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Photos Kevin Mullaney
Five of the famous Chincoteague ponies are now living on John Rice’s farm on Hatch’s Road in Truro. |
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A new sign announces the arrival of the formerly wild ponies. |
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Chincoteague ponies come to Pamet Valley
By Kevin Mullaney
Banner Correspondent
TRURO — A new breed of resident has moved into Truro, onto John and Rella Rice’s nine-acre farm on Hatch Road. Babies, now, to be raised and bred, and the welcome mat is out.
Rice is now the proud owner of five Chincoteague ponies (pronounced shinko-teeg). The oldest, the only male, is five and a half months; the youngest is 14 weeks. They come from Chincoteague, Virginia, an island community across a small channel from Assateague Island, where the claiming of the wild horses dates back to colonial times.
Assateague island is a 37-mile-long barrier beach island off the coast of Virginia and Maryland – in fact, a fence on the Virginia-Maryland line traverses the island and separates two herds of Chincoteague horses, now a registered breed, descended from wild island horses. The National Park Service owns the Maryland herd. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns and manages the Virginia herd. They have a special use permit with U.S. Fish & Wildlife that restricts the herd to 150 adults to protect the natural resources.
So, every year since 1924 the “saltwater cowboys” from Chincoteague round up the Virginia herd and swim them across the channel at slack tide (a five- or 10-minute swim), then have a carnival and auction them off, keeping the herd at 150. The proceeds keep the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company modern and efficient. The annual “pony penning,” as it is called, was chronicled in “Misty of Chincoteague,” the 1947 children’s book by Marguerite Henry.
Rice’s stallion, named Misty’s Irish Mist, is a great-great-grandson of the famous Misty. “Directly out of that line,” he says. Rice says they used to have horses, when his sons were young, and is now doing this for his granddaughter, Lilly, his son Jonathan and his wife Justine’s almost one-year old daughter. “It’s been a dead piece of property without animals,” Rice says. “It’s come alive again.”
“They’re big puppy dogs,” says Rice of the babies. “They’re spectacular to look at and have wonderful dispositions.” The fillies’ nicknames are Peaches, Belle, Sapphire and Oreo. Rice encourages people to stop by for a visit. “It’s part of the taming process,” he says, adding that it’s a feel-good thing for Truro. The ponies are out grazing in his pastures every day. And check out the sign. “A wonderful sign,” he says. “A piece of artwork. Really spectacular.”
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For Your Information
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Oct 18th, 2007