In a world of stables and studbooks, where breeds are held to the rigorous standards of human riders, there is something irresistibly romantic about feral horses, living free in the wild. And perhaps no feral horse population is as beloved as the Chincoteague Ponies of Assateague Island.

Popular legend speculates that the herds are descended from the survivors of a Spanish galleon that shipwrecked off the coast of Virginia in the 18th century. Whatever their true origin, the ponies have roamed wild on Assateague for over 200 years.

The Chincoteague captured the American public’s imagination after the publication of “Misty of Chincoteague,” Marguerite Henry's classic novel, inspired by the annual “Pony Swim,” in which a portion of the population is herded by “Salt Water Cowboys” from Assateague island across the channel to neighboring Chincoteague. There, ponies are auctioned off in order to prevent overcrowding and to raise conservation funds.

While known as a pony, some consider the Chincoteague a horse, as its stunted stature isn’t genetic, but is rather the result of a nutritionally harsh diet of salt marsh grasses and shrubs. In order to compensate for the high salt intake, the ponies drink almost twice as much water as a typical horse, which gives many Chincoteagues a plump appearance.

The ponies have short, strong legs, thick manes, and a friendly disposition. Chincoteagues can be found in a range of colors and coats, with the distinctive pintos proving most popular.

Today, the wild Chincoteague population remains steady, with around 300 ponies roaming free on Assateague Island. Meanwhile, the spiritual descendants of “Misty” and her herds flourish off of the island, bringing the romance of Chincoteague to the rest of the world, even to Jorvik!