Pony Penning Week in Chincoteague, Va., is a cherished tradition for both locals and tourists. This annual event, held during the last week of July, is a time-honored tradition that celebrates the wild ponies of Assateague Island.
The timing of the swim varies each year and depends on “slack tide,” where the tide is neither going in nor out, so the water is relatively still, making it easier for the ponies to swim.
Once the herds make it to shore, officials signal the beginning of the swim with a red flare. The actual swim takes just minutes.
Saltwater Cowboys give the horses about 45 minutes to catch their breath before they parade them through town to the carnival grounds.
The remaining ponies are released back into their herds by either swimming them back across the channel (if they are part of the southern herd) or trailering them back to their stomping grounds (if they are part of the northern herd).