| Chincoteague Island Pony Swim | | | | manage the Chincoteague Pony Swim are herded |
| | | | | across the shallows each year. |
| If you go to Chincoteague Island on the Eastern Shore | | | | |
| of Virginia during the last week of July, you're probably | | | | One condition which can affect the Chincoteague |
| there for the Pony Penning and Auction, like | | | | Island mares with foals is hypocalcemia. |
| approximately 50,000 other visitors. You'll be in for an | | | | Hypocalcemia causes mares which are nursing older |
| exciting time, but what you won't see is the sort of | | | | foals to lose muscular control, and in hot weather the |
| round-up which takes place on Federal grazing lands in | | | | condition is aggravated. It's easily preventable, and |
| the Western United States. There'll be no helicopters | | | | in some years up to twelve mares have been treated |
| herding exhausted mustangs into waiting trucks from | | | | for it and made the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim in |
| far above | | | | perfect health. |
| | | | | |
| The 150 ponies of the Chincoteague Island herd are | | | | Before every Pony Swim the herd is examined by a |
| such old hands at being rounded up (they are gathered | | | | veterinarian so that both mares in the late stages of |
| twice a year for veterinary checkups) that on the | | | | pregnancy and those with very young foals are |
| Wednesday of the annual four hundred yard | | | | trailered to the carnival grounds. The rest of the herd |
| Chincoteague Pony Swim from Assateague Island | | | | is rounded up by Chincoteague Island's famous Salt |
| to the Firemen's Carnival grounds, most of them take | | | | Water Cowboys, who must time their efforts so that |
| the exercise "in stride." | | | | the Chincoteague Pony Swim occurs when the tide is |
| | | | | lowest. |
| The Chincoteague Island Pony Swim has been taking | | | | |
| place since 1925, when the first was held to raise | | | | Occasionally a foal will become separated from its |
| funds for the Chincoteague Island Fire Department. | | | | mother during the Chincoteague Pony Swim, but that's |
| Two disastrous fires in the preceding five years had | | | | a rare occurrence and any stragglers are picked up |
| destroyed much of Chincoteague Island's business | | | | by patrolling boats. When the entire herd has made it |
| district, and the Fire Department desperately needed | | | | safely to shore, the Salt Water Cowboys drive them |
| better equipment. They held a Firemen's Carnival that | | | | to corrals on the Carnival grounds to be examined |
| July, featuring the first Pony Swim and Auction. | | | | once more before the next day's auction. |
| Fifteen pony foals were sold. | | | | |
| | | | | The second leg of the Chincoteague Pony Swim |
| Word of the Pony Swim soon reached Virginia's | | | | occurs on Friday, when the Salt Water Cowboys herd |
| Eastern Shore, and by 1947, when Marguerite Henry | | | | the stallions and mares whose foals were sold back |
| published her classic children's book Misty of | | | | across the channel to their home on Assateague. |
| Chincoteague, the Fire Department had taken | | | | Mares with foals too young for the auction are kept |
| ownership of the wild Chincoteague ponies at the | | | | on Chincoteague until the fall. In October the Salt |
| southern end of Assateague Island. They assumed | | | | Water Cowboys return them to Assateague during |
| responsibility for the ponies' well-being, and still make | | | | the fall roundup when the entire herd receives |
| sure that only the adults and foals strong enough to | | | | pre-winter veterinary treatment. |