrecked off the Virginia coast on their way to [[Peru]] in the 16th century.{{r|edwards|p=244–245}} Another story holds that they descend from horses left on the island by [[Piracy|pirates]]. Other evidence points to their ancestors actually being horses brought to the islands in the 17th century by mainland farmers. Livestock on the islands were not subject to taxes or fencing laws, and so many animals, including hogs, sheep, cattle and horses, were brought to the islands.{{r|dutson|p=287–290}}
-While the National Park Service holds to the theory that the horses were brought to the island in the 17th century,<ref name=nps/> the [[Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company]], which owns the ponies on the Virginia side of Assateague,<ref name=nps/> argues that the Spanish shipwreck theory is correct. They argue that horses were too valuable in the 17th century to have been left to run wild on the island, and claim that there are two sunken Spanish [[galleon]]s off the Virginia coast in support of their theory.<ref name=Goode/> The National Chincoteague Pony Association also promotes the shipwreck theory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pony-chincoteague.com/history.html|title=The Chincoteague Pony History Page|author=Frederick, Gale Park|publisher=National Chincoteague Pony Association|access-date=January 15, 2011}}</ref> In 2022, a DNA study of a 500-year-old [[Iberian horse|Spanish horse]] tooth  from [[Puerto Real, Vieques, Puerto Rico|Puerto Real]], [[Puerto Rico]] indicated that its closest genetic relative was the Chincoteague pony, supporting the theory that the ponies are descended from colonial [[Iberian horse|Spanish]] [[Foundation bloodstock|bloodstock]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pinson |first1=Jerald |title=Chincoteague Ponies: DNA Analysis Lends Credence To Spanish Shipwreck Folklore |url=https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/chincoteague-ponies-dna-analysis-lends-credence-to-spanish-shipwreck-folklore/ |website=Paulick Report |publisher=Ray Paulick |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
+While the National Park Service holds to the theory that the horses were brought to the island in the 17th century,<ref name=nps/> the [[Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company]], which owns the ponies on the Virginia side of Assateague,<ref name=nps/> argues that the Spanish shipwreck theory is correct. They argue that horses were too valuable in the 17th century to have been left to run wild on the island, and claim that there are two sunken Spanish [[galleon]]s off the Virginia coast in support of their theory.<ref name=Goode/> The National Chincoteague Pony Association also promotes the shipwreck theory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pony-chincoteague.com/history.html|title=The Chincoteague Pony History Page|author=Frederick, Gale Park|publisher=National Chincoteague Pony Association|access-date=January 15, 2011}}</ref> In 2022, a DNA study of a 500-year-old [[Iberian horse|Spanish horse]] tooth  from [[Puerto Real, Vieques, Puerto Rico]] indicated that its closest genetic relative was the Chincoteague pony, supporting the theory that the ponies are descended from colonial [[Iberian horse|Spanish]] [[Foundation bloodstock|bloodstock]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Pinson |first=Jerald |title=Chincoteague Ponies: DNA Analysis Lends Credence To Spanish Shipwreck Folklore |url=https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/chincoteague-ponies-dna-analysis-lends-credence-to-spanish-shipwreck-folklore/ |website=Paulick Report |publisher=Ray Paulick |date=27 July 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113172305/https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/chincoteague-ponies-dna-analysis-lends-credence-to-spanish-shipwreck-folklore/|archive-date=13 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Delsol|first1=Nicolas|last2=Stucky|first2=Brian J.|last3=Oswald|first3=Jessica A.|last4=Reitz|first4=Elizabeth J.|last5=Emery|first5=Kitty F.|last6=Guralnick|first6=Robert|title=Analysis of the earliest complete mtDNA genome of a Caribbean colonial horse (''Equus caballus'') from 16th-century Haiti|journal=PLOS ONE|year=2022|volume=17|issue=7|pages=e0270600 |id=Art. No. e0270600|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0270600|doi-access=free|pmid=35895670 |pmc=9328532|bibcode=2022PLoSO..1770600D }}</ref>
 [[File:Chincoteague Island Postcard.jpg|thumb|left| A turn-of-the-century postcard advertising [[Chincoteague Island]], based on an oil painting by [[Virginia (state)|Virginian]] artist Jack Woodson (c. 1920s), which depicts Chincoteague ponies as the descendants of "[[Arabian horse|Arabian horses]]...[who were] the sole survivors of a [[shipwreck|shipwrecked]] [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] [[galleon]]".]]
 In the early 1900s, they were described as having been on the islands since well before the [[American Revolution]], and were described at that time as "very diminutive, but many of them are of perfect symmetry and extraordinary powers of action and endurance". In the early 1800s, Virginia governor [[Henry A. Wise]] released what one author called the "earliest printed testimony" on the Chincoteague.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Equine FFVs: A Study of the Evidence for the English Horses Imported to Virginia before the Revolution|journal=The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography|volume=35|issue=4|date=October 1927|page=365}}</ref> In 1835, the practice of [[Pony Penning|pony penning]] began, with residents rounding up a number of ponies and relocating them to the mainland. In 1924, the first official "Pony Penning Day" was held by the [[Chincoteague Fire Department|Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company]], where ponies were auctioned as a way to raise money for fire equipment. Some younger ponies are kept for domesticating, such as [[horse training|training]], riding and general taming work, with many ponies eventually becoming cherished and obedient animals. The annual event has continued in the same fashion almost uninterrupted to the present day.
-During the 1920s, before the herds were managed by various agencies, many [[equine conformation|conformation]] faults were found—the effects of uncontrolled [[inbreeding]]. Misshapen legs, narrow chests, poor bone and a lack of substance plagued the breed, with many stunted animals not growing above {{hands|12}}. This was partially due to the limited and poor-quality feed found on the islands, although this harsh habitat also allowed only the hardiest and most adaptable ponies to survive. [[Welsh pony]] and [[Shetland pony|Shetland]] [[pony]] blood was added to upgrade the [[foundation stock|stock]]; horses with pinto coloring were introduced to give the herd its common distinctive patterns, and contribute to the more horse-like [[phenotype]] of the breed.<ref name=Edwards>Edwards, pp. 244–245</ref> 20 [[Mustang (horse)|Mustangs]] owned by the [[Bureau of Land Management]] were introduced in 1939. [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] blood was added in the hopes of adding refinement and height to the breed, as well as increasing the length of their legs<ref name=Dutson/>; blood from the [[Morgan horse]], [[Thoroughbred]], [[American Quarter Horse]], [[American Paint Horse]], [[Canadian horse]], [[Mustang]], [[Spanish Mustang]] was also added through crossbreeding.<ref name="Geci">Geci, see link.</ref>
+During the 1920s, before the herds were managed by various agencies, many [[equine conformation|conformation]] faults were found—the effects of uncontrolled [[inbreeding]]. Misshapen legs, narrow chests, poor bone and a lack of substance plagued the breed, with many stunted animals not growing above {{hands|12}}. This was partially due to the limited and poor-quality feed found on the islands, although this harsh habitat also allowed only the hardiest and most adaptable ponies to survive. [[Welsh pony]] and [[Shetland pony|Shetland]] [[pony]] blood was added to upgrade the [[foundation stock|stock]]; horses with pinto coloring were introduced to give the herd its common distinctive patterns, and contribute to the more horse-like [[phenotype]] of the breed.{{r|edwards|p=244–245}} Twenty [[Mustang (horse)|Mustangs]] owned by the [[Bureau of Land Management]] were introduced in 1939. [[Arabian horse|Arabian]] blood was added in the hopes of adding refinement and height to the breed, as well as increasing the length of their legs;{{r|dutson|p=287–290}} blood from the [[Morgan horse]], [[Thoroughbred]], [[American Quarter Horse]], [[American Paint Horse]], [[Canadian horse]], [[Mustang]], [[Spanish Mustang]] was also added through crossbreeding.{{r|geci}}
-The Chincoteague pony has a similar history to the [[Banker horse|Shackleford Banker Horse]], which comes from the [[Shackleford Banks]] off the coast of [[North Carolina]]. However, the Shackleford is a more isolated population, with no outside blood added to the herd.<ref>Dutson, p. 324</ref>
+The Chincoteague pony has a similar history to the [[Banker horse|Shackleford Banker Horse]], which comes from the [[Shackleford Banks]] off the coast of [[North Carolina]]. However, the Shackleford is a more isolated population, with no outside blood added to the herd.{{r|dutson|p=324}}
-The island itself has also undergone change. At one time, the island was connected to the southernmost point of [[Fenwick Island, Delaware|Fenwick Island]]. In August 1933, a hurricane created an [[inlet]] south of [[Ocean City, Maryland]],<ref name=soundwaves>{{cite web|author=Williams, Jeff|url=http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2002/11/research.html|title=USGS Research Contributes to Assateague Island Restoration—Mitigating 70 Years of Coastal Erosion Due to Ocean City Inlet Jetties|work=Sound Waves|date=November 2002|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey|U.S. Geological Survey]]|access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref> separating the two landforms. After the storm, between 1933 and 1935, a permanent system of artificial [[jetty|jetties]] was built to preserve the inlet as a navigation channel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/assateague/assateague_csotp.pdf |publisher=National Parks Conservation Association |title=State of the Parks: Assateague Island National Seashore |page=19 |date=August 2007 |access-date=December 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215205329/http://www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/assateague/assateague_csotp.pdf |archive-date=February 15, 2010 }}</ref> As a result of the jetties disrupting sand movement in the area, the island has drifted westward, and the two landmasses are now over {{convert|1|km|mi|sp=us}} apart.<ref name=soundwaves/>
+The island itself has also undergone change. At one time, the island was connected to the southernmost point of [[Fenwick Island, Delaware|Fenwick Island]]. In August 1933, a hurricane created an [[inlet]] south of [[Ocean City, Maryland]],<ref name=soundwaves>{{cite web|author=Williams, Jeff|url=https://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2002/11/research.html|title=USGS Research Contributes to Assateague Island Restoration—Mitigating 70 Years of Coastal Erosion Due to Ocean City Inlet Jetties|work=Sound Waves|date=November 2002|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey|U.S. Geological Survey]]|access-date=December 3, 2010|archive-date=March 1, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030301064423/https://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2002/11/research.html|url-status=bot: unknown}} Archived 1 March 2003.</ref> separating the two landforms. After the storm, between 1933 and 1935, a permanent system of artificial [[jetty|jetties]] was built to preserve the inlet as a navigation channel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/assateague/assateague_csotp.pdf |publisher=National Parks Conservation Association |title=State of the Parks: Assateague Island National Seashore |page=19 |date=August 2007 |access-date=December 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215205329/http://www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/assateague/assateague_csotp.pdf |archive-date=February 15, 2010 }}</ref> As a result of the jetties disrupting sand movement in the area, the island has drifted westward, and the two landmasses are now over {{convert|1|km|mi|sp=us}} apart.<ref name=soundwaves/>
-===Pony penning===
+===Pony penning and auction===
 [[File:Chincoteague pony swim 2007.jpg|thumb|right|Pony Penning, 2007]]
 {{main|Pony Penning}}
-In 1835, the first written description of "pony penning" (roundup) appeared, though the practice of rounding up livestock on the island existed for many years before that. Initially, unclaimed animals were marked for ownership by groups of settlers. By 1885, the event had become a festival day, and two days of horse and sheep roundups were held on Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. While the sheep population diminished over time, the pony population grew.<ref name=Dutson/>
+In 1835, the first written description of "pony penning" (roundup) appeared, though the practice of rounding up livestock on the island existed for many years before that. Initially, unclaimed animals were marked for ownership by groups of settlers. By 1885, the event had become a festival day, and two days of horse and sheep roundups were held on Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. While the sheep population diminished over time, the pony population grew.{{r|dutson|p=287–290}}
 In 1909, the last Wednesday and Thursday of July were designated as the annual days for pony penning, still taking place on both Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. However, in the early 1920s, much of Assateague Island was purchased by a wealthy farmer, forcing many settlers to move to Chincoteague Island and necessitating a change in the pony penning format.
-By 1923, all parts of pony penning except for the actual roundup had moved to Chincoteague Island, with the ponies being transported by truck for the first two years before the annual swim was begun.<ref>Harris & Langrish, p. 80</ref> By the early 1900s, Chincoteague Island had been established as a tourism and sport haven, and in 1922, a [[causeway]] was completed that connected the island to the Virginia mainland. After a pair of fires ravaged Chincoteague Island that same year, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company was established. In 1924, the first official Pony Penning Day was held, where the foals were auctioned at $25–50 each to raise money for fire equipment. Pony Penning Day has been held annually ever since, with the exception of 1942, 1943, and 2020.<ref name=Dutson/>
+By 1923, all parts of pony penning except for the actual roundup had moved to Chincoteague Island, with the ponies being transported by truck for the first two years before the annual swim was begun.{{r|moira|p=80}} By the early 1900s, Chincoteague Island had been established as a tourism and sport haven, and in 1922, a [[causeway]] was completed that connected the island to the Virginia mainland. After a pair of fires ravaged Chincoteague Island that same year, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company was established. In 1924, the first official Pony Penning Day was held, where the foals were auctioned at $25–50 each to raise money for fire equipment. Pony Penning Day has been held annually ever since, with the exception of 1942, 1943, and 2020.{{r|dutson|p=287–290}}
+As many as 50,000 visitors gather on the last Wednesday in July to watch mounted riders bring the Virginia herd from Assateague and swim them across the channel to Chincoteague Island. The swim takes five to ten minutes, with both the rider and the observers on hand to assist horses, especially foals, who may have a hard time with the crossing.{{r|dutson|p=287–290}} Before the swim, the herd is evaluated and mares in the late stages of pregnancy and those with very young foals are removed from the herd to be [[horse trailer|trailered]] between the islands. During the swim, some lactating mares become affected with [[hypocalcemia]], which is treated by on-site veterinarians.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Chincoteague pony swim poses unique challenges for local veterinarian|author=Osborne, Malinda|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|volume=233|issue=9|page=1377|year=2009|url=http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/nov08/081101f.asp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725024833/http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/nov08/081101f.asp|archive-date=July 25, 2011}}</ref> Larger foals are auctioned the next day and the majority of the herd, including any young foals, are returned to Assateague on Friday.{{r|dutson|p=287–290}}
-[[File:Pony roundup.jpg|thumb|left|The Chincoteague Fire Department rounds up wild ponies for auction.]]
-As many as 50,000 visitors gather on the last Wednesday in July to watch mounted riders bring the Virginia herd from Assateague and swim them across the channel to Chincoteague Island. The swim takes five to ten minutes, with both the rider and the observers on hand to assist horses, especially foals, who may have a hard time with the crossing.<ref name=Dutson/> Before the swim, the herd is evaluated and mares in the late stages of pregnancy and those with very young foals are removed from the herd to be [[horse trailer|trailered]] between the islands. During the swim, some lactating mares become affected with [[hypocalcemia]], which is treated by on-site veterinarians.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Chincoteague pony swim poses unique challenges for local veterinarian|author=Osborne, Malinda|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|volume=233|issue=9|page=1377|year=2009|url=http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/nov08/081101f.asp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725024833/http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/nov08/081101f.asp|archive-date=July 25, 2011}}</ref> Larger foals are auctioned the next day and the majority of the herd, including any young foals, are returned to Assateague on Friday.<ref name=Dutson/>
-As of 2015, the highest price paid for a pony was $25,000 and the lowest price was $500. Some ponies are purchased under "buy back" conditions, where the bidder donates the money to the fire department but allows the pony to be released back onto Assateague Island.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official 2018 Chincoteague Island Pony Swim Guide |url=http://www.chincoteague.com/pony_swim_guide.html |website=Chincoteague Island, Virginia First Official Tourist page |access-date=December 29, 2018}}</ref>
+As of 2015, the highest price paid for a pony was $25,000, and the lowest price was $500. Some ponies are purchased under "buy back" conditions, where the bidder donates the money to the fire department but allows the pony to be released back onto Assateague Island.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official 2018 Chincoteague Island Pony Swim Guide |url=http://www.chincoteague.com/pony_swim_guide.html |website=Chincoteague Island, Virginia First Official Tourist page |access-date=December 29, 2018}}</ref>
+From 2020 to 2021, the Chincoteague annual pony auction was held online due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], and the pony swim was cancelled for the first time since [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Filly tops Chincoteague pony sale at $28,250 |url=https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2020/08/03/filly-tops-chincoteague-pony-sale/ |website=Horsetalk.co.nz |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref> The 2020 online auction raised $388,000 from the sale of 68 ponies; and in the 2021 online auction, 75 ponies, including 10 buybacks, were auctioned for $416,950. The auction returned to being in-person in 2022,  and raised a record $450,200 from the sale of 63 ponies, including 10 buybacks. Prices averaged out to about ~$7,000 per pony, with prices rising to $32,000 for the highest price paid for a pony, and $2,500 the lowest price paid.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Desai |first1=Kamleshkumar |title=Chincoteague Pony Auction sets new records in 2022 |url=https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2022/08/01/chincoteague-pony-auction-sets-new-records-in-2022-pony-penning/65386516007/ |website=Delmarva Now |publisher=USA Today |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref>
 ===Breed registry and preservation===
-The National Chincoteague Pony Association (NCPA) was founded in 1985, and the International Chincoteague Pony Association and Registry (ICPAR) was founded in 2021. The associations maintain a studbook and register ponies from the annual fire company auction and ponies from private breeders. The ICPAR registers half-Chincoteague Ponies from private breeders. The Chincoteague Pony Association (CPA) was founded by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company in 1994, and closed in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chincoteague.com/cvfc3/pdfs/PONY-ASSOCIATION-TERMINATION.pdf|title=OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE CONCERNING THE CHINCOTEAGUE PONY ASSOCIATION|publisher=[[Chincoteague Fire Department|Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company]]|location=Chincoteague Island, VA, USA|access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref> Many ponies are registered with multiple associations, especially if they are half-Chincoteague pony crosses with other [[horse breed|horse breeds]]. There are more than 1,000 Chincoteague ponies owned by private individuals off [[Chincoteague Island]], spread throughout the [[United States]] and [[Canada]].<ref name=Dutson/><ref name=CVFC>{{cite web|url=http://www.chincoteague.com/cvfc3/ponyswimguide.html|title=Pony Swim Guide|publisher=[[Chincoteague Fire Department|Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company]]|location=Chincoteague Island, VA, USA|access-date=November 28, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chincoteagueponyassociation.com|title=International Chincoteague Pony Association and Registry LLC|location=Elgin, MN, USA|access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref>
+The National Chincoteague Pony Association (NCPA) was founded in 1985, and the International Chincoteague Pony Association and Registry (ICPAR) was founded in 2021. The associations maintain a studbook and register ponies from the annual fire company auction and ponies from private breeders. The ICPAR registers half-Chincoteague Ponies from private breeders. The Chincoteague Pony Association (CPA) was founded by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company in 1994, and closed in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chincoteague.com/cvfc3/pdfs/PONY-ASSOCIATION-TERMINATION.pdf|title=OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE CONCERNING THE CHINCOTEAGUE PONY ASSOCIATION|publisher=[[Chincoteague Fire Department|Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company]]|location=Chincoteague Island, VA, USA|access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref> Many ponies are registered with multiple associations, especially if they are half-Chincoteague pony crosses with other [[horse breed|horse breeds]]. There are more than 1,000 Chincoteague ponies owned by private individuals off [[Chincoteague Island]], spread throughout the [[United States]] and [[Canada]].{{r|dutson|p=287–290}}<ref name=CVFC>{{cite web|url=http://www.chincoteague.com/cvfc3/ponyswimguide.html|title=Pony Swim Guide|publisher=[[Chincoteague Fire Department|Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company]]|location=Chincoteague Island, VA, USA|access-date=November 28, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chincoteagueponyassociation.com|title=International Chincoteague Pony Association and Registry LLC|location=Elgin, MN, USA|access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref>
 ==Management==
@@ Line 73: / Line 72: @@
 The [[Virginia]] feral ponies are called "Chincoteague ponies", and are owned by Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department.<ref name=nps/>  In 1943, the entire island was purchased by the federal government and divided into two protected areas, [[Assateague Island National Seashore]] in Maryland and [[Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge]] in Virginia. The two herds lie under the jurisdiction of different governmental agencies, and different management strategies have been applied to each herd.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imh.org/History-of-the-Horse/Breeds-of-the-World-by-Continent/Chincoteague-Pony.html|title=Chincoteague Pony|publisher=International Museum of the Horse|access-date=April 3, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802145513/http://www.imh.org/History-of-the-Horse/Breeds-of-the-World-by-Continent/Chincoteague-Pony.html|archive-date=August 2, 2012}}</ref> The Maryland section of Assateague also contains [[Assateague State Park]], state-owned land where the ponies are allowed to roam, although the state plays little or no part in their management.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/eastern/assateague.asp|title=Assateague State Park|publisher=Maryland Department of Natural Resources|access-date=January 17, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110419144645/http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/eastern/assateague.asp|archive-date=April 19, 2011}}</ref>
-The feral ponies in both herds separate themselves into small bands, with most consisting of a [[stallion]], several [[mare]]s and their [[foal]]s.<ref name=Hendricks/>  Ponies on Assateague have a diet that consists mainly of [[cordgrass]], a coarse grass that grows in [[salt marsh]]es, which makes up around 80 percent of their food. This diet is supplemented by other vegetation such as [[rose hip]]s, [[bayberry]], [[Smilax|greenbriar]], American [[beach grass]], [[seaweed]] and [[poison ivy]]. Chincoteague ponies require up to twice as much water as most horses require due to the saltiness of their diet.<ref name=Hendricks>Hendricks, pp. 48–50</ref> The increased amount of water that they drink contributes to many ponies appearing to be bloated or fat.<ref name=OSU>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/chincoteague/index.htm|title=Chincoteague Pony|publisher=Oklahoma State University|access-date=January 13, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229083333/http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/chincoteague/index.htm|archive-date=December 29, 2010}}</ref>
+The feral ponies in both herds separate themselves into small bands, with most consisting of a [[stallion]], several [[mare]]s and their [[foal]]s.{{r|bonnie|p=48–50}} Ponies on Assateague have a diet that consists mainly of [[cordgrass]], a coarse grass that grows in [[salt marsh]]es, which makes up around 80 percent of their food. This diet is supplemented by other vegetation such as [[rose hip]]s, [[bayberry]], [[Smilax|greenbriar]], American [[beach grass]], [[seaweed]] and [[poison ivy]]. Chincoteague ponies require up to twice as much water as most horses require due to the saltiness of their diet.{{r|bonnie|p=48–50}} The increased amount of water that they drink contributes to many ponies appearing to be bloated or fat.<ref name=OSU>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/chincoteague/index.htm|title=Chincoteague Pony|publisher=Oklahoma State University|access-date=January 13, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229083333/http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/chincoteague/index.htm|archive-date=December 29, 2010}}</ref>
 ===Maryland herd===
-The Maryland herd, often called the Assateague herd, is owned and managed by the National Park Service. Its presence on a relatively small and naturally confined area has made it ideal for scientific study. Since the late 1970s, scientists have used the herd to conduct studies on feral [[horse behavior]], social structure, ecology, remote contraceptive delivery and pregnancy testing, and the effects of human intervention on other wild animal populations. There are few other wildlife populations of any species worldwide that have been studied in as much detail over as long a period as the Maryland herd of Chincoteague ponies.<ref name=Pedigree>{{cite journal|title=Pedigrees and the Study of the Wild Horse Population of Assateague Island National Seashore|journal=Journal of Wildlife Management|volume=74|issue=5|pages=963–973|year=2010|doi=10.2193/2009-231|author1=Eggert, Lori S. |author2=Powell, David M. |author3=Ballou, Jonathan D. |author4=Malo, Aurelio F. |author5=Turner, Allison |author6=Kumer, Jack |author7=Zimmerman, Carl |author8=Fleischer, Robert C. |author9=Maldonado, Jesús E. |s2cid=26875416}}</ref>
+The Maryland herd, often called the Assateague herd, is owned and managed by the National Park Service. Its presence on a relatively small and naturally confined area has made it ideal for scientific study. Since the late 1970s, scientists have used the herd to conduct studies on feral [[horse behavior]], social structure, ecology, remote contraceptive delivery and pregnancy testing, and the effects of human intervention on other wild animal populations. There are few other wildlife populations of any species worldwide that have been studied in as much detail over as long a period as the Maryland herd of Chincoteague ponies.<ref name=Pedigree>{{cite journal|title=Pedigrees and the Study of the Wild Horse Population of Assateague Island National Seashore|journal=Journal of Wildlife Management|volume=74|issue=5|pages=963–973|year=2010|doi=10.2193/2009-231|author1=Eggert, Lori S. |author2=Powell, David M. |author3=Ballou, Jonathan D. |author4=Malo, Aurelio F. |author5=Turner, Allison |author6=Kumer, Jack |author7=Zimmerman, Carl |author8=Fleischer, Robert C. |author9=Maldonado, Jesús E. |jstor=40665170 |bibcode=2010JWMan..74..963E |s2cid=26875416 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40665170.pdf}}</ref>
 [[File:Assateague Island horses August 2009 4.jpg|thumb|left|Ponies often come into close contact with humans, even in their native environment.]]
-Herd numbers grew from 28 to over 165 between 1968 and 1997 and [[overgrazing]] negatively impacted their living environment. To manage population numbers, long-term, non-[[hormonal]] [[contraceptive]]s have been employed, proving 95 percent effective over a seven-year field trial.<ref name=Dutson/> The contraceptive, which began to be used at a management level in 1995 although it was used in smaller amounts as early as 1989, has also proven effective at improving the health and increasing the life expectancy of older mares through the removal of pregnancy and lactation-related stress. Since 1990, general herd health has improved, early mortality has decreased and older ponies are now found, with many over the age of 20 and some even over 25. No horse has ever been injured during the [[Tranquilizer dart|dart]]-administered treatments, although there is a 0.2 percent rate of [[abscess]] at the injection site, which normally heals within two weeks. Each mare between two and four years old is given contraceptives, and treatment is then withdrawn until she produces a foal. Once she has produced enough foals to be well represented genetically within the herd, she is placed on a yearly treatment plan until her death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/pdf/pzp_report.pdf|title=Immunocontraceptive Reproductive Control Utilizing Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) in Federal Wild Horse Populations|year=2009|edition=2nd|author1=Kirkpatrick, Jay F.|author2=Fazio, Patricia M.|publisher=American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign|access-date=January 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703041608/http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/pdf/pzp_report.pdf|archive-date=July 3, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the introduction of the contraceptive, herd numbers continued to rise to a high of 175 in 2001 to 2005, but then dropped significantly to around 130 in 2009. In 2009, a study determined that [[mitochondrial DNA]] diversity in the herd was quite low, most likely due to their isolation, but that their [[Nuclear DNA|nuclear genetic diversity]] remained at a level similar to that of breeds from the mainland.<ref name=Pedigree/>
+Herd numbers grew from 28 to over 165 between 1968 and 1997 and [[overgrazing]] negatively impacted their living environment. To manage population numbers, long-term, non-[[hormonal]] [[contraceptive]]s have been employed, proving 95 percent effective over a seven-year field trial.{{r|dutson|p=287–290}} The contraceptive, which began to be used at a management level in 1995 although it was used in smaller amounts as early as 1989, has also proven effective at improving the health and increasing the life expectancy of older mares through the removal of pregnancy and lactation-related stress. Since 1990, general herd health has improved, early mortality has decreased and older ponies are now found, with many over the age of 20 and some even over 25. No horse has ever been injured during the [[Tranquilizer dart|dart]]-administered treatments, although there is a 0.2 percent rate of [[abscess]] at the injection site, which normally heals within two weeks. Each mare between two and four years old is given contraceptives, and treatment is then withdrawn until she produces a foal. Once she has produced enough foals to be well represented genetically within the herd, she is placed on a yearly treatment plan until her death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/pdf/pzp_report.pdf|title=Immunocontraceptive Reproductive Control Utilizing Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) in Federal Wild Horse Populations|year=2009|edition=2nd|author1=Kirkpatrick, Jay F.|author2=Fazio, Patricia M.|publisher=American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign|access-date=January 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703041608/http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/pdf/pzp_report.pdf|archive-date=July 3, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the introduction of the contraceptive, herd numbers continued to rise to a high of 175 in 2001 to 2005, but then dropped significantly to around 130 in 2009. In 2009, a study determined that [[mitochondrial DNA]] diversity in the herd was quite low, most likely due to their isolation, but that their [[Nuclear DNA|nuclear genetic diversity]] remained at a level similar to that of breeds from the mainland.<ref name=Pedigree/>
 Other than the contraceptive and treatment in emergencies, ponies from the Maryland herd are treated much like other wildlife, with no extra attention paid to them by Park Service employees. It is thought likely that the Maryland herd carries [[equine infectious anemia]] (EIA); they are effectively quarantined, however, by allowing no riding or camping with privately owned horses along the mainland shore during the insect season which stretches from mid-May to October.<ref name=Goode/> Due to their treatment as wild animals, ponies from the Maryland herd can be aggressive, and there have been reports of them tearing down tents and biting, kicking and knocking down visitors. In 2010, after an increase in biting incidents, the National Park Service implemented new measures for educating visitors about the ponies. These measures included new safety information in brochures and recommended viewing distances between the visitors and the ponies. There is also some danger to the ponies from the visitors: ponies have become ill from being fed inappropriate human foods, and on average one Maryland pony a year is killed by a car. Since 1991 there has been a "Pony Patrol", where volunteers on bikes patrol the island, educating visitors about the ponies.<ref name=LeMay>{{cite journal|url=https://thehorse.com/154560/assateague-steps-up-wild-horse-educational-efforts/|title=Assateague Steps Up Wild Horse Educational Efforts|journal=The Horse|access-date=May 11, 2019|author=LeMay, Courtney|date=June 7, 2010}}</ref>
 ===Virginia herd===
+[[File:Virginia Chincoteague Ponies.jpg|thumb|Ponies in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge]]
 The Virginia herd, often called the Chincoteague herd, is owned and managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The [[US Fish and Wildlife Service]] (FWS) allows the ponies to live on Assateague under a special use grazing permit, allowing approximately 150 adult ponies in the [[Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge]].<ref name=nps>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/asis/naturescience/horses.htm |title=Assateague's Wild Horses|publisher=U.S. National Park Service.|access-date=June 10, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chincoteague.com/pony/ponies.html|title= The Ponies of Chincoteague and Pony Penning|publisher=Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce|access-date=December 19, 2008}}</ref>
-to approximately 70 foals are born into the Chincoteague herd each year. The annual Pony Pennings are used to maintain the herd size at around 150 animals.<ref name=Dutson/> Since 1943, the FWS has been working on the island to protect and increase the [[wildfowl]] population, and their efforts have sometimes endangered the Chincoteague herd. Due to the placement of fences by the FWS, a reduced amount of land is available for grazing by the ponies. The fencing also prevents them from reaching the sea, where they often went to escape biting insects, including [[mosquito]]s.  In 1962, several ponies were trapped in an enclosure by high water and died when they were carried out to sea during a storm.<ref name=Edwards/> Unlike the Maryland herd, ponies on the Virginia side of the island are fenced off from roadways to prevent auto accidents and to discourage visitors from feeding the ponies.<ref name=OSU/>
+to approximately 70 foals are born into the Chincoteague herd each year. The annual Pony Pennings are used to maintain the herd size at around 150 animals.{{r|dutson|p=287–290}} Since 1943, the FWS has been working on the island to protect and increase the [[wildfowl]] population, and their efforts have sometimes endangered the Chincoteague herd. Due to the placement of fences by the FWS, a reduced amount of land is available for grazing by the ponies. The fencing also prevents them from reaching the sea, where they often went to escape biting insects, including [[mosquito]]s.  In 1962, several ponies were trapped in an enclosure by high water and died when they were carried out to sea during a storm.{{r|edwards|p=244–245}} Unlike the Maryland herd, ponies on the Virginia side of the island are fenced off from roadways to prevent auto accidents and to discourage visitors from feeding the ponies.<ref name=OSU/>
-In the late 20th century, some ponies previously sold at auction were returned to Assateague Island when population numbers threatened to drop below the targeted numbers due to large numbers of deaths from storms or other issues.<ref name=Hendricks/> Since 1990, the ponies from the Virginia herd have been rounded up biannually for veterinary treatment, including [[deworming]] and [[vaccination]]s for diseases such as [[rabies]], [[tetanus]] and [[Eastern equine encephalitis virus|Eastern]] and [[Western equine encephalitis virus|Western encephalitis]], although they make the swim to Chincoteague only once per year. In addition, continual monitoring and basic first aid for any minor injuries is performed by a committee from the fire department.  Such intervention is needed because many of the ponies will be brought into the general horse population through the auction and purchase by private buyers.<ref name=Goode/> During the veterinary visits, they are also tested for EIA.<ref name=OSU/>
+In the late 20th century, some ponies previously sold at auction were returned to Assateague Island when population numbers threatened to drop below the targeted numbers due to large numbers of deaths from storms or other issues.{{r|bonnie|p=48–50}} Since 1990, the ponies from the Virginia herd have been rounded up biannually for veterinary treatment, including [[deworming]] and [[vaccination]]s for diseases such as [[rabies]], [[tetanus]] and [[Eastern equine encephalitis virus|Eastern]] and [[Western equine encephalitis virus|Western encephalitis]], although they make the swim to Chincoteague only once per year. In addition, continual monitoring and basic first aid for any minor injuries is performed by a committee from the fire department.  Such intervention is needed because many of the ponies will be brought into the general horse population through the auction and purchase by private buyers.<ref name=Goode/> During the veterinary visits, they are also tested for EIA.<ref name=OSU/>
 The Chincoteague pony was added to the Code of Virginia § 1-510 (Official emblems and designations) as the designated pony of [[Virginia (state)|Virginia]] by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia in February 2023.<ref name=":0" />
 ==Books==
-{{main|Misty of Chincoteague}}
+{{main|Misty of Chincoteague (novel)}}
-[[File:Misty of Chincoteague statue 02 crop 2.jpg|thumb|right|A statue of [[Misty of Chincoteague]] stands in [[Chincoteague, Virginia]].]]
+[[File:Misty of Chincoteague statue 02 crop 2.jpg|thumb|right|A statue of [[Misty of Chincoteague (horse)|Misty of Chincoteague]] stands in [[Chincoteague, Virginia]].]]
-In 1947, [[pony book]] author [[Marguerite Henry]] released the [[children's literature|children's book]] ''Misty of Chincoteague'', the first in a series of novels that made the Chincoteague breed internationally famous. The real Misty was foaled on [[Chincoteague Island]] in 1946, and was purchased as a weanling by Henry.<ref>DeVincent-Hayes & Bennett, p. 62</ref> In 1961, the publicity was increased even more when the film [[Misty (film)|''Misty'']] was made, based on the book.<ref name=Edwards/>
+In 1947, [[pony book]] author [[Marguerite Henry]] released the [[children's literature|children's book]] ''Misty of Chincoteague'', the first in a series of novels that made the Chincoteague breed internationally famous. The real Misty was foaled on [[Chincoteague Island]] in 1946, and was purchased as a weanling by Henry.{{r|nan|p=62}} In 1961, the publicity was increased even more when the film [[Misty (film)|''Misty'']] was made, based on the book.{{r|edwards|p=244–245}}
-The publicity assisted the Chincoteague Fire Department and the breed in remaining viable into the 21st century. While fictionalized, the books were based on a real horse and ranch on [[Chincoteague Island]]. The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation was established in 1990 to preserve the [[Beebe Ranch]], the home of Misty of Chincoteague, and to establish a museum with memorabilia from the series.<ref name=Dutson/>
+The publicity assisted the Chincoteague Fire Department and the breed in remaining viable into the 21st century. While fictionalized, the books were based on a real horse and ranch on [[Chincoteague Island]]. The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation was established in 1990 to preserve the [[Beebe Ranch]], the home of Misty of Chincoteague, and to establish a museum with memorabilia from the series.{{r|dutson|p=287–290}}
 In 2019, the Beebee Ranch lost their horse barn in a fire. No horses were injured.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Lucas |title=Beebe Ranch fire: The rich legacy of Misty of Chincoteague's birthplace |url=https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2019/06/28/beebe-ranch-fire-legacy-misty-of-chincoteagues-birthplace-wild-horses-pony-swim/1583528001/ |website=Delmarva Now |publisher=USA Today |access-date=22 June 2023}}</ref>
-In February 2023<ref>{{cite web |last1=Orens |first1=Kyle |title=The Clock is Ticking to Save a Piece of Chincoteague History |url=https://www.wboc.com/news/the-clock-is-ticking-to-save-a-piece-of-chincoteague-history/article_c7a8d7e2-b7bf-11ed-ad62-df03e071e883.html |website=WBOC |publisher=ABC News |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>, the Beebe family decided to sell Beebe Ranch after over 100 years of owning the property. They considered offers from several developers, but declined offers that were not focused on preserving the farm.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cechini |first1=Hannah |title=Museum of Chincoteague Island to close deal on Beebe Ranch purchase |url=https://www.wmdt.com/2023/04/museum-of-chincoteague-island-to-close-deal-on-beebe-ranch-purchase/ |website=47 ABC WMDT |publisher=ABC News |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref> As of April 2023, the 10-acre property is currently under contract to be sold to the Museum of Chincoteague Island and the Misty of Chincoteague Foundation for $625,000 to preserve the location as a historic site.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Demko |first1=Keith |title=Beebe Ranch, home to Misty of Chincoteague, gets its savior with big museum announcement |url=https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2023/04/25/chincoteagues-famed-beebe-ranch-gets-its-savior-with-big-announcement/70146499007/ |website=Delmarva Now |publisher=USA Today |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Patrickis |first1=Caroline |title=Museum of Chincoteague Island hopes to save Beebe Ranch from being sold to developers |url=https://wjla.com/news/local/museum-of-chincoteague-island-hopes-to-save-beebe-ranch-from-being-sold-to-developers-misty-wild-pony-go-fund-me-donations-facebook-developers-big-sale |website=ABC 7 WJLA |publisher=ABC 7 News |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
+In February 2023,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Orens |first1=Kyle |title=The Clock is Ticking to Save a Piece of Chincoteague History |url=https://www.wboc.com/news/the-clock-is-ticking-to-save-a-piece-of-chincoteague-history/article_c7a8d7e2-b7bf-11ed-ad62-df03e071e883.html |website=WBOC |date=February 28, 2023 |publisher=CBS News |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref> the Beebe family decided to sell Beebe Ranch after over 100 years of owning the property. They considered offers from several developers, but declined offers that were not focused on preserving the farm.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cechini |first1=Hannah |title=Museum of Chincoteague Island to close deal on Beebe Ranch purchase |url=https://www.wmdt.com/2023/04/museum-of-chincoteague-island-to-close-deal-on-beebe-ranch-purchase/ |website=47 ABC WMDT |date=April 24, 2023 |publisher=ABC News |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref> As of April 2023, the 10-acre property is currently under contract to be sold to the Museum of Chincoteague Island and the Misty of Chincoteague Foundation for $625,000 to preserve the location as a historic site.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Demko |first1=Keith |title=Beebe Ranch, home to Misty of Chincoteague, gets its savior with big museum announcement |url=https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2023/04/25/chincoteagues-famed-beebe-ranch-gets-its-savior-with-big-announcement/70146499007/ |website=Delmarva Now |publisher=USA Today |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Patrickis |first1=Caroline |title=Museum of Chincoteague Island hopes to save Beebe Ranch from being sold to developers |url=https://wjla.com/news/local/museum-of-chincoteague-island-hopes-to-save-beebe-ranch-from-being-sold-to-developers-misty-wild-pony-go-fund-me-donations-facebook-developers-big-sale |website=ABC 7 WJLA |date=March 13, 2023 |publisher=ABC 7 News |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
-==Notes==
+== References ==
-{{reflist}}
+{{reflist|45em|refs=
+<ref name=bonnie>{{cite book|year=2007|title=International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds|author=Hendricks, Bonnie|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=9780806138848}}</ref>
-==References==
-* {{cite book|author1=DeVincent-Hayes, Nan |author2=Bennett, Bo|title=Chincoteague and Assateague Islands|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|year=2000|isbn=0-7385-0562-5}}
-* {{cite book|title=Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America|author=Dutson, Judith|publisher=Storey Publishing|year=2005|isbn=1-58017-613-5}}
+<ref name=dutson>{{cite book|title=Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America|author=Dutson, Judith|publisher=Storey Publishing|year=2005|isbn=1580176135}}</ref>
-* {{cite book |author= Edwards, Elwyn Hartley |title= The Encyclopedia of the Horse |publisher= Dorling Kindersley |edition=1st American|location=New York, NY |year=1994|isbn=1-56458-614-6}}
-* {{cite book| author1=Harris, Moira C. |author2=Langrish, Bob|title=America's Horses: A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U.S.A|publisher=Globe Pequot|year=2006|isbn=1-59228-893-6}}
+<ref name=edwards>{{cite book |author= Edwards, Elwyn Hartley |title= The Encyclopedia of the Horse |publisher= Dorling Kindersley |edition=1st American|location=New York, NY |year=1994|isbn=1564586146}}</ref>
-* {{cite book|year=2007|title=International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds|author=Hendricks, Bonnie|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3884-8}}
+<ref name=geci>{{cite book |last1=Geci |first1=Amanda |title=The Colorful Chincoteague: Chincoteague Pony Colors and Patterns |date=19 September 2020 |publisher=Self-published |isbn=9798682856534 |url=http://www.thecolorfulchincoteague.com/outcrosshistory.html |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
-* {{cite book|author=Lawley, F.|chapter=The Chincoteague Ponies|title=Bailey's magazine of sports and pastimes, volume 60|year=1893|publisher=Bailey Bros |oclc=12030733}}
+<ref name=lawley>{{cite book|author=Lawley, F.|chapter=The Chincoteague Ponies|title=Bailey's magazine of sports and pastimes, volume 60|year=1893|publisher=Bailey Bros |oclc=12030733}}</ref>
+<ref name=moira>Moira C. Harris, Bob Langrish (2006). [https://archive.org/details/americashorsesce0000harr/page/78/mode/1up?q=Chincoteague ''America's Horses: A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U.S.A'']. Guilford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press. {{isbn|1592288936}}.</ref>
+<ref name=nan>Nan DeVincent-Hayes, Bo Bennett (2000). [https://books.google.com/books?id=DYq38Fb4I6cC ''Chincoteague and Assateague Islands'']. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. {{isbn|0738505625}}.</ref>
+}}
 ==External links==
@@ Line 121: / Line 129: @@
 * [http://chincoteaguepedigrees.com Chincoteague Pony Pedigree Database]
 * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140331102641/http://www.chincoteague.com/ponycentre/index.html Chincoteague Pony Centre]
 {{Horse breeds of Canada and the United States}}
@@ Line 127: / Line 136: @@
 [[Category:Feral horses]]
 [[Category:Horse breeds]]
+[[Category:Ponies]]
 [[Category:Tourist attractions in Accomack County, Virginia]]
 [[Category:Tourist attractions in Worcester County, Maryland]]

v t e Horse breeds of Canada and the United States
These are the horse breeds considered to originate wholly or partly in Canada and the United States. Many have complex or obscure histories, so inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively from those countries.
Contemporary	Alberta Wild Horse American Bashkir Curly American Belgian Draft American Cream Draft American Crème Horse American Drum Horse American Indian Horse American Miniature Horse American Paint Horse American Quarter Horse American Saddlebred American Shetland Pony American Sorraia Mustang American Spotted American Spotted Paso American Walking Pony American Warmblood American White Horse Appaloosa Assateague Pony Banker Blazer Camarillo White Horse Canadian Canadian Pinto Canadian Rustic Pony Canadian Sport Horse Canadian Warmblood Carolina Marsh Tacky Cerbat mustang Cherokee Horse Chincoteague Pony Choctaw Horse Colonial Spanish Colorado Ranger Cumberland Island Florida Cracker Horse Kanata Pony Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Kiger mustang Lac La Croix Indian Pony Missouri Fox Trotter Morab Morgan Morocco Spotted Mountain Pleasure Horse Mustang National Show Horse Newfoundland Nez Perce Horse Nokota North American Sportpony Pony of the Americas Pryor Mountain mustang Quarab Quarter Pony Racking Horse Rocky Mountain Horse Sable Island Spanish Jennet Horse Spanish Barb Spanish Mustang Spanish Norman Spotted Saddle Horse Standardbred Tennessee Walking Horse Tiger Virginia Highlander Welara
Extinct	Canadian Pacer Chickasaw Conestoga Horse Narragansett Pacer
List of horse breeds