When did pony penning day start?

Answer 1

The earliest known reference to Pony Penning Day, the day the wild ponies of Assateague Island swim the narrowest part of the Assateague Channel to Chincoteague Island, was published in 1835, but the penning itself is believed to date back to the late 17th- or early 18th century.

These small horses are fabled to be the descendants of wild mustangs that swam ashore from a wrecked Spanish galleon, but officials believe it's more likely their ancestors were domestic horses turned loose by American settlers.

Wild ponies live on both islands, and each island originally penned and sold its ponies separately to keep the population from overgrazing the small environments. The Assateague herd is owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Chincoteague herd by the state of Maryland. In order to retain permits to graze the land, neither herd can exceed 150 ponies.

The pony swim, which began in 1925, is held on the last Wednesday of July each year. After the swim, both herds of ponies are penned on Chincoteague Island and inspected by veterinarians.

The day after the penning, healthy colts and fillies that are yearlings or younger are auctioned to the general public. The proceeds from the event benefits the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.

On Friday, the remaining Assateague ponies swim back across the channel to their home.

Author Marguerite Henry made the annual event internationally famous in her 1947 book, Misty of Chincoteague.

Answer 2

Pony Penning Day started in 1925 as a way to auction off Chincoteague ponies to raise funds for the local fire department. The event takes place annually on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July on Chincoteague Island in Virginia.

Answer 3

Pony Penning Day is something that takes place in Chincoteague, Virginia. It is done yearly and began in the early-1800s. On penning day, horses are herded into the water to swim from the islands to the mainlands and are then sold.

Answer 4

this year it says it is the 29th and 30th of July. It is the last Wednesday and Thursday of July every year.

Answer 5

Pony penning day 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.