"Swamp Cancer" Cause of Four More Chincoteague Pony Deaths

On the afternoon of 28 December, a somber group of veterinarians, pony lovers, and members of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company's Pony Committee made the difficult and heart-rending decision to euthanize the last four ponies that were infected with equine pythiosis, also known as "swamp cancer."   Seven ponies were identified having the disease at the Fall Round-up in mid-October.  They all had round-the-clock care, veterinarian visits every other day, surgeries to remove infected areas, medications galore - antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and several new drugs in the test phases.  None of these remedies worked.  Having lost three ponies earlier, and watch this disease enter into bones, it was decided that putting the ponies down was truly best.  They would suffer no more.
    So far, all ponies infected have been females - mares and fillies.  Pictured below are the four girls who survived the longest, although Lyra's Vega had the longest fight, lasting nine months.   Crossing the Rainbow Bridge to green pastures were 13-year-old TSG's Elusive Star, 5-year-old Calcetin'n (a daughter of Lyra's Vega), 3-year-old Shadow, and 2-year-old Lightning…..

    Rest in peace, beautiful girls!

Elusive Star

Calceti'n

 Shadow

 Lightning

2017 Chincoteague Pony Foals Update 61 through 66

These are photos from different sources and people, some are copyrighted (mainly by Darcy and Steve Cole, owners of DSC Photography of Greenbackville, Virginia), some are not.  Copyrighted photos are always marked so.
   The names in quotation marks after the sex id are my personal names for the foals - of course, whoever actually purchases the babies will give them their registered names - but this helps me keep them straight....
   The photos are also NOT arranged chronologically - I just try to choose shots that give a good view of markings on each side, as well as a facial shot...   Sometimes a butt shot will be included because of bulls-eyes or tail markings - a half-color tail, or a tipped tail, etc...

#61  - colt       sire: Ace; dam: Dakota's Promise     1 July 2017

#62  -  filly  "Indy Dream"    sire:Ace; dam: Grandma's Dream     4 July 2017

#63 - filly   sire: Hoppy; dam: Elusive Star   5 July 2017

(Kachina & Kokopelli in background)

#64  -  colt    sire: Ace; dam: Jessica's Sandy      9 July 2017

#65  -  ?     sire: Phantom Mist; dam: Daisy       10 July 2017

#66  -  ?     sire: Riptide; dam: Butterfly Kisses    13 July 2017

New Chincoteague Pony Babies

Great form for a 4-day-old!  Colt from Carol's Girl and Yankee (Maryland)

Carol's Girl, colt and Yankee in Maryland

Baybe  had a buckskin pinto; presumed sire is Tornado's Prince of Tides

Elusive Star produced a chestnut foal by Riptide

Got Milk has a blaze faced bay with a left blue eye, by Riptide

Got Milk- Riptide foal; last year's half-sister brought a $28,5000 bid

Lorna Dune was with Sockett To Me's herd; they had a bay pinto

Lorna Dune and Sockett To Me's foal

Back on the Maryland end, Carol's Girl and Yankee's colt meets his big sister, Susi Sole

*** Please Note:  The photos of the CVFC mares and foals were taken by DSC Photography.  They sell their photos at a reasonable charge, without the dscphotography copyright mark.  ***