11 / Sport and Trail Magazine
One thing you will notice when riding is the small herds of wild ponies. These wild ponies are slightly larger than Shetland ponies. Its speculated that these ponies are descendants of the Assateague and Chincoteague ponies. The history of these ponies is a bit mucky. Some say the park service put them there. It has also been said that the ponies have been in these mountains since the 1940’s, before the U.S. Forest Service took over in the 1960’s. Its really unsure. What’s the purpose of leaving these ponies to run free besides to run free? Its to help with the growth of brush along the balds. In the late 19th century the balds where created by extensive logging operations. The ponies help keep the growth down and that in turns helps keep fires down. So these wild ponies are helpful little critters! Lol! Some ponies will even come up looking for food, but folks please remember these ponies have been left here to be wild. So they are wild animals. Please use caution and follow park rules.
Grayson Highlands State Park Pony Auction is part of caring for the wild ponies. This keeps the herd’s population at a manageable number. To accomplish this, the Wilburn Ridge Pony Association holds an auction at 2:00 PM on the Saturday following the 4th full week in September. The auction is part of the Grayson Highlands Fall Fest. All auctioned ponies have passed veterinary examination and testing, and the proceeds from their purchase goes toward sustaining the pony herd and local charities. For further information go to www.graysonfallfestival.org
Feral Highland Ponies
The park rules prohibit feeding the ponies
The wild ponies are quite friendly