Pony Penning Day 2017: Pony Swim in Chincoteague is almost here, which is great news! The best-known event on the island will happen again for the 92nd time on July 26, 2017.
The date this year looks earlier than normal, and it really is. It’s the earliest swim date in many years, so you need to act quickly if you want to see this amazing show. Get your trip planned right away to remember everything.
Pony Penning Week brings a lot of people to Chincoteague Island. Some people might be surprised that the event lasts for a whole week. This is because the horses moved between islands during that time. A pony swim is just one part of a week-long party that also has fireworks, a carnival, and a sale for ponies. Take advantage of all the fun that Pony Penning Week has to offer!
Accommodation for the Chincoteague Pony Swim
Even though Chincoteague Island is small, it has a wide range of cozy hotels to suit all tastes. There are many places for visitors to stay, such as big hotel chains, small bed and breakfasts, campers, and Airbnb.
The Pony Swim at Chincoteague always takes place on the last Wednesday of July. So, guests can plan and book their lodgings for this highly anticipated event a long time in advance. You should book as early as January because places are going fast. The higher number of travelers during this time of year means that room rates are usually higher than normal. Plan and make reservations for this yearly event, which brings in a lot of tourists in a short amount of time, to make sure you have a good time on Chincoteague Island.
Camping for the Chincoteague Pony Swim
There is a Pony Swim event that you will enjoy just as much as we did. This is a great chance to try camping, even if this is your first time doing it! Camping worked out well for this kind of event because it was easy, real, and cheap. It was great to spend our holiday at the KOA on Chincoteague Island, which is great for families.
We were pleased with KOA’s great setting and facilities. There are shuttle buses to the Pony Swim and access to the beach, and there is free wifi for anyone who wants to stay linked. There were also fun things like a water park (which will open in 2018), a playground with a ship theme, a clean bathroom, and a big jumping cushion. Of course, we couldn’t help but bounce on the pillow—when it comes to having fun, age doesn’t matter!
Places to Eat on Chincotegaue Island
We like going to new places, especially ones that serve fish. Chincoteague Island is famous for its fresh and delicious fish, so it was a gourmet’s dream for us. There were so many restaurants and food trucks that made us feel like we were at the beach the whole time we were there. Many of them had outdoor sitting areas with sand and games for the kids to play. Chincoteague Island has everything you could want, from smooth ice cream to the freshest fish and tasty tacos to scrumptious donuts.
Some of our favorite places to eat were these well-known ones:
Sandy Pony Donuts. Their freshly baked donuts were a real treat, and they sold them from a food truck outside the KOA site.
Captain Zack’s Seafood & Carryout has the best seafood on the island, like the delicious Chincoteague Salts Oysters.
Even though there were big lines, Pico Taqueria’s great tacos were well worth the wait.
With a modern twist, The Farmer’s Daughter makes meals with fresh, locally sourced foods.
For the best ice cream on the island, visit Island Creamery. It will make any meal taste even better.
Southern Corral for Chincoteague Pony Swim
On the Saturday before the Pony Swim, the Saltwater Cowboys gather the Southern group and take them to the Southern Corral, which is next to the beach and close to the Woodland Trail. They used the same method on Sunday to move the Northern group into the Northern Corral. On Monday, the Cowboys start the Beach Walk. They move the ponies along the beach from the Northern Corral to the Southern Corral as early as 5 a.m. The Beach Walk is an event that people will remember.
From Sunday to Tuesday, anyone can watch the Southern Corral, which is where the Chincoteague Pony Swim gets ready. It keeps the Northern and Southern groups apart and keeps them from fighting. The ponies are on display for people to look at. Each one has a number that tells you what year it was born. We are not big horse fans, but it was interesting to see how the horses interacted with each other.
Chincoteague Pony Swim Carnival
There is a carnival at Chincoteague every Monday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. During Pony Penning Week. The fair is open to everyone for free. A lot of different things to do are available, such as games, raffles, live music, traditional fair food, rides for all ages, and bingo sessions.
We didn’t go on any of the rides or play any of the games, but we did enjoy playing bingo and the live band’s happy music. The fair made Adam happy memories of his hometown celebrations every year in Missouri, which gave the place a warm feeling of nostalgia.
Experiencing the Chincoteague Pony Swim
You can do the Chincoteague Pony Swim during the “slack tide,” which is the time between tides when there is no wind. The best time for ponies to cross the Assateague Channel is during this window. Every year, there is a slack tide that lasts from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. To keep from bothering the horses or other people nearby, swimming is best done in the morning when it is cooler. Every year, the Pony Swim started at one of the earliest times ever recorded. The event started at 7 a.m., but people were pushed to be in the water before 6 a.m.
You can watch the Pony Swim from the land or the sea. A big screen at Veterans Memorial Park shows a live feed of the show, making it a great place to watch from land. For a better look, kayaks and private boats are great places to look. Even though charter boats are very popular, they can be pricey (about $225 per person) and need to be booked in advance. Even though it costs a lot, seeing the Pony Swim up close is an amazing experience that lasts for five minutes and gives you unique chances to connect with the ponies.
What is pony penning?
Penning began as a way for livestock owners to claim, brand, break and harness their loose herds. By the 1700’s it had become an annual event, with eating and plenty of revelry by the entire community.
In the beginning, people who owned cattle used penning to keep their herds under control, tame them, mark them, and claim ownership of them. By the 1700s, it had become a yearly event that the whole town took part in, complete with feasts and wild parties. Pony Penning has been going on for a long time and is still enjoyed on Assateague Island every June. It was first written about in 1835.
The history of the present Pony Penning goes back to the start of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. After a number of devastating fires, people in Chincoteague found that their firefighting supplies were not enough. The town let the fire department hold a carnival during Pony Penning in 1925 as a way to make money. At the first event, more than fifteen colts were sold, which raised a lot of money for the fire service. As a result of its success, the number of attendees rose to about 25,000 by 1937, drawing people from all over the country. More money meant that firefighting infrastructure and tools could be improved. In 1947, the fire department started buying pony herds and moving them to Assateague in the brand-new Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, where privately owned herds could feed.
What is the history of pony penning?
History of Pony Penning
By the 1700’s it had become an annual event, complete with drinking, eating and plenty of revelry by the entire community. The earliest known description of Pony Penning was published in 1835. The practice was then already an “ancient” custom held in June on Assateague Island.
Along with a bunch of wild horses, a little pinto foal with mud on her face screams for her mother over the Assateague marsh. When she hears her mother’s comforting whinny, she runs toward her quickly and with stress. She falls on her mother’s side and is eager to crawl under her to get warm and eat. She lets out a happy sigh as she swats an annoying fly away with her fuzzy tail. The young filly has had a lot of firsts in the last few days. She has had her first roundup, her first swim to Chincoteague Island across the salty Assateague Channel, and her first march down Main Street to the carnival sites.
For now, the herd should rest in the huge pen outside the stands. The corral is very busy, with the sounds of ponies, whinnies, kicks, and talking while the fair rides and food stay still. Stallions keep a close eye on their mares in this small area that is surrounded by activity.
Where does the money from pony penning day go?
Secondly, the auction is a fundraiser for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The Fire Company uses some of the proceeds from the auction to provide veterinary care for the ponies through out the year.
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department watches over the group. At low tide, the animals are rounded up and swum across the canal to Chincoteague. The ponies are kept in cages and given time to rest once they get to Chincoteague. The Fire Department then weighs the needs of the herd to decide which new foals should be sold at auction the next day.
Foals stay with their moms until stallions start to keep them away from the rest of the group. So, younger foals may be sold at auction but stay with the group for a short time. The auction profits help the fire department, provide veterinary care and support to injured ponies all year, and give money to a specific Chincoteague charity. The ponies are led out into the water on the third day and are free to swim back to Assateague, where they will wait for the next roundup.
What does a pony look like?
Physically, ponies usually have thicker manes and coats that help protect them from the cold. They have shorter legs and wider chests, as well as heavier bones, thicker necks and shorter heads.
Ponies’ manes and coats are usually bigger, which helps keep them warm in cold weather. Their heads are smaller, their legs are shorter, and their bodies are bigger. Their bones are also bigger.
Have you ever asked for a pony for your birthday? A lot of people have had this dream as kids. Ponies, on the other hand, need a lot of space and careful attention, so most backyards need to be better places for them. A lot of us choose toy ponies instead.
Most of the time, when we think of ponies, we picture little horses. A few people think that ponies are just young horses that still need to be fully grown. Ponies and horses, on the other hand, are not the same thing. They are two different but closely related animals. Ponies, on the other hand, stay a short height even when they get older.
Equines, which include horses and dogs, are all in the same group. Measurements of an equine’s height are usually made in hands, with one hand being about four inches or the width of a finger. This standard of measurement helps tell the difference between horse types and sizes.
What is a pony day?
Pony days consist of arriving, feeding and watering the pony allocated to them. They then receive a lesson in the morning on their allocated pony and also they also muck out the stable, feed the pony and groom the pony.
Your child will be paired with a horse that is a good match for their level of skill and experience while they are at our school. The day starts at 10 a.m. with a short safety talk to make sure your child is safe during their stay. Your child will learn how to catch and lead their horse from the fields with the help of skilled trainers and experienced Saddle Club members.
The kids will ride twice a day: in the morning for an hour of lessons and again in the afternoon for a half-hour exit. They will also learn simple horse care skills, like how to feed, groom, and keep the stable in good shape. Every school holiday, these full-day events happen from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, making sure that everyone has a good time.
Pony Penning Day 2017 was a huge success, and everyone in the town celebrated. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company put on the party, which honored the Pony Swim’s long history and continued custom. People were amazed as they saw wild ponies swim across the channel from Assateague to Chincoteague with the help of the fire department and volunteers who worked hard.
The ponies were rounded up and given a break after the swim. The sale was the next big event. Many foals found new homes thanks to the enthusiasm of both locals and tourists, who also supported the fire department’s important work, like updating their tools and helping people in need.
The day’s events, such as fair rides and educational talks, brought people together and made them value the Chincoteague’s special connection to its famous ponies. As the sun went down on Pony Penning Day 2017, people made memories, kept traditions, and got excited about what the next year would bring.
