Assateague Persuasive Speech

980 Words2 Pages

No one knows for sure where the ponies came from.The Chincoteague ponies stand at twelve to thirteen hands. Chincoteague ponies are stocky with short legs, thick manes, and large round bellies. Assateague Island is a harsh environment for them to live and their diet is limited. We will be focusing on the Chincoteague pony roundup. You will learn about the History, The modern day, How did the book Misty of Chincoteague help the pony roundup become famous,You will also learn about the ponies on Assateague island, Finally you will learn a few quick facts about Assateague island. Did you know for a horse to be considered a pony it has to stand less the 14 hands or 4.6 feet? First off, no one knows for sure how the ponies got to Assateague …show more content…

In 1925 the town authorized the Chincoteague fire department to hold a carnival during pony penning to raise funds. That year 15 colts were sold to benefit the carnival and the carnival was a huge success. Then in 1947 the Chincoteague fire department begun to build its own herd by purchasing ponies from local owners. They soon moved the herd to Assateague island where the government allowed publicly owned, not private, herds to graze on newly established Chincoteague National Wildlife refuge. In the same year Marguerite Henry published Misty of chincoteague the story soon made pony penning internationally famous. Pony penning is still held during the Chincoteague volunteer fireman's carnival. “Saltwater cowboys” herd the horses across the narrowest part of the Assateague Channel at low tide, after which they are examined by veterinarians. After a resting period, they are herded through the town to a corral at the Carnival grounds where they stay until the next days auction. The pony auction not only provides a source of revenue for the fire department, but it also serves to trim the herd’s numbers. To retain the permit to graze on the refuge, the herd must not exceed 150 horses. The island of Chincoteague was not always

Open Document