Feral Ponies and Coastal Dreams
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Hello fellow wanderer! One of the best things about our travel lifestyle is reconnecting with friends all over the country! I had the opportunity recently to join some of my east coast 365 friends (fellow daily photo project members) at Lewis Ginter Garden in Richmond, VA for a photo walk and lunch. It was a perfect day filled with laughter. We shared stories, snapped dozens of photos, and soaked up the sunshine! We wrapped up our stay in Virginia and traveled to New Jersey with an overnight at Cabela's in Delaware to add states 37 and 38 to our list! Our goal is to get to 48 (the lower 48) in 2025. Most of the missing states are in the eastern half of the US which is giving us the opportunity to travel through so much history! The weather is heating up big time over in this area and if you’ve been following our adventure over the years, one look at the weather map would likely tell you where we are. It will be wherever the unusual weather is! Currently we are in an extreme heat warning, the hottest in the country, because, why not?!? The hot weather is giving me time to stay inside with the AC as high as it will go and edit some photos from recent adventures. One of my favorite Virginia adventures has been to see the wild ponies of Assateague National Seashore and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Keep reading for more about these amazing creatures! Photo of the WeekI can’t help but wonder what they were talking about! I took this image from the side of the road after walking nearly a mile through a mosquito war zone to see them (where there were none to be seen!). I started a “pony jam” as other visitors stopped to check out the action. I was glad I had brought along my 150-600 lens since they were about 100 yards away. Settings: ISO 640, f11, 1/640. I tend to start from my C1 custom setting with auto ISO. Had I been shooting manual I would have had a much lower ISO but I think it turned out okay after some noise reduction. Wild Hearts and Untamed BeautyThere’s a hint of salt air and the soft sound of distant waves as you cross the ridge to Assateague Island. I felt the nervous energy of a kid on the night before Christmas. I knew something magical was coming and I couldn’t wait to get there. It only took a few minutes and I was rewarded with my first sighting of the feral ponies of Assateague as they drifted into view. Split by state lines but bound by legend, Assateague Island is home to two herds: one managed by the National Park Service in Maryland, the other by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company just across the border in Virginia. The ponies aren’t tame, they are hardy, resourceful, and entirely adapted to their windswept barrier island home. How they got here is a topic of lore and debate. Some say they are the descendants of colonial livestock left to graze, others cling to the tale of a Spanish galleon that wrecked offshore, setting the survivors free. I can say without a doubt that I fall into the “clingers” group and love the story of survival these majestic creatures have lived through many generations. Their story is as rugged as the terrain they roam. Living off dune grasses and cordgrass, these ponies have learned to thrive in a challenging environment. Their short stature (often mistaken for being ponies rather than small horses) is the result of centuries of limited resources and harsh conditions. While you might be tempted to offer them a snack, please don’t! The horses can get sick from human food and encouraging them to beg puts them at risk of being hit by cars. You can get hurt as well but I think you are smart enough to know that. One of the most famous traditions surrounding the herds is the annual Pony Swim, where the Virginia herd is rounded up and swum across the channel to Chincoteague for auction. This event helps keep the population manageable and funds the fire company that cares for them. It also draws thousands of visitors each July, all eager to witness the spectacle and catch a glimpse of these icons of the coast. I can’t tell you how much I wish I had been there for that event but it is going on the bucket list for the future! During my visit, I was lucky to see several small bands grazing in the marshes and even a few crossing the road, reminding us that here, humans are the visitors. Each sighting felt like a gift. Their wild spirit, shaped by tide and time, is something every traveler should witness at least once. What the Wild Pones Taught MeThere is a quiet kind of thrill in spotting a wild pony grazing in the salt marsh, as if nature has decided, just for a moment, to let you in. Despite frequent intrusions from humans, the ponies of Assateague Island National Seashore and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge continue to live their lives, raising new generations that roam the island as their ancestors have for centuries. While historians debate how they arrived, most agree the ponies have lived on the island since the 1600s. The wild ponies are more than just photogenic icons. They are a cornerstone of the island’s eco-tourism economy and a catalyst for conservation awareness. They bring attention to the fragile coastal ecosystem, including the salt marshes, dunes, maritime forests, and tidal flats. For instance, I learned of the struggle of the Piping Plover who nests in the sand along the coast. Because of the push to build houses and over-populate the beaches, the pretty little bird has had to move to other areas leading to a slow but frustrating drop in population. Seeing its delicate tracks in the sand made the issue feel real to me. Tips to VisitThe best time of day to spot the ponies is the same as all wildlife: dawn or dusk. Conveniently those are also the best times to photograph them in the best light. You can see these beauties many other times of day if you are willing to explore so don’t miss the chance because of bad timing! There are plenty of places to park and explore hiking trails and beaches too. I wanted to see the horses on the beach but they were nowhere to be found near the water on the day I was there. If you get a shot of them in the water please tag me in it on social media! See more images from this trip in my Travel Gallery! Until next week! Follow me at:
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