"Assateague wild ponies have roamed the beaches, pine forest, and salt marsh of Assateague Island since the 1600's. Assateague Island National Seashore has a combined total of over 300 wild ponies in Maryland and Virginia. Some people believe the horses arrived on Assateague's shores when a Spanish galleon ship (with a cargo of horses) sank offshore. Others believe the horses arrived by early colonial settlers that allowed them to graze there. A Spanish ship wreck was discovered recently in the waters off Assateague which lends credit to the first theory."
Taken from:
http://www.assateagueisland.com/wildlife/pony.htmLocation: Assateague National Wildlife Refuge, Berlin, MD