The Pony Swim is usually held on the last Wednesday of July and has occurred since 1925. During the pony swim, visitors on boats get a close up view as the wild ponies swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island (see the pony swim from a boat !!). Other visitors wait along the shoreline for the ponies to reach the shore. The wild horses swim across the Assateague Channel when the tide is "slack calm" so the young horses, which are born during spring or early summer, are safe from any strong currents. After watching the pony swim, boaters can cruise the Assateague Channel (along Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and it's extensive shoreline) to encounter other herds of Assateague wild ponies, wildlife, and marine life. Visitors also attend the Chincoteague Carnival where the horses will rest a couple days and an auction takes place before they swim back to Assateague Island.
The Pony Swim is usually broadcast live by the "Good Morning America" show and seen around the world as far away as Japan. The Wild Pony Swim is visited by over 40,000 excited spectators that watch as the 150-175 Assateague Ponies make the historic swim. Since Marguerite Henry's famous children's novel "Misty of Chincoteague," millions of visitors with an interest in wild ponies and other wildlife travel to Chincoteague and Assateague to see the islands that Misty and the other wild ponies have made famous."Misty of Chincoteague" is based on a true story that tells of a young brother and sister that grew up on Chincoteague Island. They attended the pony swim event and purchased an Assateague wild pony they referred to as "Misty". The children raised money to buy Misty by harvesting clams, which is still a source of income for some Chincoteague residents today. Misty was unique in that she had the markings on her side of a map of the United States. Later in life, Misty lived with Marguerite Henry while Marguerite wrote the book "Misty of Chincoteague". A Hollywood movie called "Misty" was made which featured the Chincoteague Pony Swim and many residents of Chincoteague Island that appeared in the movie.
Many of the Chincoteague local firemen that "round up" the wild ponies for the Pony Swim, have participated in the event most of their lives. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Dept. began to hold it's annual carnival in 1925 with an auction of some of the wild ponies after the pony swim. At the carnival, some of the foals & yearlings are auctioned off before the wild ponies swim back to Assateague Island a couple days later. The tradition began when the town of Chincoteague found itself in need of fire equipment in order to protect itself. Several devastating fires had occurred during the early 1900's, and since Chincoteague Island was isolated from the mainland with no bridges, the town needed protection. Today, most of the proceeds go to the fire dept. for new equipment. The Annual Pony Swim at Chincoteague has now become a national treasure. Many visitors as well as native residents of Chincoteague return to the Pony Swim year after year to take part in this island tradition.
The annual pony swim and auction help to manage the number of wild horses on Assateague and prevent them from adversely impacting the sensitive barrier island ecology.
