CHINCOTEAGUE, Virginia—A most unusual post about a most unusual foal appeared recently on the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company (CVFC)‘s Facebook page. It was accompanied by a heartwarming slideshow detailing the rescue of a days-old chestnut filly that had been born in the wild with a rare birth defect: a missing rear hoof.

The self-proclaimed “Home of Virginia’s State Pony and the World-Famous Saltwater Cowboys,” the non-profit CVFC has been busy preparing for the 100th anniversary renewal of the Virginia barrier island’s famous Pony Penning on July 30-31.

Also called the Swim & Auction, this island tradition, made famous by Marguerite Henry’s 1947 children’s book, “Misty of Chincoteague,” involves swimming wild ponies from nearby Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island for an auction to benefit the fire company.

‘A story to tell’

But in mid-June, the CVFC, which owns and maintains the ponies on the Virginia side of Assateague Island, had another priority. “Boy, do we have a story to tell,” the fire company reported on Facebook. “Yesterday DSC Photography [which regularly photographs these ponies] notified us that there was a potential issue with a new foal’s back leg.

“After zooming it, there appeared to be no hoof present. We thank them for alerting us, as Ken’s band is rarely seen unless hiking. Without looking at it closely there was no way to tell if it was injured or born that way [a congenital deformity].”

The dilemma

After gathering some resources, the Saltwater Cowboys went out to locate Ken’s band. As luck and skill would have it, they were able to catch the newborn, which has been dubbed Foal #84. However, they could not persuade the foal’s dam to come along with her.

“Precious Jewel wanted no part of us while holding the baby,” the post related. “She eventually left the situation where we had discovered that the foal was born that way. We then had to figure out what the next move was; for most horses it will mean euthanasia, but where this pony was born with this deformity, it may adapt very quickly to a prosthetic.”

Fortunately, a veterinarian friend of the fire department stepped up and volunteered to care for the filly. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime situation, and while the foal will never be ridden, we decided to pull [her] from the island,” the CVFC post explained.

“We took the long journey, where she slept nearly the entire trip (the AC sure felt better than the heat she had lived in thus far). We got her bandaged and a makeshift prosthetic [artificial hoof] on and went to try and introduce her to a Chincoteague pony mare [Neveah] who had lost her foal a few weeks prior.”

‘So sweet’

What transpired next was another stroke of luck. “Believe it or not, [the mare] did slowly go back into milk and, with a little medicine, she accepted the foal as her own—and now they are inseparable,” the CVFC reported. “This filly is so sweet and deserves the best; we wish her the best of luck in all the medical hurdles ahead. She is in good hands, and we promise to keep updating with footage of this amazing filly who we don’t have a name for yet.”

And that’s where fans of the island ponies might be able to help. “I’m betting some of you can come up with a good name,” the post continued, adding, “We are thankful for everyone who dropped what they were doing to go help this filly and then do a long trip to get her where she can thrive. We are also thankful for the vet who has taken on this monumental task; he has helped lots of Chincoteague ponies, but this is a first. What a welcome to Foal #84!!”

A brighter future

The foal’s rescuers are no doubt breathing a collective sigh of relief. “We’ve had thousands of foals and nothing like that ever before,” the CVFC’s Hunter Leonard told WBOC News, noting that the filly would not have lasted long in the wild with the defect. 

According to the CVFC slideshow (which was posted on its Facebook page), Foal #84 will never be for sale. It is hoped that once she is fitted with a more permanent prosthetic hoof, she will go on to thrive in a safe domestic setting.

For more information about the CVFC or to donate toward the care of the wild ponies, click here.

Landing page image from Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company social media