The island we visited, is owned by the government and most of the land is either a seashore or a Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge was established in 1943 to provide habitat for migratory birds. Primarily at that time, the Refuge was to protect snow geese. The United Nations has designated Assateague as a World Biosphere Reserve.
The ponies of Assateague were made famous in the book, Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry. These four-footers are often referred to as wild ponies, however, the more correct term is "feral", as the ponies are descendants of domesticated horses that adapted to life in the wild. All pix HERE.