The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1892-04-14
WILD HORSES.
Noble Animals Left to Themselves Will
Degenerate Into Ponies.

HN"Ao FAhiihaN Lett 10 themselves Will
Degenerate Into Ponies.
Many, many years ago ship laden
with Spanish horses went ashore on the
sands of Chincoteague island. on the
eastern shore of Virginia. says the
Rider and Driver. No man knows when
the ship went ashore or what port il
sailed from or how many horses were
saved. 1t is known, however, that on
the extreme edge of Chincoteague
island ship bearing cargo of horse S
to the new world from some port in
Spain ended its voyage in a terrific
storm, and that some of the horses
found their way through the breakers
10 the barren waste of sand. These
horses must have been of high order OF
breed, for, though scores of years of
privation and exposure have passed
over his head, the wild horse of this in.
hospitable and barren region is most
remarkable animal. He is smaller to-
day than his Spanish prototype, and
lack of care and exposure to the storpls
OF this tempest-swcpt island has reduced
the original horse to rough, shaggy
pony, yet all the years of degeneracy
and vicissitude have not shorn him of
his evidences of blood--his beauty, his
intelligence and his fieetness The
severity of the climate, the want of
strengthening, nutritious food, have
made their influence felt, not upon
the spirit, but upon the body,
OF the castaway horse. Many of these
ponies have been captured by the
inhabitants of the region adjacent to
the mainland and put to use, although
the breaking and training of them is in
some instances very serious job. The
effect of years of unrestrained freedom
upon his high-mettled blood has made
this island horse wayward and jealous of
his liberty. 1t usually requires the
united strength of four men to subdue
one young horse. Notwithstanding,
they are frequently conquered and tied
down to the drudgery of farm work or
may be seen pulling the clam carts of
Chincoteague fishermen along the shell
roads of the Virginia or Maryland
coast. 1t is certain that inbreeding and
privation, together with the rigors of a
changeable climate, have had their
effects in deteriorating this race OF
horses.
With the first settlement of Australia
by Europeans horses were introduced.
Some of these escaped from control and
soon reverted to the wild state. They
have multiplied and deteriorated in that
sparsely peopled continent until they
are as numerous as jack rabbits and as
useless. They became such nuisance
that seven thousand Of them were shot
at one station in New South Wales. In
nearly everySseuntry where the once
domesticated horse has run wild he has
deteriorated. He has dwindled into a
pony in Iceland and Shetland, Corsica
and Sardinia, the mountainous regions
of northern Europe, and the Cordilleras
OF America. There has miniature
horse originated during and since the
war in the prairies along the gulf coast
from Mobile to the western limit of
Louisiana. Many planters during the
war allowed their thoroughbred mares
to escape, and breeding in the wild
state with the natives the size has
gradually diminished until many of
them do not reach thirteen hands, and
few of them go over that.