What made you decide to raise Chincoteague ponies?
"When we moved to North Carolina we thought we might raise Connemaras, which are large Irish ponies. Our daughter showed our Connemara, Bee throughout the Southeast until she was 18. He is now 31 and going strong. We looked around and then visited Chincoteague and were struck by the similarity of the two breeds. What can I say--we got hooked!"

When listening to you talk about your ponies, it is easy to think they are your pets. Are they?
"Although this is a business and we hope to sell several foals a year, all of our horses are members of our family. In that respect, I guess they are pets. We look forward to our next generation, especially since they will bond to humans sooner than the ponies we have gotten straight off the island."

Chincoteague Ponies are wild horses—especially, the first-generation ponies that were born on the island. Do they really make good horses for children and beginning riders?
"When you attend the auction it is very easy to believe that you just take one home and they become tame and lovable automatically. These are babies whose first contact with humans is very traumatic. They are separated from their mother, taken into a ring and sold and then trailered off to a strange place. Would you trust someone who did this to you? They ARE wild and it would be very easy for them to be injured. I would not recommend one of these wild ponies taken straight off the island for a small child or even an older child with no experience. It's not easy but when you do gain their trust they are your friends for life. It is a wonderful feeling!"

Do you have plans to sell Chincoteague ponies?
"Yes, we hope to sell several foals a year. We want to avoid breeding every mare every year." We have several geldings for sale and our foals are for sale as soon as they are born. See our "Ponies for Sale" section for more information.

What can you do with a Chincoteague pony?
"ANYTHING! Some of the Saltwater Cowboys ride them on the round-up. They can carry a full size man. There is even a Chincoteague Pony Drill Team that has been invited to perform around the eastern U.S. They make great Pony Club mounts and can be trained easily to a cart. Our daughter wants to try some reining with Tommy. They are so sturdy I believe you can do just about anything with them. If you visit Chincoteague during the summer stop in and visit the Chincoteague Pony Center and see their show. You will see how much they can do right up close."