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By Cyndel Brunell

”What kind of bird is that?”

“How much smaller are the Chincoteague ponies from regular sized horses?”

“Are there any foals this time of year?”

“How deep is the water they swim in?”

If you want answers to these questions and many more you should take the bus tour out into the wilderness of Assateague Island on the East Coast of Virginia. On this ride you will see the world famous Chincoteague ponies and other wildlife in their natural habitat. 

The tour bus begins it 2012 schedule April 6 with a Friday trip at 4 p.m. For current information regarding wildlife tours, or to purchase tickets, inquire at the refuge visitor center or call the CNHA office at (757) 336-3696

The CNHA offers visitors the opportunity to tour the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge during the months of April to November. The tour accesses areas of the refuge that are normally only open to foot traffic. The tour covers approximately 15 miles and lasts about 90 minutes.

Depending on the time of year, foals may be frolicking in the vast forest and bush of the island or mares may be grazing in the saltwater grasses. Always standing guard nearby, is the stallion who commands a band of mares and foals. The bus leaves from near the information center and has now been in operation for a little over six years. In October I went on my first bus tour. The tours are ran by the Chincoteague Natural History Association, a large group of volunteers that supports agencies that run this national park in many ways.

The bus takes you 7 ½ miles out into the wilderness. Inside the bus there is a wheelchair lift, two double seated flip up benches, and individual seats two next to each other going down the aisle. Each seat has a very large window with hatches so you can take pictures without the interference of glass. Some drivers will tell you not to open the hatches, however. Many people from around the world go to the refuge to experience this tour of the island trails.

You can see many ponies of the larger northern herd on this trip, the herd that is kept out of sight of the public until Pony Penning. This is the big event that draws thousands to Chincoteague and Assateague each July. Ponies are not the only animals you will see on this relaxing yet exciting nearly two-hour journey. The smaller southern herd of wild ponies is sometimes seen right from your car on the right side of Beach Road, on the way out to the Atlantic Ocean.

On your bus trip you may also see sika elk, white tailed deer, turtles, egrets, snow geese, hawks, eagles, Canada geese, the glossy ibis and other migrating birds. With any luck you might see a Delmarva fox squirrel, an endangered animal that gets lots of attention from park managers. And in the nesting season you might get a distant look at a piping plover cage that provides protection against predators. The piping plover is a small at risk bird. Each trip promises something new.

The driver will stop or slow down whenever they see something and will normally give you a description of the animal. On rare occasions however, there can be a few surprises that you may not see regularly. Horses sometimes interact with other animals, or a predator bird catching food in a near-view. There are always unexpected happenings on this tour.

One thing is for certain though, you are sure to learn a lot about this historic barrier island from the driver-tour guides. The drivers are very well informed and just full of interesting details. You will most likely be with people from all over the country and even other countries. The questions above the first paragraph were asked on a tour this past summer by guests from Annapolis, Md., Long Island, New York; Michigan and Accomack County.

This is not a rushed tour and it is not expensive. For tour times and prices go to www.assateague.com. One word of caution, there are nice, clean restrooms at the information center where you buy your tickets, but this is the last one you will see until you return. Passengers are not allowed to get off the bus.

The information center which now runs the bus tours is where you buy tickets. It is a good idea to call in advance, because many trips are sold out. Officials of the historical association have talked about getting another bus. Also they run special tours upon request in advance. I hope I have inspired some readers to consider going on this tour. It is the only way, really, to be sure you will see the wild ponies up close by traveling on land. Unless, of course you want to hike the seven miles out, which some people do. The drivers and tour guides are well informed. I will assure you that you will at least be stunned, marveled, fascinated or surprised at things you may see or learn. I know I enjoyed this wilderness adventure and hope you will too.

At the Chincoteague refuge, volunteers will be on hand to tally and discuss the species in the backyard bird garden of the Herbert H. Bateman Educational Center.  As seasoned local birdwatchers, knowledgeable about local bird species, native plants, and bird-feeding tips, these volunteers will share stories of the species they observe while providing more information to visitors on creating backyard habitats. 

The four-day event is open to bird watchers of all ages and skill levels. Participants watch birds for any length of time on one or more days of the count and enter their tallies (at no charge) at www.birdcount.org.  From reports of rare species to large-scale tracking of bird movements, the GBBC provides insight into the lives of birds. The results provide a snapshot of the whereabouts of more than 600 bird species.  Citizen participants become scientists, just by counting and observing.

“This bird count offers individuals and families a chance to learn more about the winter visitors to their backyard,” said Kevin Holcomb, Refuge Biologist at Chincoteague NWR, “while also providing valuable data to scientists and conservation researchers.”

Mid-February is chosen as the time for the Great Backyard Bird Count because it offers a good picture of the birds typically found throughout the winter months.  It also coincides with migration for some species, such as egrets or marsh birds. That window of transition affords an opportunity to detect changes in timing for northward migration.

On the www.birdcount.org website, participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting during the count. The site has tips to help identify birds and special materials for educators. Participants may also enter the GBBC photo contest by uploading images taken during the count. Many images will be featured in the GBBC website’s photo gallery. All participants are entered in a drawing for prizes that include bird feeders, binoculars, books, CDs, and many other great birding products.

The bird count is a joint project of the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada.  For additional details on the Refuge’s bird count event at the Herbert H. Bateman Educational Center, call 757-336-6122 or visit http://www.fws.gov/northeast/chinco/.

The winning artwork will be the official trademark of the celebration to be held at the refuge on May 12, 2012.  It will appear on event-related materials including the program, flyers, T-shirts and other items.

International Migratory Bird Day will celebrate its 20th anniversary.  Created in 1993, this year’s theme Connecting People to Bird Conservation will focus on 20 ways people may help preserve birds every day.

“The logo art contest is a great way to connect people to bird conservation and the beauty of birds,” said Refuge Manager Lou Hinds.  Nature found at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge has always been a source of inspiration for artists.”

 Artists should submit an original line-art drawing of a migratory bird that can be seen on the refuge except for the past three winners, belted kingfisher, eastern bluebird and great horned owl.  In order to compete, submitted art must be an original, line art drawing in pen and ink.   Artists may submit as many pieces as they wish.  The logo art should be clean and precise, as it will be reduced to fit in a number of event-related items, including buttons that are approximately three inches in diameter. 

The contestants’ art will not be mailed back. However, contestants may pick up their artwork at the refuge after the contest has ended.   The only exception is the winning submission, which will become the property of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Contestants must submit their art work to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge by close of business on Thursday, March 30, 2012.

To submit a drawing, please send artwork to Sally Bowden at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 62, Chincoteague, Virginia, 23336.  For more information, call (757) 336-6122.

The Camp is full of fun and educational outdoor activities that explore the six priority uses of the National Wildlife Refuge System, said Park Ranger Aubrey Hall.

Activities can include crabbing, clamming, archery, surf fishing, bicycling and kayaking.  Day Camp is offered to children who have successfully completed 3rd, 4th, or 5th grades by summer 2012 and must be between 8 and 11 years old.

Applications for the children in the Woods Day Camp are now available at the Herbert H. Bateman Educational and Administrative Center and online at ww.fws.gov/northeast/chinco.  A lottery will be held to select 14 participants for each session. Preference will be given to those who have not previously attended Children in the Woods Day Camp. Applications for the camp must be hand delivered or received in the refuge office by 5 p.m. on May 15. 

Three sessions will be offered this year.  There is a fee of $50.00 per participant, but scholarships are available.  There is a single application for June, July and August day camps. The sessions are:  Session 1: June 18 – 22, 2012 

Session 2: July 16 – 20, 2012

Session 3: August 6 – 10, 2012

If mailing, send application(s) to:

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

Attn:  Children in the Woods Day Camp

P.O. Box 62

Chincoteague, VA 23336

The Children in the Woods Day Camp is sponsored by the Chincoteague Natural History Association.  To learn more and see memorable photos from past camps, visit their website at www.piping-plover.org. Go to the Kids Corner tab and click on Children in the Woods.

For more information, contact Aubrey Hall, Park Ranger, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge at (757) 336-6122 ext. 324.

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By Sonora Hannah

In 2010, a non-profit organization called the Feather Fund made my life-long dream come true when they bought a four month old colt for me at the famous Pony Penning auction in Chincoteague Island, VA. That colt was my pony Mincaye (Min-KY-yee) who is literally my childhood dream come to life! And because of him, I am living yet another dream come true…training my own horse.

Hannah teaches Min how to shake hands.

The first step in Min’s training was for me to gain his trust. He was very nervous and frightened in the beginning and would turn tail to me every time I entered his stall. I desensitized him to touch by rubbing him all over with my hand, then with a lead rope; and then I built on that by tossing the lead over his back and around his legs. Once he realized that I was not going to hurt him, his fear began to melt away. I spent hours reading books aloud to him or just talking to him, getting him used to my voice and presence. I also introduced grooming tools to him and worked on the concepts of standing tied, leading, and picking up his feet. There is an entire world of things to teach a horse even when he is too young to ride!

When I first started working with Min, I had a tendency to become so frustrated with myself for not knowing how to deal with a situation that I would often wallow in a complete sense of hopelessness. I have since realized that I am much better off forgiving myself for my mistakes and persevering to acquire the knowledge I need to fix a problem. It is inevitable that I will make mistakes in training my first horse, but my biggest regret has been that I did not begin “formal” groundwork as soon as I had Min’s trust. I now feel it is very important to have a training program to follow in order to know what it is you are doing and what goals you are headed towards in your pony’s training. At first I simply took bits and pieces of advice from anywhere I could get it, but it wasn’t until I found world-renowned trainer Clinton Anderson and his program that I really began to make headway in Mincaye’s training. Unfortunately by the time I found Clinton, I had already allowed Min to develop some bad habits; thankfully, by following his method, I am beginning to see those bad habits unravel and disappear.

Mincaye has always been highly curious, full of energy, and just a tad bit devious. He is the smartest equine I have ever met, which in the one sense is in my favor, but it also means I need to study hard so that I will know what to do in any given situation when working with him. The pushy, disrespectful behavior I allowed him to develop in the beginning has proved to be one of my biggest challenges. However I am learning to become the kind of leader Mincaye can respect, and that is, I believe, the key to being a good horse trainer. Being consistently clear and concise with your cues, always rewarding the horse for giving the correct response, and taking the time to build on his successes (never expecting too much too soon) are all important things to remember in training horses. Body language, too, plays a monumental role in communicating with horses, because that is the language they use with each other. Horses are amazingly intelligent creatures, and they learn very quickly when we take the time to “speak” to them in their own language rather than enforcing our ideas on them without so much as asking.

The first thing I ever really taught Mincaye was how to shake hands. I can still remember the absolute thrill I felt when I saw that he had made the connection between my cue and the action of lifting his foreleg! I continue to feel an overwhelming sense of joy and accomplishment whenever I teach Mincaye something new. I work with him every day that I can, but with the snowy, soggy winter weather and no arena or round pen, I have to be careful of slippery footing. For this reason I am anticipating the coming of sunny weather more than ever! When things dry out again, I hope to work with Mincaye as many as six days a week as he will soon be two years old and I am eager to prepare him to start under saddle. The time I have spent and have yet to spend working with Min from the ground is an invaluable part of training him to become a good riding horse; but most of all it provides a wonderful opportunity to build  a friendship which will last a lifetime.

Training my own Chincoteague Pony is proving to be every bit as magical an adventure as I thought it would be! My ultimate goal in Mincaye’s training is to ride him bareback and bridleless, but in the meantime I choose to glory in our journey as we continue to learn and grow together. Mincaye is beyond the shadow of a doubt my dream horse, and with him, every day is a priceless treasure.

 

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By Robert Boswell

Publisher, Wild Pony Tales

Part of the job of running the Chincoteague Pony Rescue calls for detective work.

When she finishes feeding, watering, checking for any sign of sickness and giving medical care to those ponies who arrive in poor condition, Debbie Ober sits at her computer and goes searching for anything she can find on the Rescues in her pastures.

The famous Assateague Island stallion, Tornado, gets a rub from Debbie Ober. Tornado is the sire of Prince, who was sold to the Buy Back Babes for $17,500, the highest amount ever paid for a Chincoteague pony. Tornado moved to the Ober farm when he was injured and is now at his forever home. Photo by Robert Boswell

She is up to 10 rescued Chincoteague ponies now. Five were bought at the famous auction held each July, two of them this past Pony Penning, an event that draws thousands to Chincoteague Island each summer. Another Rescue pony is coming in next week. Debbie has 11 ponies of her own.

Debbie and husband, Tom, had rescued other breeds over the years, but decided to focus on Chincoteagues in 2000. By 2008 they had made the move to only Chincoteagues.  Since the publication in November of the Wild Pony Tales story in the Eastern Shore News, Chincoteague Beacon, Horse Force Monthly, the Caroline Review and elsewhere the Ober farm in Ridgely, Maryland has become a beehive of activity.

A website, www.chincoteagueponyrescue.org is now up and running. There is constant posting to the Rescue Facebook page which is up to 445 Friends. With overlap Debbie’s personal page has 1,300 Friends. Paperwork had to be complete for filing both Maryland non-profit status as well as the federal non-profit application. There are frequent trips for feed, hay, bedding and medical supplies.

Usually a rescued pony coming to the Obers or leaving for adoption means hooking up their trailer and providing transportation, sometimes far away.

And then there is the constant vigil for donations. “We have received donations from many pony friends, family members and the Buy Back Babes,” said Debbie. “We also received a donation from the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company in early December. We are running a hay drive as we speak to earn funds for continued hay for the rescue ponies” Debbie adds, “Again, any help would be appreciated and welcomed.”

 She and Tom are also looking for personal and corporate sponsorships for the ponies and the rescue organization.  Corporate sponsors will be listed on the horse trailer and elsewhere, she said.

It takes approximately $1,500 per year per pony for feed and hay including veterinary care (vaccines and worming), farrier, etc. “So right now, it takes about $30,000 per year for 21 ponies, which is our current number, including our older retirement ponies, rehabs and ponies ready for adoption,” said Debbie.  Inquiries about donations or adoptions can be made by going to the Rescue website or by emailing Debbie at hawkeye@goeaston.net. Her cell is 410-829-3026 and messages may be left on her Facebook page. The mailing address is P.O. Box 125, Ridgely, MD 21660.

Fees for adoption usually run $600 to $800, depending on the cost incurred to acquire the pony and to pay for health issues.  “We don’t add any additional charge for feed, hay or months of care, which is usually required,” said Debbie.  It can require a great effort to make sure any pony adopted out is in fact a Chincoteague pony.

“It is important to verify the lineage of each rescue for several reasons,” said Debbie. “First, to make sure it is an island-bred pony.  Secondly, some of the pony people are looking for certain bloodlines and will be more apt to adopt if we know who the sire and dam is.”

So the detective work begins.

“If the pony comes with registration papers or purchase receipt from the auction, I don’t have much time invested at all,” said Debbie. “I have several ways of tracking ponies without the documentation, I have several websites with pony information that I look at. Also, I refer to my personal photo’s taken since 1998 or post the pony’s photo on Facebook so that other pony peeps or BBB’s can check their records.  This way takes hours and sometimes days to research.”

A rescue pony on the Tom and Debbie Ober farm shows markings from a halter that was on either too tight or too long.

Debbie and Tom said they have no access to fire company records.  We were told that the records were lost or misplaced several years ago. That is all I can get on that. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company owns the herds that live on Assateague Island and cares for them year round, including a medical check at each of three roundups. the spring roundup this year is scheduled for April 13 and 14.

“I understand that some of the buyers have received a “certificate of authenticity” stating that they own a real Chincoteague Pony, but there is not a listing of the sire, dam, etc. like the papers received in past years.  I personally have sent in registrations only to have my envelope returned.”

Debbie continues, “I was told that the CVFC is working on rectifying this.  I now have 14 sets of registration papers to send in, but have decided to hand carry them. Breeders want registered ponies with papers,” Debbie said. “They can go to any auction and buy a”grade” pinto pony for $50, so why pay up to $2,500 to buy a”pure island pony.”

Two of the four ponies saved from the “kill” barn in Pennsylvania, Ginger and Captain, have been nursed back to good health and have been adopted into new homes. Ginger found a forever home in Virginia.  She will be used as an ambassador for the breed and shown at the Pony Centre on Chincoteague.  Ginger has started her under saddle training so that she will be ready to ride this summer.   

Captain found his forever home in Virginia, soon to move to N.C.  His adoptive family is retiring and building a new house, barn and pasture for Captain and his “little sister” Sunny Dee, a 2011 Filly purchased at the auction on Chincoteague.  He is doing great and loves all of the attention from his new family. 

All of the Ober’s detective work is for verification. She has a network set up to watch out for Chincoteague’s in trouble. “I am still checking weekly on several websites for rescue ponies, said Debbie. ” The brokers post weekly and I have a few Facebook friends that will send me notes if they see a pony on their local Craigslist or in their papers.  One of the brokers is now sending me direct messages if they get a Chincoteague Pony in their barn, which means the word about our rescue is getting out there.  Occasionally I have friends attend the local auctions and they will call me if a pony goes through and is unsold. 

The Obers stress they do not want to be a dumping ground for people who no longer want their ponies. “We want to rescue those Chincoteague Ponies in neglected, abusive and auction situations, get them to safety and then into forever homes,” said Tom.         

Here is the rundown on rescued ponies are ready for adoption.

Sevanna – 2005 Sun Bleached Black Mare – Her grandsires were General Lee and Hurricane, both now deceased.  Bought from kill buyers in early December 2011.  She also had strangles and had 30 days quarantine.  She is sound but has multiple old scars on her legs due to wire cuts.  Also has scaring on her back due to harness chaffing (poor fitting equipment or too long in harness). 

Allie- 2011 Bay Pinto Filly – By Miracle Man – purchased at the 2011 Pony Penning auction – Owner relinquished due to expense of monthly board. 

Breeze – 2008 Buckskin mare – Sick on arrival when she was 5 months old – severe parasite infestation.  Healthy after 6 months of veterinary care.  She is a purebred Chincoteague, one generation off island.   Breeze is available for adoption.

Dancer- 2010 Chestnut Mare by Cezanne – Privately purchased in 2011 – Owner relinquished due to moving.  She had 7 horses and could only take two.   

Sandman -  Sandman’s mother was a “free” pony, already bred with Sandman.  We took her knowing she was in foal and wanted them both to have a good home until we could get them adopted.  Sandman is a Chestnut colt by Cezanne, born here on the farm in April 2011 and is available for adoption

Clipper – a small bay gelding, one of the three original rescued from the “kill” barn in Pennsylvania in September. Clipper arrived at the Ober farm

with no hair from under his jaw to his chin with pus oozing from a dozen sores. He was unable to stand but is in good health now. Clipper is a registered Chincoteague pony, bought at the July 2001 wild pony auction. His sire is Gunner Moon, a well known Island stallion.

Blair - a pony that Debbie took because she was already bred.  She is a 2007 Chestnut mare.  She is in the adoption program.  She is a companion pony only (no riding)  due to a leg injury before she came to the farm.  She stumbles occasionally on the left hind leg due to the injury.

Some rescued ponies are considered in their forever home on the Ober farm.

One is Moon Shine, a 2011 Bay Pinto Colt sired by the stallion Wild Bill, purchased at the 2011 Pony Penning auction.  The owner relinquished and donated the foal to the rescue due to health problems and a move out of state.  “The owner asked us to use him to teach others, especially children, about caring for the ponies so that they don’t end up in an abuse or auction situation.  He is not available for adoption.”

Another is Tornado, one of the Island most famous stallions. “A buckskin pinto stallion born in 1988, he was king of his band for two decades,” said Debbie. “Though he inhabited the same island and roamed the sandy beaches of Assateague made famous by “Misty of Chincoteague,” Tornado become a legend of his own. “He has sired many foals over the years and is one of the most photographed stallions on the island,” said Debbie. He was removed from the herd after being injured.

Tornado is the sire of Prince, bought by the Buyback Babes in 2007 for $17,500, the most ever paid for a Chincoteague pony.

Publisher, Wild Pony Tales

This is the time of year when the outstanding work of the biologists and park rangers at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and the National Park Service is showcased, helped along of course by the arrival of the snow geese and other migrating waterfowl.

I sometimes worry that the year-long fallout from the alternative beach parking controversy will overshadow all that is good about having the Refuge so close, about having a place we can go where it is quiet and we can, at least for a few hours, give our minds a break.

No matter what our views are on the future of beach parking and refuge management let’s not forget to give credit to the highly qualified and dedicated staff members who keep the place running every day of the year. I do not say this tritely or lightly.

I have taken our writers to Assateague many times to gather information for the stories on this website and I cannot recall an instance when our sources – I mean Lou Hinds, his managers, the biologists and park rangers – were not helpful and knowledgeable. Most of the people at the Refuge have degrees it took them years to obtain.

When I was teaching journalism in middle school I would sometimes have a student working on a class assignment call Amanda Daisy, the wildlife biologist, right from class, a real life interview by a 6th or 7th grader.

On a sad note I want to mention a park ranger who was especially helpful to us, Barry Brookshire. Barry was at the Refuge for 16 months until his contract ran out and then he returned to his home in Texas. But soon after he was found to have a malignant tumor in his colon. Doctors were successful in treating Barry but he has been unable to return to work. While at the Refuge he answered many questions for our young writers with all the patience of the teacher that he once was. At the Refuge Barry was what he called a “roving ranger,” moving around the pathways, talking to people, answering questions. If he didn’t know the answer he would go and find it.

Waterfowl Week is a special time at the Refuge. We have the event highlights in another story but what follows are more details, the times, places and descriptions of the activities coming up over Thanksgiving. Every single event is worth attending.

One of the big issues I have with the whole Assateague show is how easy it is to come here and never see a pony, or see them only at a great distance. When our niece, Marcy, was little I don’t think we got to see any ponies, except the ones at McDonalds for which I was thankful, until her third visit. And she only made it here once a year. We did see plenty of evidence, but few ponies.

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By Robert Boswell
Publisher, Wild Pony Tales

The three Chincoteague ponies who were rescued by Debbie Ober and her husband, Tom, from an auction barn in Pennsylvania in September are nearly back to full health. As a result of our stories some donations have come in and so have requests for adoption.

More donations are needed though. See the information at the end of the story.

The moment the three Chincoteague ponies she had rescued from near slaughter came out of the trailer Debbie had sent to get them is not a time she will ever forget. She still can’t talk about it without her voice breaking up. 
Saturday, November 5, with our writer/photographers Misty Thornton and Kate White, we traveled the two hours from near Chincoteague to the Ober’s Hawkeye Stables in Ridgely, Maryland. There was more to the story, we knew, of what goes on at the Ober horse farm where Debbie cares for 20 ponies. Some of them are Misty of Chincoteague descendants and most are closely connected to the famous Chincoteague wild ponies.
The three rescues were all bought at the 2001 Chincoteague pony auction but little is known about where they spent their years until now. All three are registered Chincoteague ponies, sired by island stallions.

Debbie had earlier described what confronted her when the rescued ponies arrived at her place. There was Clipper, a small bay gelding, who had no hair from under his jaw to his chin with pus oozing from a dozen sores. When he came out of the trailer he laid down, unable to get up.

Ginger, a big chestnut mare, was very thin and weak from starvation and parasites. And Captain, a bay pinto gelding, was very thin too. He had the worst parasite problem of the three, so bad he had stopped eating.

From communicating with Debbie, we knew they were much better but we didn’t really know what to expect. Because they had all come down with strangles, a pneumonia-like illness the rescue ponies had been quarantined in their own pasture and shelter.

Upon arrival we followed Debbie from the barn area to the rescues’ pasture with her pulling a small wagon with hay, grain buckets, brushes and, if needed, halters.

As we neared the fence she asked, “Are you ready?” In a minute we had climbed through the fence and set up cameras. The ponies, however, were nowhere in sight. But with a call from Debbie, three specks in a distance, actually three pastures away, began moving toward us at a gallop. It was the three rescues, who did not slow up until they reached us.

Two things were obvious. They were ready to eat and they were glad to see Debbie.

Debbie spends several hours each day hugging and caring for her horses. She is devoted to them, spending more time with them than she does with people, more time outside with them, she says, than inside her house.

She has a routine.

“I check all of them daily from head to tail. Making sure there are no kicks, cuts, etc. Also, I make sure they eat their grain in a reasonable time. If they don’t eat, I know I have a problem. I always check noses, especially this time of year. The foals tend to get a runny nose, but unless they run a fever, my vet suggests that I let it run its course without interference to build immunity. I always check halters on the young stock. They can be fine one day and too tight the next as they seem to grow in spurts.”

Imagine this and she left out mucking stalls, driving two hours for hay every few weeks, and of course her house work.

When Captain, Ginger and Clipper arrived they were in poor shape. Debbie spent most of the next three nights with these Chincoteagues, making a bed for herself under the shelter and wrapping up in a horse blanket to stay warm. Debbie changed her clothes several times a day to keep strangles from spreading to her other horses.

Who knows what the three ponies think has happened to them, but they have to know someone now cares. Since coming to the Ober home they have not been a day without proper food, medications, and lots of hugs and kindness. They can thank Debbie and Tom, but also others who helped put up money for their rescue, including Debbie Elliott-Fisk and other members of the Buyback Babes, friends and family.

While our time with the rescues has its special memories, they were not the only ones we brought back from the Ober farm.

One pony rehabilitated by Debbie is the majestic Tornado which has sired many foals born on Assateague Island. Tornado is the sire of Prince, bought by the Buyback Babes in 2007 for $17,500, the most ever paid for a pony at the Chincoteague auction.

In 2008 Tornado was injured while on the Assateague range and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which owns the Virginia herd, decided to remove him from the herd and arranged with the Obers to care for him the rest of his life. In an article that ran in the Caroline Review in July 2010 the Obers wrote, “Though he inhabited the sandy beaches of Assateague made famous by “Misty of Chincoteague” Tornado became a legend of his own. He is one of the most photographed stallions on the island.”

Tornado is a buckskin pinto stallion born in 1988. He might have been a wild stallion for 20 years, but around us he was just another friendly head to pat, nose to rub. Or maybe he just wanted Kate to take his picture again. She was clearly his favorite visitor on this day.

The other memory we will have forever was provided by Tornado’s newest offspring, one of four now with the Obers. She is a nine day old filly Debbie calls Freckles due to her red leopard coloring. We have video of this baby making her second trip outside her stall, trying to make up her mind how far to venture. It is precious and we will share it with you soon.

Meanwhile, Debbie is in need of financial help for these rescues and future ones. “We would be grateful for donations to go toward feed and care,” Debbie said. She said if anyone knows of a Chincoteague pony in need, she can be reached at hawkeye@goeaston.net. Her cell is 410-829-3026 and messages may be left on her Facebook page. The mailing address is P.O. Box 125, Ridgely, MD 21660.

The Obers are looking for personal and corporate sponsorships for the ponies and the rescue organization. Corporate sponsors will be listed on the horse trailer and elsewhere, she said. A new website will be chincoteagueponyrescue.org and it is expected to be up and running soon.

The writer is publisher of www.wildponytales.info, a web magazine that covers Chincoteague and Assateague Islands in Virginia. 

Editor’s note: A photo gallery and video clips will be posted with this story soon.
 

Dear Editor,

As a concerned citizen, business owner, member of the Chincoteague Vol Fire Company and a  recreational beach-goer I know that I can no longer remain silent and behind the scenes on this whole beach parking issue.  I represent the fire company on the Town’s Beach Access Committee and on the Citizens Beach Access Committee and there have been many hours of meetings and lots of work being done on this issue.  I have only been a small part of this due to my work responsibilities and I appreciate all the work being done by these two committees to help save our way of life as we know it.  But this letter is written by me, from my heart and does not in any way reflect on any organization or committee that I belong to.  These are my thoughts and my opinions only.

With that being said those of you who know me, know what comes up, generally comes out.  Some times to a fault!!    Here we are in the worst economic times that my generation has ever seen.  Our government is out of control from the state levels to the federal level.  Jobs, jobs, jobs are all every congressman and our president yaps about.  And that’s all it is, yapping.  Neither the island of Chincoteague nor the Eastern Shore ever received a big government bailout.  God knows we could have used one given that our two counties are two of the poorest ones in the state of Virginia.  But, we here on the Shore are resourceful, make our own way, don’t ask for hand-outs and try to earn a decent honest living.  And what do we get for that??  A big kick in the pants from the US Fish and Wildlife Service that’s what. 

How in the world can the federal government justify spending $7 million bucks on a campground, then spend thousands more to make it acceptable for parking, then spend even thousands more to out-fit trolley’s, gas, insurance for the trolley’s and payroll for the drivers, yet can’t find $200 thousand to replenish beach parking on the island of Assateague itself?  They can’t justify it all in the name of conservation. 

Mr. Hinds and several others have spoken about sea level rise.  That’s all we have heard for months and no doubt there has been sea level rise in some areas but there has been no rise in other places.  In fact, one study I’ve read that the Fish and Wildlife did about 20 years ago said that the current location of the parking lots now would be under water by the year 2000.  Well here it is folks, the summer of 2011 and it’s not under water.  That just proves to me that no one can predict what will happen.  

The town just recently proposed to increase the hotel tax by 1% much to the dislike of several hotel/motel owners, with thoughts of giving that money to the Fish and Wildlife to help repair the parking lots in case of storm damage.  Now, I’m no genius but giving the government any money for anything other than taxes is just plain crazy. For one, they probably would have to do some kind of study to see if they could accept it and then spend months if not years, telling us that they can’t accept it.  I appreciate the efforts of our town leaders for trying to come up with some kind of possible solution but another tax isn’t it.

Several of my friends and family work for the USFWS, in fact my Uncle worked there right out of high school until his retirement.  I have a great deal of respect for them and what they do.  Our natural resources must be protected; however they can also co-exist together as well.  Removing all beach parking or removing some beach parking will have a devastating impact on this town and the Eastern Shore as we know it.  And not just Virginia’s Eastern Shore either.  It will also impact Worcester and Somerset Counties in Maryland too.  The trickledown effect it will have on all businesses will be felt all around.  All those jobs the government is yapping about?  They will be gone.  The hotel house-keeping staff’s, the restaurant staffs, the bike shops, the front desk clerks, the mini golf course attendants, the store owners, the grocery store employees, the town employees, construction carpenters, the newspaper staff, nurses, the pharmacy staff, hair stylists, charter boat captains, marina dock hands, mechanics, landscapers, lawn care employees, seafood market staff, convenience store clerks, campgrounds staff, HVAC employees, house painters, bank tellers and yes, florist.  Have I made my point?  The surveys taken last year proved that if the parking at the beach is eliminated, people would stop coming to Chincoteague and find another place to enjoy the beach.  The trickledown effect is this:  If a restaurant doesn’t serve as many people as they did before, they will lay off employees.  Those laid off employees can’t afford to get their hair done or buy extra groceries or hire someone to cut their grass or paint their house or buy flowers for someone’s birthday.  And trust me folks, the trickledown effect doesn’t trickle, it pours down like a monsoon!!!

Anyone and everyone who has a stake in this, and lets’ face it if you are a resident, land owner, home owner, business owner, vacationer or what not; you have a stake in this.  Please, contact our congressmen.   There  is Lynn Lewis on the local level, Mark Warner and Jim Webb on the state level and Scott Rigell and Bob Northam on the district level.  You can Google their names and all the information you need to e-mail them, call them or write them is right there.  Please do it today!!!  It only takes a few minutes to do this to save our way of life as we know it.

As far as Maddox Campground being sold…………..sigh, I can understand they want to sell.  Who wouldn’t want $7 million bucks?  The Maddox’s have worked and worked hard all their lives.  I know them personally.  They are good customers of mine.  My dad used to ride horses with their family up where the Piney Island housing development is now.  Wyle Maddox is the guy who made it possible in the first place to be able to drive cars over to Assateague.  The road leading to Assateague is named after them.  And now the possibility of that beautiful piece of land where many families have camped for generations could fall into the hands of the federal government is just hard to handle.  I hope that the Maddox family will have a change of heart.  I hope they will realize what will come of Chincoteague and the Eastern Shore if their campground is used for a parking lot, a parking lot that I feel will be very empty because no one in their right mind will gather up coolers, umbrellas, beach toys, boogie boards, beach bags not to mention little Johnny who is screaming his head off because his sister has taken his beach toy and lug all that to the beach on a trolley.  Oh yeah, I can picture the excitement of that right now.

Folk’s this country has gotten way out of line.  We are sending billions of dollars overseas to countries who want nothing but to attack and kill us.  Billions in aid to other’s because their government could care less if their people starve or not.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t recall other countries coming to our aid when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf States.  In the meantime, our seniors are choosing between buying medicine or food.  Our military personnel are coming home in flagged draped boxes and those lucky enough to survive have to come home and fight again to get the benefits entitled to them and their families.  A one term congressman gets benefits for the rest of his life.  Full retirement and pension and all that good stuff.  Our military personnel doesn’t, they only get a portion.  A portion!!  For protecting us and keeping us free!!    But no, we sent millions of dollars to Pakistan so they can keep Bin Laden comfy. How long do you think they laughed at us over that?  But leave it to the American Soldier to take care of it.  He or she doesn’t see dollar signs, they only see a murderer through the scope of that rifle and with two shots took care of what billions sent to them didn’t.  Disgusting isn’t it?

You know, I’m not very political.  I’m certainly not politically correct by no means.  I don’t like to tip-toe around issues.  It’s either black or white, right or wrong with me.  I’ve been known to vote Democrat and Republican and probably will continue to do so until someone gets it right, which I may never live long enough to see.  This country needs help.  We need to get off our butts, get out and vote and push for term limits so these yapping people of government know they only have a certain amount of time to do it and do it right.  We’ve become too lazy and too politically correct.  Just because someone out there doesn’t believe in God doesn’t mean you have to punish me for wanting to pray or have a nativity scene at Christmas.  I don’t try to tell anyone out there they can’t practice their religion.  You don’t like what I’m doing?  Don’t look. 

Our schools in this country are in a sad state.  No Child Left Behind Law?  Worthless.  A kid can be passed on to the next grade without even knowing the essentials of the last grade he was in.  When is the last time you heard of kid failing a grade and having to repeat it?  These days and times, it doesn’t matter if you can’t read well.  Our teachers are not permitted to take a lot of time with the students these days.  What our teachers are teaching on Monday, teacher s in that same grade everywhere are teaching the same thing.  Now that is a group of people who deserve every cent and more of their pay.  If you think their job is 8-3 everyday with summers off then try it for yourself.  It’s a 24/7 all the time.  And the politics of school are just as bad.  God has certainly been left behind in school; we threw him out and let all the bad stuff in.  All in the name of not wanting to offend anyone.  Don’t mind offending God though do we?

I’m sorry I’m on a roll with all this, I just had to get it out that we are a country in distress.  Both financially and emotionally.  We may not be able to fix the world or even the rest of the country but we can start here and we can start today.   This beach parking issue is not going away and we just can’t rely on a couple of committees to come and save us.  It’s got to be a collective effort on all our parts.  Please, contact, write or e-mail anyone in our government to let them know our concerns so we may be able to keep what little is left of the Great American way of life.

Thank you for listening.

Denise Bowden

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By Kate White

Co-Editor, Wild Pony Tales

If the two members of the Maryland Conservation Corps who gave a presentation on raptors at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge were looking for an enthusiastic audience they had to look no further than the first two rows of the auditorium.

It was the International Migratory Bird Day Festival at the Virginia refuge and two representatives from the Maryland Park Service had taken their Scales and Tales program on the road.

On the first two rows were members of the visiting O’Brian family from New Jersey. So when the presenters asked questions, such as what adaption meant and what was camouflage the hands of the younger spectators were ready and waiting. Their hands went up quickly followed by enthusiastic answers.

Erica McGrath told the audience the program she and her assistant, Samantha Ford, worked in was called Scales and Tales. Erica explained that what they do is take care of animals they find in captivity and mistreated or found unable to take care of themselves in the wild. Once in Sales and Tales  the animals and birds are treated for and taken care for until they die.

Sales and Tales is located at the Pocomoke River State Park, just north of the Virginia line.

The presenters were part of the program of events for the Bird Celebration held at the Virginia refuge. All of the events were held just outside or inside the Bateman Educational Center where visitors can buy gifts and find out what they can see on the Eastern Shore refuge which runs all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

So on May 11, people crowded inside checking out the different exhibits. (See separate story on the exhibits and artists.)

 In the afternoon, people began carrying cages in one by one. Guests were very curious as to what they were soon going to be doing. As more tourists and familiar faces arrived, a sign pointed everyone to a showing that was to be held in the auditorium called “Raptors,” featuring animals of prey and reptiles from the wild.

The host, Ms. Mcgrath, first presented a small box turtle. She said the cold-blooded reptile was run over by accident and was left on the side of the road. She told how these animals, do not sweat. Just like a dog, they have their mouths open breathing heavily to regain normal temperature and feel a lot cooler. The shell of a box turtle and any other turtle , is a form of camouflage. This coloring is called scoot. The color from a bird’s eye view makes it look like leaves on the ground floor. After years though, the coloring begins to chip off. It is also a part of the body that grows from the time it was born. The shell is attached to their body and cannot be taken off. To a turtle, the shell also works as a human ribcage.  

To tell whether it’s a girl or a boy, the trick is to look at the eyes. Boy’s have the dark red eyes but very rarely girls do get them and that could make everything confusing. So the most accurate way is to examine the belly of it and notice the lower bottom part. If the imprint looks like a thumb was there and pressed hard, that’s a sign the turtle’s male. For girls, the shell is more straightened and not as caved in.

At the end of the turtle section, a child asked the name of it. But it turns out that animals in the Sales and Tales program aren’t named because they feel it shows respect that they are from the wild.

When Erica pulled an Eastern King Snake from the bag, most of the girls pushed back in their seats. The children down front were only a few feet away. The way to tell it’s a King Snake, is by the marks of white trailing from start of neck to the end.  Most of the time, these snakes live up to 20 years total in captivity which is much more than in the wild, seven years. In the wild, they eat almost anything their jaws can fit around. Rats, snakes, and other reptiles are the main sources of this snake’s diet. To find food, their forked tongue goes in and out and takes samples of smells that determine heat.

The way it traps its prey is by constricting it slowly tightening the grip every time the trapped animal breathes out which is basically suffocating it. The King Snake is also immune to other snake’s venom unless it goes directly into their bloodstream. The stomach is so airtight that if they were to swallow venom it wouldn’t touch anything else and would be completely harmless to their body.

Next, a small brown owl with a bit of dark brown and specks of white was shown. The Screech Owl is the second smallest owl. On average, the weight is about 7.3 oz. Humans have seven vertebras in their neck. Owls however, have 14. That means their necks can turn a lot more than ours ever would. But it’s not true they can turn it 360 degrees. The most an owl’s head may turn is 270 degrees which gives the illusion its head can spin all the way back. Something pointed out to us was that on any owl their ears are not even. This deals with hearing different levels of the forest. the lower one can hear what’s happening below or farther down as the upper ear hole hears noises that come from high above them.

Also, the tuffs on their head that are commonly mistaken for ears are actually the owl’s eyebrows. They change the expression based on mood just as we do. When they are up, the owl is definitely alert and on guard. When they push down and droop, it’s possible they are either angry or sad. An apple core was thrown out the window of a passing vehicle and a wild animal, specifically a mouse, began to eat it. When the owl saw it, it swooped down and was hit by a wind gust estimated around 55 mph. It was unable to fly correctly afterwards and the wing still hasn’t healed.

The broad winged hawk they showed us was hit by a car with such impact, that the hawk’s jaw dislocated, ruined the eyesight and damaged the car’s siding. The eyesight is very important for a hawk especially because they have what’s called “binocular vision.” It involves depth perception which includes how far things are and how wide. With one eye it makes everything a bit more challenging when that’s needed to survive.

To catch an animal, they use speed rather than stealth as an owl does. The pressure they use with their clawed talons is more than 100 pounds. Human fingers only need to be attacked by seven pounds to break. A hawk’s beak keeps growing. In the wild, that can mean they have to stop eating because the top part grows so hooked the bottom cannot open. In captivity they fix this to make sure such a problem is not possible.

The last animal that was shown to us was a huge, white owl with black eyes. The barred owl is one of two owl species that have full black eyes. The other being the barn owl. Just as turtles and dogs, they have no sweat glands so breathing heavily with their mouth open helps cool them off easily.

A barred owl’s diet ranges from snakes and chipmunks to raccoons, mice and even smaller owls. Their wings unlike a hawk’s, are meant to be stealthy and as quiet as possible. Wings of an owl have serrated edges to stay quiet and talons that have 250 pounds of pressure with feathering on their legs as well. One wing on this owl was actually amputated because of damage to a wing. Wildlife officials believe it was an accident involving a car hitting it.

Scales and Tales is part of the environmental education program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Presentations can be seen at the Pocomoke River State Park. You can call 410-632-2566 for more information or email the park at jbitzel@dnr.state.md.us.