Credit Assateague Island National Seashore NPS
Chincoteague Ponies were introduced to the world in the book “Misty of Chincoteague,” but have you met the Assateague Ponies? They’re not as well known, though they both live on the same 33-mile barrier island along the coast of Maryland and Virginia.
Crowds flock to the pony auction on Chincoteague each July to see and purchase Chincoteague Pony foals, but there’s no public record of an Assateague Pony going to a private home. Now, one special filly named Moonbeam has done just that, moving to her forever home in Hughesville, PA in late February.
Moonbeam’s journey to Stoney Creek Chincoteagues is like a best-selling novel, with tragedy and loss, twists and turns, and thankfully, a happy ending.
Feral ponies living on Assateague Island are split into two herds by a fence at the state line. The National Park Service oversees the Maryland herd. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns and manages the Virginia herd with a special use “grazing” permit from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Population control in Virginia is managed by an annual foal auction, while the Maryland side uses birth control darts, allowing only a few foals annually.
Moonbeam was born on April 2, 2021 to a mare called Moonshadow. Her life was idyllic, until late June, when the mare and foal were struck by a car along Bayberry Drive.
“Both horses sustained injuries and were being monitored by National Park Service staff,” said Liz Davis (Chief of Interpretation and Education on the Maryland side). “The mare, N2BHS-CKP [Moonshadow] had a large swelling on her left side but was observed by park staff moving around normally.”
Then, on Tuesday, July 6, Moonshadow was found dead by a park employee. The foal had sustained cuts to the lower left front leg but was able to move around and take some weight on the leg. Although the Maryland herd is managed with a no interference policy, Davis said, “in certain circumstances we may intervene to address human-caused injuries. Given that the incident that caused this 3-month-old foal to be orphaned was human-caused, it was determined that human intervention under these unique circumstances was warranted.”
As staff on the Maryland side worked with Davis to develop a plan for the foal, the public was stewing. The filly had a following of pony-lovers whose outcry could be seen on social media. Then, a plan was announced.
“Park staff considered several options for the foal, including leaving her in the wild with her band, euthanasia, or relocation to a suitable location,” Davis said. “The preferred option was to relocate her to the Virginia herd at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.”
According to Davis, since recordkeeping began many years ago, Maryland’s National Park Services has transferred ownership of 33 Assateague ponies to the Chincoteague herd. Moonbeam became the first foal to go.
Denise Bowden is the Public Relations Officer for the Chincoteague fire company. She’d been following the filly’s progress and said she was “overjoyed” when she heard the filly was coming to Chincoteague.
When they went to pick up Moonbeam, pony committee member Dennie Savage said he noticed right way that she wasn’t very big compared to foals her age in the Virginia herd.
“She had a stone up in her hoof that we think got there in the accident,” Savage said. “We thought that was it, but after we got it out, she started limping again. So, the vet ground off that piece of the hoof and opened up a little pocket in there so it wouldn’t get infection in it, and so she wouldn’t get an abscess.”
Meanwhile, Moonbeam’s Maryland followers worried. Shirley McKibbon of West Ocean City, MD said she has loved Moonbeam since the day she was born.
“I was heartbroken when she was hit, and again when they took her out of the park. She was my first favorite horse. I loved her as soon as I laid her eyes on her. A lot of the girls who hang there were devastated, too. We came up with the name Moonbeam.”
Follower, Zoe Newman of Lexington Park, MD was happy for her move.
“I believe the National Park Service made the best decision for her,” she said.
At first, McKibbon worried she would never see Moonbeam again, but she did, visiting her on the fire company’s carnival grounds. Meanwhile, her caretakers noticed Moonbeam’s growth was stunted. Her limp came and went.
“She received her normal shots and was fully checked as soon as we got her from Maryland,” Bowden said. “She was fed a healthy diet, had x-rays, and the vet worked with her to make sure her leg was healing, but for some reason she still seemed a little lame on that leg and of course, she is very tiny. The guys decided that she was just too fragile to even try to put her back in the wild. They felt that she needed a more stable environment where she could get lots of attention. The bottom line is that she is just too precious to take the chance of something happening to her out in the wild,” she said. “We love her.”
Over the years, Tipson Myers has been a friend to the fire company. She’s hauled foals to treatment facilities for them and delivered hay for the ponies. When asked if she wanted to take the foal, she was quick to respond.
“The nice thing about renting a house right next door to the carnival grounds [is that] I got to see her quite often,” Myers said. “Like many other people, I was very excited about her joining the Virginia herd. I just happened to be on the island when the saltwater cowboys brought her over from the Maryland side.”
Myers said she was impressed by the care Moonbeam received.
“The saltwater cowboys and their veterinarian, George Marble did an amazing job assisting Moonbeam with her recovery. However, it was determined that the hoof would need a lot of corrective trimming. That is something that would be very difficult to do with a pony living in the wild. Since I had worked with them on other pony projects, I was very honored that they chose me to give Moonbeam a forever home.”
As soon as the announcement was made on social media, Myers began getting messages from Moonbeam’s Maryland fans. She felt it important to reassure them, so she created a Moonbeam Facebook page.
“I was relieved that she would be in a good home and not in the wild,” McKibbon said of Moonbeam’s move. “That [Tipson] took her on because she cared about how we felt, meant the world to me. I plan to visit her in the fall.”
Myers said Moonbeam is doing well.
“Currently she is being trimmed every four weeks by my farrier, Scott Sims. She has made great progress and the hoof is looking better with each trim,” she said. “She is now halter broke and leading like a pro. She’s sweet and loves scratches. That’s how I won her over, lots of scratching!”
Veterinarian Allison Dotzel boards her Chincoteague Pony at Stony Creek Chincoteagues. She’s the farm vet and a friend of Myers’. She carefully follows Moonbeam’s progress.
“She’s got some abnormalities of her hoof and will need corrective trimming on a regular schedule going forward,” Dotzel said. “She’s responding well to her trims and has settled into her new home very well. Her prognosis is good for a happy life and I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to help Tipson care for her.”
Myers said visitors are welcome, but they should schedule appointments ahead of time.
“She’s already had several visitors,” she said. “I loved hearing stories about her and her mother when they were on Assateague. Seeing people get so excited to meet her always brings a smile to my face. These ponies mean so much to me. I am happy to be able to help them any way I can.”