This image was one of the horses used to round up the ponies off of Chincoteague Island. I had the pleasure and experience to wittiness this first hand. Every year, volunteer firefights round up the ponies off the island, swing them across the channel and auction off some of them to help keep the numbers down as well as fund the operation year after year. The ponies that are residents know the route right down to where to cross etc. This image was taken as they horses were coming onto land. No vehicles are used during the swim. It's all done on horseback. A old day mode of transportation. Here is the description from their official webpage... The Chincoteague Pony Swim was made famous by Marguerite Henry's "Misty of Chincoteague". Tens of thousands of spectators from around the world gather on Chincoteague Island each year to watch this annual tradition. Scroll down for a complete guide to the Chincoteague Pony Swim. For more information about the Chincoteague Ponies, including their history and the origins of the modern day Pony Swim, check out our Chincoteague Pony web page.