My mother, Mary Lengyel Becker - a teacher at Firestone Park Elementary School in Akron, Ohio -
and Marguerite Henry were "pen pals."
Passionate about good books and instilling a love of reading in the 1,000+ of the students she taught during her 33-year-career as an educator, my mom not only introduced 1,000+ of her students to “Misty of Chincoteague,” "Story, Misty's Foal," "Brighty of the Grand Canyon" and more - she reached out to the author and developed an ongoing correspondence. She also would include individual letters from her students - filled with comments and lively questions - that "delighted" Henry.
My mom died in November 2018. But among my "inheritance" are dozens of letters from Henry to my mom.
An excerpt from a December 20, 1968 letter:
"... I always like to think when children finish one of my books, it doesn't end for them but goes on and on in their minds until the characters and places belong to them and not just to me anymore..."
It had always been a dream of my mom's to visit visit Assateague Island, home of the famous Chincoteague Wild Ponies. And so one summer in the early 1990s we did, accompanied by the next generation of Marguerite Henry readers, her 4-year-old grandson, Adam.
Thank you Sarah for a fabulous story about Misty and the Chincoteague ponies! I was born on the Eastern Shore in Nassawadox, but moved from there when I was young, but would always come back for the pony runs. My grandparents/farmers Mary and Thomas of Silver Beach, on the Chesapeake Bay, took us to see Misty when we were small kids. It was magical. Disney filmed the Misty movie at my cousin Bill Turner's (the sculptor) home near Assateague long ago. This story made me feel like I was there again at the pony watch; there by 5 a.m., no coffee, getting tired, but when the ponies appear it is incredible; last time we were there the then VA Gov. led the pony parade through the town. It is a fabulous American tradition and the Chincoteague fire department does a great job. Thank you again for a great story and photos. Diane
The late David Challinor of the Smithsonian Institution said that after failed attempts of chemical induced birth control, the pony penning and auction and management by the CVFD was "the most *elegant* form of birth control and wildlife management." It is humane, with vetererinarians onsite and addressing pressing and urgent care. He expalined the whole history to me in a car ride home from Potomac Boat Club. I just wish I had a recording device to document. The Virginia eastern shore community is doing a fantastic job.
Ticks! On Assateague in 1973! I picked up a tick that gave me a still unnamed tick born illness. Violent hives except on my hands and feet (cuff-like line where the hives ended) and a very high fever. An antibiotic knocked it out but beware. The excellent doctor at Johns Hopkins simply guessed and hope an antibiotic would work.
Also there was no mention in the story of the healthcare given the heard and the illness described as "a fungus-like disease produced ghastly lesions and other problems that proved too difficult to defeat" that has been killing horses. The fire department places a high value on healthcare for the herd. Hooves are checked, teeth checked,worming done, and vaccines administered.
According to a CCN story: "Veterinarians determined they were suffering from pythiosis, a disease that traditionally has been associated with Latin America and Gulf states in the United States." If cuts allow it into the body, the swim may be a bad idea.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/03/us/chincoteague-ponies-disease-assateague-island/index.html
I did so love the books and the illustrations were incredible....really really wonderful books.
4
I grew up on the Eastern Shore. And, yes, I was a horse-mad girl who read "Misty" and quite a few other books. The girl who grew up sees this whole thing as unnecessarily cruel. I'd like to see it ended.
9
The spectacle only causes suffering. It does little to help wild ponies. It's about entertaining humans, not helping animals
11
@Heather Moore
Herd would have been extinct or at least greatly diminished years ago, if not for the efforts of the Chincoteague VOLUNTEER Fire Dept. to monitor and care for the animals. In fact disease earlier this year would have devastated the herd if was not for this monitoring of the herd.
5
I grew up in Maryland and loved (memorized!) these books! I remember as a kid fawning over the photos in The Baltimore Sun each year after the swim & the auction. My mom was a school librarian and we got to meet the author at a library convention!i was so glad to have a car by the late 70’s to go to the swim in person.
I was visiting Virginia two years ago for my Mom’s unexpected funeral and found myself driving up the coast. Then ended up there the afternoon of the auction. Didn’t even realize it was THAT DAY! What a shock to see all the crowds. But every small town struggles financially, and Chincoteague certainly has found a winning way to survive the hard times (winter!) and support the fire station.
I paid the fee to park on a front lawn with no complaints. I took so many wonderful photos (one foal had a heart “blaze.”). That day was special. I recommend going - there is PLENTY to see outside of a kayak. The reviews complaining think it’s like Wimbledon, with perfect seating.
One thing missing from this article is at least MENTION of the pony sickness afflicting the herd. It might have helped readers to cover the veterinary bills that are racking up, this year.
Susan B
Expat in Ireland.
5
Minor detail - Assateague Island National Seashore is in both Maryland and Virginia. ESVA tourism need to update their profile of barrier islands to outer banks ?
In response to PETA and others is there a healthier and better cared for or monitored group/herd of wild animals.
4
Read and loved Marguerite Henry's Misty of Chincoteague, and visited the area several times after I had married and given up my own horses. It didn't seem as commercialized back then, but Sarah Maslin Nir has written an excellent article that allows readers to see past Misty to the actual cruelty of the annual run.
Buying and caring for a horse is a 24/7 job, and I'm afraid that some of the people who buy the colts or horses have no idea of the time, effort and money involved in keeping a horse healthy and safe. Let's hope that this article will give some potential buyers pause.
6
I feel this tradition should be stopped once and for all, as it is unethical whichever you look at it.As one reader pointed out,"The foals are terrified. The swim is arduous" What is the thrill in watching this spectacle?
7
I was one of those horse-crazy little girls who read and reread Misty and dreamed of having a pony in my backyard. Our yard was tiny and not zoned for horses, so my parents did the next best thing—they took me to Chincoteague.
Reading Marguerite Henry’s books and visiting the lovely wild ponies on Assateague will always be inextricably linked in my memories with parents who helped make so many of my dreams come true.
2
I'm another of those horse-mad girls. This book rocked my life, and made me a horse lover forever. I love Henry's books and adore the illustrations by Wesley Dennis.
3
My sister and I camped on Assateague in the 80s when we were in our teens. We had loved Henry's books as kids and couldn't wait to see the wild ponies - and did we ever. In the middle of the night, a small band of ponies raided our campsite! They kicked over our cooler and ate all our food. We ran out of our tent and waved our arms and yelled at them, and they basically laughed in our faces. Those ponies knew what they were doing. Hilarious!
11
Thank you for this wonderful article! I was a Misty fan as a kid, and greatly enjoyed your grownup return to Chincoteague. I’ve shared the article with other friends who loved Misty. The roundup feels like a return to a simpler time.
3
I was horrified to see such young foals separated from their mothers and sold as if that's a normal practice. I have to ask, who is vetting the prospective owners to see if they understand the enormous responsibility of raising and training these ponies and are equipped to do so. Seems to be a dark side this tradition that I would find hard to support. I loved the books growing up, but the reality is far from enchanting.
19
A minor quibble. I've never heard of Virginia's barrier islands called its "Outer Banks."
This made me jump up and look for my Misty book, but I think one of my sisters swiped it.
People need to know that foals are weaned by their dams (mama horses) when the time is right, usually when the foal is four to six months old.
But I agree that the buyers should be vetted. Too many horses and ponies end up with people who don't know anything about them and the horses have sad lives.
And all of you horse-crazy women who wish you had a horse -- go buy one! They'll bring incredible joy to your life. I know. Mine is wonderful.
8
I find it hard to understand how anyone could watch this pony penning spectacle and not be appalled. I went some 10 years ago simply because I love horses. I've never read Misty or any of the other books. The foals are terrified. The swim is arduous for them. The abrupt separation for their mothers at too early an age is cruel. Anyone watching can see their terror. This isn't done to cull the herd. There are many other ways to do that. It's done simply for commercial reasons. The whole spectacle is appalling.
19
Wild ponies are forced from their home and made to swim a considerable distance, only to sold to the highest bidder, their fates uncertain. Anyone can come to buy a pony and drive away. That is irresponsible. If local humane societies adopted out dogs and cats so cavalierly, people would be outraged. A few ponies may go to good homes, but there is also the possibility that some will end up at slaughterhouses or exploitative displays.
13
This is a prime example of humanity's misty eyed rendering of what is actually extreme animal abuse. Stealing foals from wild pony mothers to be auctioned off to fund a town's services is hardly a heart warming reality.
19
I was charmed by the article up to the point when I discovered that Misty was donated to the museum and taxidermied.
3
I, too, fell in love with Misty.
In fact, I grew up with horses and I rode until a car accident damaged my neck.
But on the island . . .
Animal cruelty: Taking foals from their mothers.
Buy them together, or not at all.
10
I truly loved Marguerite Henry's wonderful stories and fantasized about having a horse like Misty for my very own.
I hope political correctness doesn't ruin this too. I'm sure that the Salt Water Cowboys know how to keep the horses safe during that long swim. They've been doing this for generations.
7
Separating foals from their mothers is absolutely cruel and should be banned. Some of my fondest memories are watching my beautiful horse and her adorable colt. They were inseparable, she loved her baby as much as I loved mine. I saved her from going to slaughter house. She was a diamond in the rough and pregnant without anyone knowing. I would not have separated them from each other for any price.
22
I read all of Ms.Henry’s books as a child. I lusted to have a horse of my own. I visited the Beebe museum as a young adult. I worked to feed my obsession and had a field of horses for 40 years.
I learned enough NOT to want a Chincoteague pony. While not always sound and healthy they are tough survivors and tough to raise and train.
I am sad to think what happens to these cute foals once they grow to be rambunctious yearlings. I hope most don’t end up at auctions.
15
My aunt took us one year, it seemed like a lot of fun then. We didn’t win a pony, but I still have the cake carrier we won.
Now, as an adult, I think this forced swim and separation of the foals from their herd, going to families that most probably can’t care for them, is immensely sad. And no, I don’t eat meat.
16
As a poor college student I used to go camping on Assateague Island, there were 2 parks on the Island, the State Park and the National Park. The National Park had camp sites right behind the dunes with access to the ocean. We fed ourselves clams, blue crab and whatever else we could scavenge from the ocean, fruits and vegetables camp from stands on the road to nearby Berlin, usually watermelon, corn, tomatoes and squash. It used to be beautiful isolation, a small spot of paradise for a daily rental of $8. It's now become another Disneyland, entertainment in a bored world. The images conjured by the book will never be realized in reality. The horse flies on the Island can be nasty, and swarms of mosquitoes and sandflies are abundant in the inner bay. It was just part of the deal, loved every moment of it.
8
I don't think some commenters realize that Pony Penning Day exists because culling of the wild population is necessary to ensure the herd's survival. If left unchecked, the population of wild ponies would swell to beyond what the tiny island of Assateague could support. Here in California, they cull our wild herds by selling thousands of beautiful adult mustangs to slaughter. I only wish they would round up and sell the mustang foals to loving homes.
Certainly, the penning could be done in a more humane fashion (perhaps without the swim) and it is sad to see babies separated from their mothers. But it's far worse to have the babies starve to death as adults, or even worse, end up on someone's plate.
63
@Nikki
There is another alternative. On the Maryland side of Assateague Island, the National Park Service uses birth control, administered by dart gun, to control the fertility of the mares. Out west, this would be utterly impractical, but it works well for a small herd (about 160 ponies on the Maryland side) confined to a barrier island.
33
Spay and neuter programs work and perhaps rewilding land to the reserve.
6
I saw your comment after I replied to another “it’s better to cull the heard in front of camera and eyes.” I wish I had seen your response first to mention it in my comment!
Susan
Expat in Ireland
This is just cruel. Not nostalgic.
14
@Lori, I suppose you think they should be left alone? If they aren't culled, their numbers will grow to more than can be supported by the island they live on. So the ponies on the Chincoteague end of Assateague get rounded up and sold. If I'm correct, those ones are also rounded up at other times for necessary vet care.
8
@Christina
Birth control is used on other populations of wild horses quite successfully so there are other options. (See@HT's comment above about their use on the Maryland side of Assateague.)
Of course that doesn't translate into a huge tourist industry and fundraiser.
10
Barnum & Bailey Circus has been disbanded because of cruelty and the changing attitudes of society about animals, their welfare and their rights.
And they still do this to wild, majestic animals in the United States?
And this is done in the name of (mostly) small, white, girls who are dreamy about horses?
Mature, responsible adults could put an end to this.
But I'm sure the "committee" would fight for this for the next 50 years.
The US lays in tatters on every front.
11
What a great story and I thought Chincoteague was only famous for their oysters!
Wild horses still get hit by cars. https://tinyurl.com/yyqgymz5
1
This is a sad, sad story. To take foals away from their mothers is beyond unethical. Additionally, foals require open spaces to develop physically, and the presence of other horses to learn appropriate socialization. That anyone - without any horse experience of he proper facilities - can purchase one of these baby horses is unconscionable.
36
One of the best articles - ever.
And the photography was stunning. The photo that made me cry was the one where the firefighter holds and comforts one of the foals for sale.
Another stellar job by the writers and photographers of the NYT!
You folks are just so dang awesome!!! I love you guys!
18
@Marge Keller And your heart did not break seeing that tiny and scared foal knowing it would be with out it's mother way before it should have been? And you did not think of how the mother would mourn her baby. The cruelty of having horses die from the swim over the years did not bother you, when there was a bridge which they could use? You have a picture of a horse as your signature. Do you know anything about horses?
12
@cheerful dramatist I wondered the same thing. Fully expected from the photo of a horse on her signature that she would protest this awful early weaning. Wild foals remain with their dams until the dam gives birth the following year. That is, foals continue to nurse and be raised by their mothers until they are about 10 months old. We humans separate them for our own convenience, and it's a cruel and inhumane process that often makes both mother and baby wild with anxiety and grief. I've raised horses since I was a teenager, and one of the first times my broodmare had a foal, an "expert" convinced me that the early-maturing filly was ready to wean at two months. It was horrible. The mother, a wise, experienced broodmare, was hysterical for days and the beautiful little filly did not develop correctly. The guilt is still with me decades later, and was very much on my mind as I read this article. Those poor, terrified little creatures yanked out of the world as they know it, separated from their mothers and their herds, and trucked off to who knows what future are heartbreaking. (And, yes, I had every Marguerite Henry book and grew up with Misty and Stormy and Brighty of the Grand Canyon and all the others.)
1
As a long time horse owner who bred and occasionally sold weanlings, I never sold a foal to someone who did not own other horses or planned to keep the foal without other equine companions. Horses are herd animals and require company for their mental health and social development.
The fire department could be more responsible in their marketing by preparing a catalog with photos of foals for sale, not selling foals less than 4 months of age, and requiring bidders to pre-register and state their qualifications for ownership, perhaps endorsed by their local veterinarian.
The catalog, with excellent photography, could be an additional source of revenue, purchased by non bidders.
There are many respected equine rescue organizations on the east coast whose adoption protocols could be adapted to fit the pony sale. Just because 'we've always done it this way' doesn't mean it cannot be improved.
103
While I agree that this whole practice should be re-evaluated, as it seems inhumane in light of the temperament of all horses - I do wish to point out that there are no truly 'wild' horses in North America. They are not wild creatures who are 'meant' to roam free. They're feral. Having evolved to be in relationship with human beings, one could make a case that enabling their adoption might provide bonding that could fulfill their 'nature'. A free-roaming herd is a beautiful thing, and I agree that habitat must be preserved for our wild horses. But their lives are not easy. Those ponies don't exactly look robust & healthy.
17
When my wife was a little girl, she had all of Margueritte Henry's books including, of course, "Misty...".
Margueritte Henry was so popular among the horse-loving readers like my wife that she was flooded with reader mail. So, she also had a book in which she answered readers questions.... and my wife's question is one of those published!
21
I read the story with a few tears threatening to well up. Was my childhood dream too.
10
How do we know none of these beautiful horses will be sold for slaughter. And if so, how do we stop the madness?
4
I loved Henry’s books when I was a young girl. I remember being swept up in the lore and the dreamy atmosphere of Chincoteague. But there is no way I could stomach this commercialized mess. I would be horrified by the entire thing (especially seeing that tiny, “seal”-like foal struggling not to drown). It’s horse exploitation. It sounds awful.
78
@Passion for Peaches
And I bet those foals would love to stay with their mothers.
17
As a kid I read these books too, and as a horse-lover I think a forced swim for these foals is far too much for them. They are too young to be separated from their mothers. Horses form life-long bonds if humans give them the chance.
Clearly if horses are dying doing it, it is not in their best interest. Another method of birth control is called for here. That fire department must have quite a fund for this by now! Think of the animals and not the human entertainment and $$$$.
72
great additional reading on the subject: https://believermag.com/horse-girl/
1
Thank you for focusing on the Pony Penning and the Misty myths, since they raise money for Chincoteague's Fire Department, and it's a great time if you like crowded tourist events!
But I've been what I like to think of as a one week a year resident of Chincoteague for about 30 years. Our 2 daughters have grown up with ice cream from the Island Creamery, seafood dinners at the local restaurants, and above all, time out at the beach, unspoiled by tacky tourist attractions.
We spot the ponies at a distance on the drives to and from the beach--you can't get near them unless you go on special tours. There are sea and marsh birds of all kinds, our favorites being the egrets who cluster in the trees like Christmas ornaments, and wade the marshy shallows, looking for good eats.
And I am counting down till August, when the hoopla ends, the tourist numbers drop a bit, and we get our week at the beach!
13
How can you read the description of this as anything other than cruel? An event orchestrated for human entertainment that risks the lives of the ponies unnecessarily?
68
Thank you for this story, Sarah Maslin Nir. I read "Misty of Chincoteague" when I was a young girl. I loved the book. This brought tears to my eyes as I remembered reading "Misty" and how much I wanted a pony just like her.
10
Thanks for this lovely trip. I have a signed copy of "Mustang, Spirit of the West" from my childhood. My parents knew I was crazy for Misty and Stormy.
I think I'd have had to sit on my hands for that auction, too!
13
I'm 67. My first memory of my mother is of her reading Misty of Chincoteague to me. A great memory to have.
13
great story. Chincoteague feels like a successful version of the fictional Mayberry that's survived into the 21st century. along with my filmmaking partner and friend Kurt Kolaja we had the privilege of telling the story of Chincoteague and the wild ponies with the help of the Volunteer Fire Department through the eyes of a young teenager named Sabrina. The Wild Ponies of Chincoteague is now airing nationwide on public television stations.
7
I read all the Misty books (all of Ms. Henry's books, actually) over and over and over as a kid. I don't mind at all that she took some liberties with the real story, especially since, as another commenter already mentioned, those books turned the ponies into local celebrities, likely ensuring their survival all these years.
22
I was there maybe 35 years ago. It is kinda cruel. But the worst things are the flies and mosquitoes that eat you to death while trying to watch. Kinda like a circus, I'm sure it hasn't changed. It's more interesting hearing the old locals talk among themselves, Wesorts I think they called themselves, you can't understand it, not even like English.
12
Maybe it's just me but this story made me incredibly sad. I know of the ponies at Assateague and of the swim but I never knew they auctioned of the babies the day after. It's disheartening to me that these babies are being stripped from their mothers. I am glad that some ponies are in the "buyback" program, goodness knows none of this would even exist if they sold off all of the babies. I personally wish all of the ponies could be in the program--wild animals deserve to be free. Anna and Amanda Beer gave their pony the best gift possible--freedom.
85
Of course I loved the books when I was a horse crazy child. The greatest story ever. But I think that is the point. I was a child and it was a story, i.e. fiction. I have been to Assateague and seen the ponies, not however on the horrible pony penning day. I understand why the residents of Chincoteague wish to continue this tradition. However, it should be transformed into something significantly more humane. After all, this is 2019, not 1947.
56
@genie it's not completely fictional. The people actually lived, Misty was a real pony. Some of the events might have been fictional, but that doesn't change the fact that they lived.
2
This article just broke my heart.
Does anybody have empathy anymore? Look at the faces of these poor souls. They are absolutely terrified. They are ripped from their lives, their environment, their herd, and their mothers and siblings.
This is sad, sad, sad. An abomination, and if these were dogs instead of horses, people, including commenters here who wax nostalgic, would be howling in outrage.
Wild horses are meant to be wild, and they have feelings, and they absolutely do not deserve to be rounded up and sold into slavery for the pleasure of people who apparently have nothing better to do.
91
@Margaret One could argue that dogs should be running around in packs killing other animals and not serving as child substitutes in people's apartments. But then there is the question of domestication of animals. These include cows, sheep, horses, goats, and even elephants to a lesser extent. In a horse herd, a new stallion will often kill off foals that he has not fathered. Nature is not always nice.
14
@Margaret: at $3000 to $6000, I suspect these ponies will be treated fairly well and by people who have the land and stable to put up a young horse.
Horses are not people, and ponies get weaned around this age anyways and go off on their own. It's not like horses get married and form nuclear families and raise a pony until it is 18 and goes off to college.
4
Wild horses ARE meant to be wild, yes. But they don’t have birth control for these ponies, so they have to lessen the herd or they’d all starve to death ax the population grew.
Some wild herds are lessened away from cameras, away from eyes. This is better.
.
4
Several years ago I took my niece and nephew to Pony Penning Day. I got them up at 3.30am, drove to the dock, and then we boarded a skiff --- at $200 a person. Watching the sun rise and experiencing the stillness was beautiful, when the kids weren't arguing. At around 8 the signal gun went off, and carmine smoke rose and blew above the water.
The horses swam across, making noises, my nephew said, "like a pig." We skipped the parade, went back to the motel and collapsed.
The museum, thankfully, was closed. I didn't want to see Misty stuffed. We opted for the carnival --- which was a step back in time to the 1940s. The auction was great too (not a fave for my nephew, who had a snit fit.) And we went to the beach, which got a rating of 10 for its awesome high waves.
At the end of the week, their parents came and got them, and they all headed south on a family vacation. I drove back to Washington, exhausted.
I took the kids to Chincoteague because I told their parents I wanted to spend time with them. That was true, but what I really needed was an excuse as a womani n her 50s to go myself. It was totally worth it.
29
@KatheM: hey they even stuffed Trigger (Roy Rodger's horse). And Balto, the heroic rescue dog.
What else would you DO with a famous horse that's been dead for over 50 years? I think it's kind of neat, actually -- to be able to see a pretty accurate model of Misty.
All in all, it sounds like fun except for the awful crowds and giant mosquitos.
1
This misty article caught me by surprise. I had thought that the horse swim effort was thoroughly debunked by reports of the inadvertent cruelty of the many clueless people who buy a pony that is then mistreated being transported to NYC in the back of an SUV and eventually dumped on the local shelter. If such reports are not really true, the article should address that. I still recall the horror of children who had seen 101 Dalmations insisting that their parents get them one as a pet. Shelters were then overwhelmed with returns after parents and children recognized what a lot of work it is to care for a dalmation.
26
Misty captured my imagination as a child, too. So when I had the chance to attend the Pony-Penning, I was all in. I didn't care about the rain that day or about all of the people. I was 20 years old, had ducked work, camped, clam-baked for the first time, and was on the trip with friends who had been there before. It's something I still remember . . . getting "Misty" when I think about it. Thank you Ms. Nir. I think I'll go get the tissues now.
13
Thank you for this story. I, too, was a horse crazy girl and Misty was my first of the wonderful Marguerite Henry-Wesley Dennis books. It took til my 40's, but at long last was able to get my own horse, and many years later we're still besotted with each other.
The very subject matter, when I saw the headline & the photos, brought tears to my eyes. But as I read - as much as I would be happy to rent a kayak & sit in the rain to watch - I can understand why some think the drive is too much - with crowds & noise & bright colors & people everywhere, the terror alone for the ponies must be really hard on them.
33
One of my most treasured possessions is a copy of Misty of Chincoteague that my grandparents purchased for me from Mrs. Beebe when they visited the island. Mrs. Beebe wrote a long note in the front updating the story (what had happened to the children in the book after they grew up) and Misty, who was still living, signed it with a hoof print.
25
Lucky you!
Susan
Expat in Ireland
Justin Morgan wasn't "brown" -- he was bay. And he wasn't plain.
25
Although the horse's name was Figure.
4
@Seabiscute
In equine parlance, a "brown" horse is a variant of a dark bay. I know because I own a plain brown Morgan, a descendent of the Justin Morgan horse. He was 'plain' in that he had little or no white on him, like Figure. Also a common term even today. He was a very spirited little guy with more talent and prepotency than any horse in his generation, but he was a plain brown horse.
Also, he had a lot of names. He had a long life, many owners, and every owner meant a new name. Figure was one of them but only one.
Henry's story about him was about as accurate as her story about Misty.
5
I read all the books as a child.
I wish I still had them to read to my grandson.
I saw a picture of him just a few days ago of him wearing a tee-shirt that said "READ INSTEAD."
9
I'm not an animal rights activist, but I do believe in the humane treatment of animals. I have been to Chincoteague during the penning/sale, and on the off season. I can say for sure the ponies are better off when they are not forced to swim and have their offspring ripped from their mothers--at too young an age at that. And that's not even to mention how many ponies are bought on a whim to people who have no clue about how to care for them. I saw one family shove a foal into the back of their station wagon. There are no adoption requirements or facility requirements for those who make a purchase. The whole scene is neither bucolic nor reverential, as I feel this article suggests. It is a bunch of greedy local yokels showing off for witless tourists.
Other fire companies across the country are able to maintain their companies without selling ponies. Why not Chincoteague?
120
@Delphine They must be the richest Fire Dept. in Va.- they also ran/run an oyster festival in Chincoteague in early October. All proceeds go to them.
9
@Delphine - Well put! The treatment of the ponies in reality is what matters, not childhood fantasies.
7
@Delphine Hear, hear.
3
I’m back in elementary school with the reading of this piece. Gone are the aches of and assorted ailments of old age.
Thanks.
22
So here's what the writer missed. If you want to talk about cruelty, the next day the mom horses swim back without the ponies. It's the saddest thing you will ever see.
Can't believe she left that out.
105
Thanks for this article. I too was smitten at an early age with the story of Misty and have been to Assateague and Chincoteague several times but have never made it to Pony Penning.
One thing that you didn’t mention were Wesley Dennis’s wonderful illustrations in the book (and other Margaurite Henry stories) which for me brought the place and the characters to life.
That the truth doesn’t exactly square up with the story doesn’t really matter in the long run. By helping to turn these wild horses into beloved celebrities, Henry helped insure that their and their home island would survive the ravages of development and that their descendants would live free.
102
@Brooklyncowgirl You're right, Dennis's illustrations are wonderful in both the Misty books and Henry's other horse books. What a great team they were.
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@Brooklyncowgirl I bought a set of Wesley Dennis posters at the Scholastic Book Fair and decorated my room with them. I can still picture most of them as if I still see them.
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I lived in ChicoTeague for a while when I was a child. I remember my father taking my sister and I to see the pony round-up one rainy morning. Standing in sand amid spindly pines, we were in delirious anticipation that we were coming home with a pony for our own back yard that day. Such inconsolable children we became that afternoon. We wanted a pony so very badly, I can still feel the bitter disappointment driving home with no pony in the backseat.
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This made me laugh!
I loved these stories growing up. You are so lucky to have been to the Pony Penning—the best my father could do was take me to a rattlesnake round-up.
Just not the same. :/
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My family had a memorable vacation on Assateague. We camped in the Assateague National Seashore on the northern end of the island, and spent a day in the Chincoteague area. The ponies roam free on the northern end of the island, and they wandered freely through the campground, the beach, and the surf. We'd go to sleep to the sound of ponies whinnying outside the tent. If you go, take insect repellent. The year we visited, the mosquitoes were particularly bad.
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@HT
I can second the comment about the mosquitoes on the island, or as they are known there locally, the National Bird of Chincoteague.
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@HT. Indeed! Visiting in summer, we tried to walk inland from the breezy shore through a thicket. In a short distance, a woman came running toward us, covered in bloody splotches and screaming. A few seconds later we understood why, and ran for the beach ourselves. Repellant didn’t do much. We were supposed to visit a friend living in the area, but he was down with (equine!) encephalitis, and died shortly afterward. The only family in the area that had eschewed major dusting with DDT. This was long ago, but I’m sure those giant bloodsuckers are still there, as they have been since they first drained the dinosaurs.
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@Dan and Marat1784,
I'm not particularly mosquito-phobic; I grew up with them, and have plenty here in my part of Ohio. I usually get two or three bites if I work in the yard in the evening.
I don't want to complain too much, because the locals did say that the year I visited was particularly bad. But..I do have to say that the Assateague mosquitoes were in a league of their own. I've never seen anything like it; it's near the top of both my "insect" and "camping disaster" horror stories.
The ponies, though, were great. I would love to go back to Assateague. Next time I'll go in the early spring, when rumor has it that the mosquitoes are not active.
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