Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-11-22
Ch,ncoteasue Ponies.

orably known to the horsemen OF this .
peninsula, but II Is notorious that com /
parativey few know the origin of the .
pony or the place from where it comes. /
Chincoteague Island, Is In Accomac /
county, Virginia, on this Peninsula, and |
is formed by the Atlantic Ocean, Chnco- I
league Inlet, Chiucoteague Channel and .
Chineotcague Sound. II is here that the /
Chineoieague pony has thrived for two !
centuries, and at present a colony OF five
hundred Wild horses can be found there.
x,These animals, II seems, have a pedi
gree which makes up in age what II may
lack in other qualities for tradition
ascribes their origin TO pair of ponies
! imported from England by Nirginlan OF
the +. Y. Y. sort, some tao hundred
years ago. hut which left a wreck in dis
/ gust and were washed ashore oil Assa
/ league Beach From these two ponies
have descended tie wild horses now
careeriRg over the sard-hills In that
locality. Until within the present century
these ponies were not considered worth
claiming or catching, and they were
allowed 10 Craze and race at their own
sweet will. But as the pasture grounds
passed into the ownership Of class Of
htrdsmen, it became the fashion TO lnss1
the little wild horses and brand them
with marks Of ownership.
At present the island is said to contain
about i've hundred Of these diminutiSe
horses, who travel in herds and bear the
brands of various owners. Some thirty
persons 1--we on the island, aud claim to
own all this wild stock in lots or in herds
OF from ten TO one hundred head.
Each herd ia governed by male-a
sort Of equine autocrat whose authority
Is supreme. lu former times he fought
his way up TO the position of patriarch
by thrasnipg oil his rivals, sometimes
driving them into the sea, where they
were drowned. All usurpers were re-
: morselessly expelled from the herd, and
If they were not killed they became bold
+ bandits, and hung about the marshes,
, capturing such unwary females as hap
pened to stray too far from their protec
!, lore. With these they founded new
: herds, aud became prosperous patriareh'
! themselves.
The great day on the island is open
ming day." although Of late 1t has los
= some Of its holiday attractions. Formerly
u the women, as well as the men, congre
-. gated at the Atlantic Hotel 10 assist il
, identifying the ponies, and the islan'
beauties came because their fathers an'
mothers, and brothers and lovers wer
there. Tuesday, the 18th inst, wa
"penning day." but only few Of tn
le old ladies were In attendance.
4 1t may be necessary TO explain wha
lie opening" means. The owner Of Chin
o. colleague ponies mark them with n brand
re generally on the left hip. So many o
u them look alike that Il would be impossl
Of BILE to identify them without this mark
le The colts must lie branded before the
er leave their dams, and August Is III
Iy proper month. In order to catch IN
he colts and affix the brand the whole her
X, must be 'penned."
I'd On Chineoiesgue leland the square /
ell front Of the Atlantic Hotel is used for
is pen, but on Assateagne a. large zen ha
lis been built on the shore, Of stout pin
of logs. Men and boys mount tame poni,
MS and start { Ut 10 bring IN the herds. The
n gallop TO the pasture grounds, aud, afte
as mueh yelling, fast riding and some lit
OF swearing, they manage to drive one OF Il
I'D herds down to the shore. Nearly all Il
de houses on Chiucoteague are built aloI
e, the sound, and, the yards in front 10
IL each other, thus forming a continuOl
ias fence.
'ar When the herds get started down Il
if shore the riders press close after, ycllil
Ice and whooping, and there is a lively cha
la until the avenue that leads to the pen
ING reached. Here a crowd OF men q
IN standing and they turn the head OF 4
a flying column into the square. Some
ms the ponies suspect treaeheTy and run 10
Ing the water, bat the riders dash after the
ice and soon the whole herd is forced into 1
the pen. The colts stick close to their dal
TO and In all the rearing and plunging abe
through the pen they never become s,
+. araied. A stout man with long pole
a. d NJ a . a.s
II, posts himself at the mouth of I
Of pen, and as the ponies run past he dro
bile the loop over the head Of one Of tue col
the The lille fellow plunges about and shall
at his head most furiously, but all 10
ed purpose the men haul him out and thr
ood him on his right side. All this time
IRE. branding iron has been heating at
AL near nv, presided over by sturdy ureh
nst who take delight In this part Of the r
hat Torrance. Tho face OF the iron sOr
ser. times bears the initial letters Of the oy
.ver ers name, and sometimes Il is sim
/ is monogram, such as a circle or square,
and which the owner lays claim.
hat When the colt has been thrown I
hy brings an iron from the fire, aud il
,at. stamped upon The pony's hip. Their
lav. no cruelty in tho operation, because
liver iron only burns through the hair a
spe. scarcely sears the skin. | saw u
bse- year-old colt branded while standing
,een his feet, and 1t did not seem TO feel
Nv burning.
ear By the time the colts in the herd b.
reed been branded, the drivers have dri
rev another herd down 10 the shore. 7
faat first are allowed to run back to their 7
tier ture grounds, while the next In orde
10 81 driven aito the pen, and the colts
}. subjected to the marking process. So'
times the colts escape TIL they are
has and even three years old, and then d
~ nah hardar N bona1a