The Mystical Chincoteague Ponies-here in Fallon
By Susie Harrison
Last year, when Sidney was 8 years old, she read her very first chapter book. Amazed at her ability to finish the book, her Mom realized it was the mystical subject that captured Sidney's imagination. A few month's later our family discovered that Chincoteague Ponies (we call them Chink a Tink), not only truly existed… but were right under our noses!
The book that inspired Sidney was called "Misty of Chincoteague" by Marguerite Henry, which features some very unique horses. These slightly stunted in growth horses (generally called ponies) are from the Chincoteague Island. Their ancestors are known to come from Spain… how did they get here?
There are many legends surrounding this fine breed of horses. One of the most commonly accepted theories is that a Spanish ship sunk in a violent storm just off the Virginia coast in the 16th century. The small-framed horses that were stabled within the boat escaped and were to said to have had to swim miles to reach the Assateague Island. They are the only wild herd horses known to live east of the Rockies according to the Federal Government. This breed has miraculously survived centuries of fires, famines, flood, and violent storms.
Beginning the early 1900’s, the Chincoteague Island Fire Department volunteered financial responsibility for these horses. Annually the CIFD does a ‘swim’ at the end of each July. The healthiest horses make the swim from the Assateague Island across the channel to the Chincoteague Island where the yearly county event is held. People come from all over the country to view the gentle ponies and purchase them if they wish. Any money raised from the event is designated for the care and support of the herd throughout the year. After the affair, the ponies make the swim back to Assateague Island where they live the rest of the year to breed.
The ponies have become so famous that a few years ago, registration for pony owners became an option.
These slightly smaller horses have been known to be the kindest, gentlest of horses world-wide. They have been described as favorite pets that enjoy being in the presence of people.
Two of the books that cover this ‘fictional' stories are classics in the world of children’s books, entitled, “Misty of Chincoteague' and 'Sea Star, Orphan of Chincoteague’ both by Marguerite Henry.
There was a rumor in our family, that just off of York Lane, there was a farm with perhaps...just maybe... some of these rare animals. In disbelief, but willing to take the journey, I grabbed all the children in the family and took off for the Mill's farm. Robin and his wife, Louis, where surprised by our unannounced visit but were welcoming none-the-less.
I set up a time to visit and interview Robin Mills, of Mills and Mills Inc. It is a family business consisting of Robin and his two sons who buy, raise, breed, and sell the famous ponies.
One mid-August afternoon, my nieces and I again arrived at the Mills ranch, the girls full of excitement to see their favorite horses again. As we took our second tour of the striking horses and their new babies, the cool air of evening and ranch smells ‘refreshed’ our lungs.
Robin Mills is quite a chipper man, like my father, full of wisdom and portrays quite an ‘innocent’ sense of humor. You can see by his sun-streaked face and calloused hands he is never shy of hard work. We immediately felt at home with this gentle and humorous rancher whose stories are full intrigue.
Robin had always wanted to have a Chincoteague Pony for as long as he could remember, but it wasn’t till 1996 or 1997 that he finally had the time and money to take the trip out east to the Chincoteague Island in Virginia to at last have a look.
It was a family affair that late July in the mid 90’s. Surprising the whole family, Robin purchased not one or two, but five of the mystical Chincoteague Ponies. Not prepared for this, the Mills had to find a trailer to haul their new animals back to Fallon, Nevada. Unfortunately there were no trailers left for sale at Chincoteague or nearby. Robin and his sons built one from scratch out of plywood.
Robin chuckles and looks off into the sunset as if he is miles away,
“We must have looked like the Beverly Hillbillies as we drove home in our rickety old plywood creation. We had several adults and children, a van and a truck pulling a plywood horse carrier full of short horses. People would laugh and point at us as they passed us on the freeway. It was quite a scene!” Robin smiles with his distant memories fresh on his mind. I smile too at the envisioned fiasco.
“That old thing did make it home. And we made it back to the Island a few more times. But when we returned… we came prepared with a new metal trailer to transport our ponies!”
I asked Mr. Mills if any of his ponies were perhaps related to Misty, in the book ‘Misty of Chincoteague’.
“Well, I am told that yes, Buckskin Lady is one of the descendents of the ‘mythical’ character Misty. If the story is true , Buckskin Lady comes from the family name of Misty. If I had known I would have put Misty in her name to carry it on. I will name her children with the Misty name to continue the legacy. Of course it is all a mystery. When you go to the Island, some people believe the legend as if it is real and others are more skeptical”.
When asked how many Chincoteague Ponies he has now, Robin looked up and starts counting on his fingers,
“I have about 11 ponies now. I got 5 the first trip to the Island, 2 the second trip to Chincoteague and so on. I have bred several and sold some in the meantime.”
I wondered why these ponies, other than their legendary past, were so captivating.
“Well, these ponies are the kindest, gentlest horses I have seen. They are so easy to train. The colt out there was just born a few weeks ago and I just taught him a few tricks, it was that easy. They pick up on everything quickly. And they are almost like pets; the ponies like to follow you around while you work. They don’t like to be lonely. And they seem to love kids, which is probably one of their best qualities. They bring so much joy.”
“How much money are these ponies worth?” I ask, thinking they are invaluable.
“They are averaging now about $2000. But I understand some of them can run as high as $5000, and I even heard of some being sold as high as $10,000. That is rare though. Mine run around $1500, I have 3 colts for sale now.” Robin replies.
“What are your plans for the future?” I inquire with curiosity.
“Well, we are trying to scale back now. It is a lot of work caring for so many horses so we are selling some and moving them to Stagecoach soon.” Robin has a partner in Stagecoach that will care for them there, easing the burden on the Mills couple.
“We’ll probably still breed a few, and start selling more” he continues, “Throughout August and early September anyone can drive by and see them. We often have families stop to see our ponies. But please try to make it during the day. After that they can be seen in Stagecoach if anyone is still interested.”
When I asked Robin what his most rewarding experience with the Chincoteague Ponies was, he most humbly revealed,
"It is the ponies that I have given away or sold that have made so many children and families around here so happy!” By the look on Robin’s face, you can see an inner joy at sharing a piece of treasure with others, especially the children in our community.
“If I had realized the pleasure of having the Chincoteague Ponies around, I would have done it so much sooner” Robin Mills proclaimed with a slight look of regret in his eyes.
As we sat on his old fashioned horse carriage we sat in, we realized it too late for a ride. The sun has now set. We all exchanged hugs, a few jokes and drove away; my little nieces peering out of the back car window at the farm longingly.
If you are interested in purchasing one of Mr. Mills Chincoteague Ponies, you can reach him at 775 423-3377.
To find “Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry for a mere $4.99,
Go to
www.amazon.com and click in the title. You can use this direct link for all books written by this wonderful author.
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/104-0697226-0139938
For ‘Sea Star, Orphan of Chincoteague’ by the same author you can go again go to Amazon and click on title or go directly to this link,
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/104-0697226-0139938
You can find a wealth of information and books on the Chincoteague Ponies on the internet. You can simply punch in ‘Chincoteague Ponies’ in your Google search engine, or see the links below that I recommend:
By the way, your kids will love some of these websites!
Home Page of ‘Nick’ the Chincoteague Pony
www.nickie.net/
A Gift from the Sea
www.nickie.net/chincoteague.html
For a historical and informational website check this one out:
Chincoteague Pony Home Page
www.imh.org/imh/bw/chinco.html
There are too many websites about these historical ponies to mention, I do suggest you use your search engine to see much, much more!
