High Number of Chincoteague Pony Foals in 2024! - Here's Info on Foals 51 Through 80...
It's Monday, 3 June 2024, and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has been blessed with an extremely large number of foals this year - foals #79 and #80 were first seen yesterday, and foal #81 today. Of course, as in all things on our world, death is also near at hand.
This is something no one likes to talk about, but deaths of ponies do happen. On 9 April, WH Wildfire, a direct descendant of Misty of Chincoteague, gave birth to a chestnut filly sired by Riptide. The last day of April, it was noted that Wildfire was on the ground, and her baby looked distressed. Our local fire company, who own the ponies, immediately went to work to try to save the mare. Despite more than 48 hours of round-the-clock veterinary care, volunteer care, IVs, and sling for the mare, it was decided that it was best to euthanize her. Her filly, #11, is doing extremely well with a domesticated Chincoteague pony nurse mare and a "step-brother" a few days older.
On 8 May, 4 foals were born; all were seen up and nursing, and trying out their legs. It was noted on 10 May that two foals were not with their dams. Both of their bodies were found on 11 May; there was no visible cause of death. These were foals 52, a black or dark bay colt out of Surfer Princess; and foal 54, a bay pinto colt out of Sunny Skies. It was the 6th foal for Surfer Princess and the 2nd foal for Sunny Skies.
Also on 11 May, one of the tour boats noticed and reported that a mare was down and apparently in labor. When they passed by again, the mare was still down. This was not normal, so the CVFC Pony Committee went into action again. The mare was 4-year-old Cascade's Fancy Pants, and the foal was not in the correct position for birth. Taken to the Carnival Grounds for veterinary care, the foal died during birth. Fancy Pants' condition worsened later; it was discovered that she was bleeding internally, and that there were internal injuries. She was humanely euthanized.
On 13 May, a chestnut colt was discovered without it's mother nearby. The CVFC was alerted, and it was discovered that Penny had recently foaled. This was Penny's first foal, and she had no idea what to do. Mother and son were taken to the Carnival Grounds; the foal was bottle-fed colostrum and received IVs, as well. Unfortunately, the vet and Pony Committee team were unable to save the foal. Penny has returned to her herd.
The deaths of 3 foals is awful. - The death of any creature we love and admire is awful. - But, in looking at the facts, domesticated horses and ponies have an average death rate of foals at 6.8%. Our ponies are feral, live in the wild, and - so far this year, 3 out of 80 foals is a death rate of less than 1%. In a way, it's terrible to break down deaths into hard little percentage points - but it is also revealing.
I've already done a blog (actually two) on the first 50 foals born this year; the first can be viewed at https://bcrittersandhistory.blogspot.com/2024/05/fifty-chincoteague-pony-foals-born.html and the second blog, with new photos can be seen at https://bcrittersandhistory.blogspot.com/2024/06/updated-photos-of-chincoteague-pony.html
** No guarantee that the sire listed is the actual sire. Sire names listed are based on whose herd the mare was in 11 months previous to birth, and viewed breedings. Some mares bounce back and forth between several herds. Some mares stay with one stallion, unless separated for a reason (medical issues can remove a mare or stallion from their usual partners). DNA testing is not done. **
The majority of these photos are the work of DSC Photography - Darcy and Steve Cole are "Johnny-on-the-spot" in most of the foal sightings. If I do not note under the photo that it was taken by another person or company, then you know that the photo is copyrighted by DSC Photography. - I have cropped most of the photos because I want to focus on the foals, and not be distracted by the glorious scenery of Assateague Island.
The foals are numbered by the order in which they were first seen. The date they were seen might - or might not - be the actual date of birth. A few of the mares were seen in labor, and those foals were definitely born on those dates; some are obviously newborns, small, damp, and bumbling; and sometimes bad weather keeps the photographers away from the trails. - Not all photos shown are of newly born babies. All descendants of Misty of Chincoteague are marked with an asterisk (*) before the number.
I try to post a view of the foal's face, and a view of both sides; if the foal is a pinto, I also try to post a "butt view" if it's available. Sometimes, even if a photographer waits for hours, they can't get views from all sides. It's what happens when one deals with wild (or feral) animals, and the photographer has to stay either on a boat, or on a trail.
Foals 51 through 80:
51. Bay pinto filly May 7 Sire: Ajax Dam: Freckles (Fifteen Friends of Freckles)
Did Not Survive
Photo by Cap'n Dan Davis of Captain Dan's Around the Island Tours
Photo by Up the Bay Pony Tours
54. Bay pinto colt May 8 Sire: Twist Dam: Sunny Skies (Sunny Skies After the Storm)
Did Not Survive
55. Bay pinto colt May 8 Sire: Ajax - or Hidalgo Dam: Shy Anne
56. Bay pinto filly May 11 Sire: Hidalgo Dam: Marguerite of Chincoteague
57. Chestnut pinto colt May 11 Sire: Puzzle Dam: Hope (Sue's Crown of Hope)
58. Double dilute cremello filly May 11 Sire: Chief Dam: Serendipity
59. Chestnut colt May 13 Sire: Thunderbolt Dam: Penny (CLG Pennies From Heaven)
Did Not Survive
Photo by Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company
60. Bay pinto colt May 13 Sire: Ace Dam: CLG Bay Princess
61. Bay pinto filly May 14 Sire: Ajax Dam: Skylark
62. Buckskin pinto filly May 15 Sire: Legacy Dam: Artemis (Beau of Artemis)
63. Palomino pinto colt May 16 Sire: Prince Dam: Stardust (Dreamer's Stardust)
64. Palomino filly May 16 Sire: Prince Dam: Talia (Evan's Angel)
65. Bay filly May 16 Sire: Ken Dam: Jessica's Sea Star Sandy
66. Chestnut pinto colt May 18 Sire: Hidalgo Dam: Carli Marie
67. Palomino pinto filly May 21 Sire: Ajax Dam: Badabing
*68. Bay pinto filly May 21 Sire: Ace Dam: WH Winter Moon
69. Bay pinto filly May 21 Sire: DLSII Dam: Randy
70. Chestnut pinto colt May 21 Sire: DLSII Dam: Rumor (CLG Rumor Has It)
Photo by Cowboy Cruise Company, Capt. Hunter Leonard
71. Bay colt May 21 Sire: Thunderbolt - or Ace Dam: Piper (Delilah's Sandpiper)
72. Bay filly May 24 Sire: Hoppy Dam: Starry (Poco's Starry Night)
73. Chestnut colt May 25 Sire: Thunderbolt Dam: Smooch (Judy's Little Smooch)
74. Double dilute cremello pinto filly May 26 Sire: Prince Dam: Lorna Dune
75. Buckskin filly May 26 Sire: Maverick Dam: Goldie (Two Teague's Golden Girl)
76. Palomino colt May 26 Sire: Chief Dam: Lady (Pony Ladies' Sweet Surprise)
77. Bay pinto filly May 29 Sire: Legacy Dam: A Splash of Freckles
78. Bay colt May 31 Sire: Legacy Dam: Jazzie (JAZ Willa's Mirackle)
79. Bay colt June 2 Sire: Hoppy Dam: Doc Amrien
80. Chestnut filly June 2 Sire: Ken Dam: Dreamer's Gift
I'd also like to include a photo of Cascade's Fancy Pants, the mare we lost due to foaling complications. Fancy Pants was born on May 16, 2020; her dam was Poco's Starry Night, and her sire was Riptide. She was a member of Thunderbolt's herd. Her first foal died during birth on 11 May 2024, and she joined the heavenly herd on May 13, 2024. Her photo was taken in November 2023.
To view photos of all of the ponies belonging to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, I highly recommend you visit Darcy & Steve Cole's DSC Photography website. It may be viewed at: https://www.dscphotography.net/
To look at pedigrees for all equines living on Assateague Island, both in Maryland on the Assateague National Seashore, and in Virginia on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, I also recommend visiting: https://chincoteaguepedigrees.com/pedigree/pedigree.pedigree.php This site allows you to view current (and deceased) ponies; there is a choice for Maryland or Virginia ponies, and besides offering pedigrees, it will also direct you to links where photos of the ponies (if available) can be seen.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment