Maryland Horse Sale

[Magnum]

How are they going to sell them, and how are they going to ensure they are not sold to someone who will turn around and sell them for slaughter? :confused:

Park service may sell off some Assateague horses on Maryland side—


ASSATEAGUE ISLAND, Md. (AP) - National Park Service officials
say they may have to reduce the size of the herd of horses on
Assateague Island because of damage the wild animals cause to
grasses and dunes on the barrier island.
For the past decade, the National Park Service has been
injecting contraceptives into the mares in the herd of 160 on the
Assateague Island National Seashore to control the population. The
contraceptives, delivered by dart gun, have slowed population
growth, but haven't reduced the herd.
Now, park officials say they say they may have to move some of
the horse off the Eastern Shore barrier island.
The horses popular with visitors won't be killed, but 35 to 60
may be donated or sold. A sale would be the first for the horses on
the Maryland side of the island, although the more domesticated
ponies on the Virginia side are sold off every July in the
well-known "Pony Penning" auction in Chincoteague.

Reference: http://www.wmdt.com/wires/displaystory.asp?id=31113846

[John Olexa]

How are they going to sell them, and how are they going to ensure they are not sold to someone who will turn around and sell them for slaughter? :confused:

Unfortuatly, no if there sold, it will be to the highest bidder, period :(

[Magnum]

That stinks!!! You would think they would at least weed out the slaughter creeps.... :mad:

[JustJo]

I have been there a few times on the Virginia side. They do an anuual roundup and auction. I could be totally wrong here but those ponies are HIGHLY coveted and there are usually way more buyers than ponies and the ponies go for high dollar. I believe people have to fill out forms and get checked before they can even bid on them. The slaughterhouse guys probably would not be bidding on those small ponies because they go to regular auctions and look for horses by the pound. Also it is mostly the colts and fillies that are sold off, not the mares and stallions, which makes it even less desirable for the slauterhouse. Those creeps want to get as much meat for their dollar as possible.

Keep us posted if you see anything different. That is only an hour and a half drive for me and I am going home on Thursday. Maybe I could make a trip up there and check it out.

Jo

[Magnum]

Whew!! Thanks Jo.... :D Auctions give me the willies anyway, so I am really glad to hear that.. ;)

[JustJo]

Like I said Magnum, I could be wrong about the checkpoint, but I do know that people come from all over the U.S. just to get one of those ponies. They go for top dollar and it just doesn't make sense that a slaughterhouse would pay way more for a pony weighing in at say, 700 lbs. than getting an 1800 lb. horse for 1/2 of the price. I think the ponies are safe for now anyway.

Jo

[John Olexa]

But wonder, how it's going to work on the MD side
A sale would be the first for the horses on the Maryland side
of the island.

[JustJo]

John I think the same people that drive hundreds of miles to the Virginia side to get these ponies would just as well drive to Maryland for one as long as the word gets out like it is on the Virginia side. They are both just as hard to get to because it is up on The Northern Neck and you either have to go way down by Chesapeake and drive up or go by way of Maryland and drive down. But you know that because you're in Maryland right? My friend Diane who has 10 horses and two ponies has wanted one of these Assateague ponies for the longest time but has always been outbid. These little guys are legendary because of Misty From Chincoteague. I believe it is the volunteer fire department who cares for the ponies and does the annual roundup swim and it is a HUGE tourist and horse/pony lover attraction.

[JustJo]

Okay I went and did a little surfing and apparently the Maryland ponies are owned by the federal government (scary thought there) and the Virginia ponies are owned by the Volunteer Fire Department. They are both the same breed, just separated by a fence.

Here is what I found on http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/chinco.html

In 1943, the federal government purchased Assateague Island and divided it: the Maryland end became Assateague National Seashore Park, the southern end Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Today, the ponies are split into two main herds, one on the Virginia end and one on the Maryland end of Assateague. A fence at the Virginia/Maryland State line separates the herds and the population size of each herd is kept around 150 animals to lessen their impact on island ecology.

Both herds are managed differently. The National Park Service owns and manages the Maryland herd while the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns and manages the Virginia herd. The Virginia herd, referred to as the "Chincoteague" ponies, is allowed to graze on Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, through a special use permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The size of both herds is restricted to approximately 150 adult animals each in order to protect the other natural resources of the wildlife refuge.

In Virginia, the "Pony Penning" event is responsible for meeting the limit of 150 adult animals. The Virginia herd undergoes a veterinarian check twice a year. In the spring (April) they are vaccinated against encephalitis (both eastern and western strain), rabies and tetanus and tested for EIA (Equine Infectious Anemia or swamp fever). They are also de-wormed and some horses have their hooves trimmed. In the fall they are de-wormed again and all horses have their hooves trimmed. The horses on the Virginia side of the island are also fenced off from road areas to stop people from feeding them and attracting them to cars and roadways, where they have been fatally injured in the past.

In Maryland, the number of horses has grown from approximately 28 in 1968 to more than 165 in 1997, exceeding the desired herd size of 120 to 150 animals. With this growth has come increasing evidence that the horses are having a significant negative impact on the dune and salt marsh habitats due to overgrazing. By establishing a population limit of 120 to 150 animals, the National Park Service is attempting to balance the health and well being of the horses with the need to protect the island's other sensitive natural resources and values. To manage population growth on a long-term basis, a unique contraceptive has been developed for use in the Maryland herd. Administered by dart guns, the non-hormonal contraceptive vaccine stimulates the horse's immune system to produce antibodies. At sufficiently high levels these antibodies block fertilization and thereby prevent pregnancy. The contraceptive effect is temporary, lasting about one year, but can be extended with an annual booster shot. During seven years of experimental field trials, the technique has proven better than 95% effective and has exhibited no harmful side effects. Use of the contraceptive as part of a long-term horse population management program began in 1994.

[Magnum]

Region: Eastern Shore
Locality: Accomack County

Memorial Park
East Side Drive
Chincoteague Island, VA 23336

The annual round up of wild ponies from Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore has captured the hearts and minds of visitors for years. Volunteer firemen round up the ponies on Assateague Island and on Wednesday July 27, swim them across the channel to Chincoteague Island where they rest before being herded down Main Street to the carnival grounds. The swim takes about 15 minutes. On Thursday, July 28, from 8:00 a.m. until noon, there is an auction held at the Carnival grounds. Once purchased, the ponies can be transported anywhere in the United States as they have already been cleared for travel by the veterinarian.

Date: Open Daily
Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - Thursday, July 28, 2005

Reference: http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=16945&Sort=A&MGrp=3&MCat=11

[John Olexa]

What worries me is they keep saying "Horses" not "Ponies" are going to be auction off.

"A sale would be the first for the horses on
the Maryland side of the island, although the more domesticated
ponies on the Virginia side are sold off every July in the
well-known "Pony Penning" auction in Chincoteague".

[JustJo]

This is how much they go for. Also it is only the foals that are sold...but remember this is the Virginia side. The Maryland side has never had an auction so I don't know what their rules will be. the ponies will still be very expensive I'm sure.

Since the "Misty" book and pony auctions, many children as well as adults all over the world have dreamed of buying and owning an Assateague/Chincoteague pony. The real life wild pony named Misty was unique because she had a marking on her side resembling a map of the United States. Today, the Chincoteague Wild Pony Auction is your chance to possibly own one of Misty's decedents.

Year # Average Price Price Range
2004 74 $1,619.00 $500.00 - $4,000.00
2003 71 $1,798.59 $1000.00 - $6,600.00
2002 89 $1,818.00 $950.00 - $7,800.00
2001 85 $1,961.00 $1,000.00 - $10,500.00
2000 84 $2,060.00 $1,300.00 - $7,500.00
1999 86 $1,620.00 $800.00 - $4,200.00

I think that is too high dollar for those sleezy slaughterhouse guys.

[John Olexa]

I think that is too high dollar for those sleezy slaughterhouse guys.

Lets hope so anyway!