The thought of seeing wild horses on the beach may seem like a fairytale, but Assateague Island makes it a reality. Facing the Atlantic Ocean, this 37-mile island is home to the wild horses that you can admire from a distance. I have had the pleasure of visiting Assateague Island a few times and it is a magical experience.
The wild horses are tough enough to survive bad weather and extreme heat. Long ago people thought that the horses were survivors of a shipwreck along the Virginia coast. There is no evidence to confirm this, but another theory is that the wild horses are descendants of horses that were brought to the island in the late 17th century.
Many people know of the wild horses from the popular book “Misty of Chincoteague”. Chincoteague Island also has wild horses and is about 56 miles from Assateague Island.
For the safety and health of the wild horses, you are not allowed to touch them or feed them. In my experience of visiting the island, some of the horses are friendly and come up to you. However, this doesn’t mean you can touch them, even though I wanted to!
I learned from a great friend that the best time to go see the horses during the summer is in the evening. You will see more in the evening than you would during the day. We seen 28 horses because we went in the evening.
Assateague Island has many boardwalks that provide you with views of the marsh and ocean in the distance. There are many options of what you can do at the island. You can go camping, fishing, and even go crabbing.
Each year there is an annual pony swim that consists of the wild horses swimming from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island. The public gathers to watch the annual pony swim. The goal of the pony swim is to move the wild horses from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island.
The foals are then auctioned. By having an auction, it helps the population of the herd not grow too big. The auction is also a fundraiser for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The Volunteer Fire Company uses part of the proceeds to care for the wild ponies.
Do you love the beach and horses? Assateague Island is the perfect destination for the whole family to have fun!
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