The Chincoteague pony

Spirited and surefooted, the Chincoteague pony likely traces its origins to many breeds of horses released to graze on Assateague Island hundreds of years ago.

Some say the breed descended from Spanish horses that survived a shipwreck off the coast, but that account is likely more legend than fact. Two herds of these wild horses live on Assateague Island, separated by a fence at the Maryland-Virginia line.