Chincoteagues

We are often asked where Chincoteagues fit in with Corollas and Shacklefords. I suspect that around the year 1700 they would have been pretty much indistinquishable. But in the 20th Century many other breedes were introduced into the Assateague herd where the Chincoteagues have lived wild for hundreds of years. These other breeds changed the Assateague Spanish horse of colonial times into an Americanized mixture of various breeds. The good news is that becuase of Margarite Henry's book and the subsequent movie, Misty of Chincoteague, these horses will be on the Virginia side of Assateague Island for decades to come. The only down side of this great publicity is that many people have come to think of the Chincoteague as simply a child's pony.

In reality they are nearly as tough as the Bankers of Corolla and Shackleford. All but the smallest make fine mounts for adults. Their gaits are not as comfortable as pure Colonial Spanish Horses as a result of the infusion of other breeds but they maintain the easy trainability and endurance of the Corollas.

For two seasons I crossed a Chincoteague stallion with a few BLM mares. The result has been a string of easy handling, beautiful horses that develop very tight bonds with their owners. At least two of these horses, Young Joseph and Washikie, may very well end up breaking point records in the AIHR over the next few years.

It certainly is ironic that the offspring of wild horses that we are producing have calm gentle temperments not often found in doimestic breeds. If for no other reason, that is why I cringe when I read about people who plan to 'improve' the Spanish Mustang through their breeding programs.

This is Standing Rock, from Wind in His Hair (Chincoteague) and Standing Holy (BLM).