http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/at-assateague-struggles-to-keep-the-horses-wild/2011/07/07/gIQAuwgM4H_story.html
My second post and already controversy. Left-brain, my wonderful husband of 9 months, pointed this article out to me from the Washington Post.
Assateague Island is one of my favorite places on the planet. I loved it from a child, reading the Misty books, by Marguerite Henry. It's the place I think I truly fell in love with Left-brain and it is where we got engaged on the beach there in September 2009. We camp there at least once a year. It's a pleasant base camp from which to enjoy Ocean City; we get all the fun of the boardwalk and the Fisher's popcorn (and Salty Yarns, I love Salty Yarns), but there is something about Assateague that is dreamlike. We enjoy it; when I leave, I always thank the island for sharing its beauty with us, and I always cry, just a little.
There is a huge problem with people treating our wildlife (I say "our" for all the taxpayers of the state of Maryland) like housepets. For some stupid reason, we seem to have issues with feeding the ponies crap, then wonder why they tear up our campsites. We put our children on their backs to take a picture, never acknowledging these are WILD ANIMALS--I wouldn't ride a tame stallion without having some sort of device to control him, let alone a wild stallion. And we treat the area like a right, not the privilege it is; we speed through the campgrounds, endangering ponies and other wildlife. To tell you how quick an accident can happen, when we went in May, I saw the sign that said "Slow down," looked down to check the gauge, looked up and there was a band of ponies. Thank GOD I looked up, not to the right. It was dark, there aren't lights on the bridge, and I still get sick at the idea I could have hurt one of these creatures. I wouldn't have forgiven myself.
But that was an accident, I don't willfully speed or try to take away their essential wildness. We don't leave coolers out anymore--I saw a mare get our soda cooler open a few years ago while we were sitting there, enjoying their visit. We don't leave food out; food costs too much, and I've seen them trample a campsite to get to food. They're not afraid of us; how many other animals do you know that won't shy away from a fire?
So, as one who, like so many others, loves this island, loves what it engenders, I am asking everyone to take a bit of responsibility for stopping the problems. I'm not advocating to not visit the island. We're lucky to have this beautiful place to go. What I'm asking is to be mindful of our actions and how they resonate. Our approach is to treat them like we would treat a bear. They're beautiful, but would you pet a bear? Would you feed it out of your hand? Would you put your kid on a bear's back for a photo-op? Heck, would you even be in charging distance of a bear? Me, not so much, so why would I do it to a wild animal who is just as capable of ruining my vacation? Something to think about.
I promise to not be too preachy in my blog, but I can't keep quiet about this.
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