Chincoteague Assateague Wild Ponies is a photograph by Norma Brandsberg which was uploaded on March 8th, 2024.
Chincoteague Assateague Wild Ponies
I've been keen to visit the wild horses and ponies of the eastern shore of Virginia and Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula and finally decided we... more
Title
Chincoteague Assateague Wild Ponies
Artist
Norma Brandsberg
Medium
Photograph
Description
I've been keen to visit the wild horses and ponies of the eastern shore of Virginia and Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula and finally decided we would take our small trailer for a visit. I've seen a number of tv programs on them over the years. What surprised me was how belligerent these animals are. This photo shows a multicolored male and a pregnant female. The two were constantly after each other biting ears, shins and backs I assume to exert dominance. I captured a number of interesting photos during their skirmishes. Although photographing them using a zoom lens I attempted to stay as far away from them as I reasonably could, but still found myself in close range as they came closer and closer with no fear of people. It would have been very easy to have been caught in their dominance games if I wasn't careful.
The wild fecal horses of Assateague and Chincoteague Islands in Maryland and Virginia are descendants of domesticated animals brought
to the island over 300 years ago. Horses tough enough to survive the scorching heat,
abundant insects, stormy weather and poor quality food found on these windswept barrier
islands have formed a unique wild horse society.
Local folklore describes the Assateague horses
as survivors of a shipwreck off the Virginia
coast.
Virginia’s horses are privately owned by the
Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and
are fenced in large enclosures.
Uploaded
March 8th, 2024
