Chincoteague Island: Wild Horses

The most famous inhabitants of this part of the Eastern Shore remain the Chincoteague ponies, two herds of wild horses that graze among the dune grasses of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Accessing the protected ponies on foot proves to be nearly impossible, so I board a pontoon boat captained by Dan Davis (757/894-0103), a native and waterman turned tour guide. He navigates us to a point off the beach, and we idle there, watching these shaggy animals feed and frolic.