Assateague wild horses, Assateague ponies, Chincoteague ponies – whatever one chooses to call the herds that populate the barrier islands of Maryland and Virginia they have over three centuries endeared themselves to millions of day visitors and campers. Those on the Maryland end of Assateague Island wander freely across the dunes and salt flats, from the Atlantic beach to the Maryland coastal bays. The Virginia horses are distinct from their Maryland cousins in that they are owned by the Chincoteague, Virginia Volunteer Fire Department. Beachgoers from Ocean City, Maryland, Chincoteague, the Assateague Island National Seashore and Maryland’s Assateague State Park enjoy pony watching. Thousands travel to Chincoteague for the annual pony penning, after which part of the fire department’s herd is auctioned. The event inspired author Marguerite Henry to write Misty of Chincoteague, a children’s classic since its debut in 1947.

The Maryland herd is managed by the Assateague Island National Seashore, and considerable resources are required to preserve the habitat of beaches and coastal bays upon which the herd depends. In partnership with Assateague Coastal Trust, the area’s oldest non-profit environmental education organization, the Assateague Island National Seashore Foster Horse Program gives horse lovers and beach lovers a meaningful way to contribute to the herd’s upkeep and habitat projects which sustain their environment.