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The saltwater cowboys and the annual pony roundup on Assateague Island (the descendants of the shipwrecked Spanish horses) are very unique pieces of coastal cul

The saltwater cowboys and the annual pony roundup on Assateague Island (the descendants of the shipwrecked Spanish horses) are very unique pieces of coastal culture, it's an interesting case study in preservation of a "wild" population [0]. 0 - https://www.chincoteague.com/pony_swim_guide.html https://www.chincoteague.com/pony_swim_guide.html

elliekelly 4y ago
Is there a purpose/reason for doing this beyond tradition & public entertainment? It seems a bit cruel/stressful for feral animals to be herded, penned, and then forced to swim?
- ninesnines 4y ago
  There is a purpose! Without regulation of the population, then there wouldn’t be enough resources in terms of grass on the island and so you would have part of the population starving.
  - danielvf 4y ago
    The animals are individually vet checked as well as a part of the process.
  - samstave 4y ago
    Hmm... maybe they need some Guide Stones which talk about herd management.
  - StanislavPetrov 4y ago
    >Without regulation of the population, then there wouldn’t be enough resources in terms of grass on the island and so you would have part of the population starving. Exactly so. If only more of my fellow human beings took this bit of logic to heart about our own species we'd be much better off.
- alistairSH 4y ago
  There are two populations of "ponies" on Assateague. A VA herd and a MD herd. The land-manager for each is different (USFWS vs NPS). For the VA (USFWS) herd, the herd size is capped at 150 adults and the Chincoteague VFC is the herd manager/owner. The annual pony crossing is part of herd health and population management. Pregnant and newly birthed mares/foals do not make the crossing - they are corralled separately and transported via trailer. Part of the crossing effort includes health checks as well as the auction. The MD (NPS) herd is feral with contraceptives used to manage population and avoid over-grazing. Other than contraception, the herd is managed like other wild life (ie, mostly left alone, except for exceptional circumstances). This herd is not part of the crossing. There are several wikipedia entries for the ponies, the crossing, etc, if you're interested.

elliekelly 4y ago

Is there a purpose/reason for doing this beyond tradition & public entertainment? It seems a bit cruel/stressful for feral animals to be herded, penned, and then forced to swim?

ninesnines 4y ago
There is a purpose! Without regulation of the population, then there wouldn’t be enough resources in terms of grass on the island and so you would have part of the population starving.
- danielvf 4y ago
  The animals are individually vet checked as well as a part of the process.
- samstave 4y ago
  Hmm... maybe they need some Guide Stones which talk about herd management.
- StanislavPetrov 4y ago
  >Without regulation of the population, then there wouldn’t be enough resources in terms of grass on the island and so you would have part of the population starving. Exactly so. If only more of my fellow human beings took this bit of logic to heart about our own species we'd be much better off.
alistairSH 4y ago
There are two populations of "ponies" on Assateague. A VA herd and a MD herd. The land-manager for each is different (USFWS vs NPS). For the VA (USFWS) herd, the herd size is capped at 150 adults and the Chincoteague VFC is the herd manager/owner. The annual pony crossing is part of herd health and population management. Pregnant and newly birthed mares/foals do not make the crossing - they are corralled separately and transported via trailer. Part of the crossing effort includes health checks as well as the auction. The MD (NPS) herd is feral with contraceptives used to manage population and avoid over-grazing. Other than contraception, the herd is managed like other wild life (ie, mostly left alone, except for exceptional circumstances). This herd is not part of the crossing. There are several wikipedia entries for the ponies, the crossing, etc, if you're interested.