Each July, “saltwater cowboys” round up wild ponies on the Virginia portion of Assateague Island and herd them across the channel of water to Chincoteague Island. The foals are auctioned off there in the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim and Auction to raise money for the local fire company and to manage the herd's population size. These are photos of the wild ponies in July 2019 as they wait for the annual pony swim from Assateague to Chincoteague.

​