FYI You Can Stay On An Island Overrun By Wild Ponies
Excluding Ginuwine’s ubiquitous slow jam being broken out at every ’90s night, you don’t hear too much about ponies nowadays. Perhaps it’s because the small horses have all invaded a small island off the coast of the US and live there in harmony with no need for human interaction.
The island of Assateague on the Delmarva peninsula on America’s east coast is populated by feral ponies who are bred tough – tough enough to survive the heat, the stormy weather and the poor food resources supplied on the island.
The northern part of the island lies in the state of Maryland, and the southern section is a part of Virginia. As such, the horses are split into two main herds, separated by a fence bordering the two states. One can only assume that these two tribes battle it out on occasion in some kind of horsey production of West Side Story.
The island was initially meant to be a bayside resort community, but following a severe storm the island was flattened and turned over to the National Parks Service which allows visitor access. The island now functions as a national wildlife refuge as well as a state park – there are stunning white sand beaches that surround the island and they’re often visited by the feral horses. Saddle Club lovers take note though, feeding and petting them is strongly discouraged as they can be dangerous.
Once on the island, visitors can kayak across the many marshes and coves along the bay side of the island. Camping along the beach is also a popular pastime, but maybe skip the drunken rendition of ‘Wild Horses’ by The Rolling Stones – we’re pretty sure these guys get it all the time.
(Lead image: m01229/Flickr)
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