Assateague pony herd treated for water related symptoms

According to the Chincoteague VFD Facebook page firemen treating some of the herd  of ponies on Assateague for strange symptoms discovered something very shocking.

It’s been a season of challenges and discoveries for the wild ponies of Chincoteague and Assateague Islands — after a mysterious loss and a surprising culprit behind a string of illnesses.

It all began with the death of a beloved mare, Sonny’s Legacy, found in the Southern Pasture. Caretakers noticed troubling signs — neurological symptoms, weakness, and confusion — but no clear cause.

Just days later, another pony, Courtney’s Island Dove, was spotted near Little Beach showing the same strange behavior. Rescuers rushed in by boat, lassoed her, and managed to get her back to Chincoteague for care. She was dehydrated — dangerously so — drinking gallons of water as soon as it was offered.

That’s when the team began to piece things together. They’d seen ponies drinking for long stretches from the Black Duck Drain, a channel that’s mostly saltwater during dry spells. Testing the nearby water holes revealed something shocking — salinity levels just as high as the ocean.

The freshwater ponds the southern herd relied on had quietly turned salty — likely the result of Hurricane Erin’s high tides seeping through the dunes, without the rainfall needed to flush the salt away. For nearly two weeks, the southern ponies had no true fresh water.

It was a case of saltwater toxicity, and caretakers say it’s remarkable that more ponies didn’t fall ill. Supplies of clean water were rushed in, troughs installed, and automatic tap systems set up to prevent future crises.

The northern herds, meanwhile, were unaffected — their watering holes remained fresh.

There’s also been news of a few individual ponies. Waterbaby, an older mare, has been retired along with her foal — part of a humane program that places aging ponies in trusted care homes where they can live out their years comfortably.

Another mare, Wildest Dreams, fell ill briefly but is now improving as veterinarians run additional tests.

Caretakers say this entire ordeal is a reminder that the Chincoteague ponies are truly unique — animals whose bodies and behaviors have adapted to island life in ways science still doesn’t fully understand.

But thanks to quick action and the resilience of these wild ponies, the herds are once again healthy — and their future on the island looks bright.