The Search Wizard

Overview

This website has a list containing information for all the ponies that currently make up the herd owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company in Virginia. Foals that have not gone through the auction in July are not included. The Search Wizard allows you to narrow down that list to a much smaller list based on physical traits like color and facial markings. This is accomplished by ticking checkboxes on and off. In many cases, you can get the list down to 1 or 2.

The number of ponies satisfying the current search criteria is displayed in red at the top left. Each time a filter is selected or unselected that number changes. The View List button takes you to the Results page where you can browse through the list. It's possible to browse the entire herd simply by NOT checking any boxes. If the number found is zero, the View List button will be grayed out. The Current Filters button displays a list of checked filter options. This is particularly helpful for finding accidently checked boxes, especially on your phone where only a few choices are visible at a time. The Clear Filters button unchecks all the boxes.

The wizard has 7 categories of filters to choose from: sex, color, face markings, leg markings, color pattern, brand, and blue eyes. Almost all the categories have a list of choices associated with them. The Blue Eyes category though is an on/off (yes/no) switch. Because checking all the boxes in a category produces the same results as checking no boxes, the system will uncheck them if you try to check them all.

The options that narrow down the list the quickest are blue eyes, sex: stallion, colors: palomino, buckskin, or black, and brand. There are only a handful of ponies with blue eyes. Certain conditions like cataracts, however, may make the eye appear blue when the true color is brown. Stallions make up about 15% of the herd. Approximately 11% of the herd are black, 13% are buckskin, and 10% are palomino. Specific brands make up no more than about 7% of the herd.

The page has been designed so that all the filters fit on 1 computer screen. The mobile version has all the same elements rearranged to fit the smaller dimensions of the device.

color & pattern

face & legs

brand & sex & eyes

Face Markings
Any color horse can have white on its face. Some stars are quite small and are easily obscured by the mane, so don't assume there is none unless you have a very clear view of the entire face. The star and snip option matches only horses that have both. The star and the snip options will match horses with only stars and only snips. Determining the amount of white is highly subjective. Your opinion may differ from mine. When in doubt, select all that may apply.

Face Marking Definitions

None: No white on the face.
Baldface: White covers most of the face
Blaze: White streak running down the length of the face.
Snip: Spot of white on the muzzle.
Star: Spot of white on the forehead.
Star and Snip: Spot of white on the forehead and spot on the muzzle.

none

baldface

blaze

star

star & snip

snip

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None Examples

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Leg Markings

Any color horse, solid or pinto, can have white on its leg(s). Determining the amount of white is highly subjective. Your opinion may differ from mine. Remember these choices are for the left and right of the horse. Viewed from the front or back may not be indicative of the overall pattern. The inside of the leg may have a vastly different amount of white than the outside.

Leg Markings Definitions

Sock: Any white from the hoof to not more than about halfway to the knee on the foreleg/hock.
Stocking: Any white from the hoof to the area of the knee and above on the foreleg/hock, but not extending onto the body. It is an extended sock.
High: Any white starting at the hoof and extending without a break onto the body. It is an extended stocking.
None: No white on the hoof.

Leg Examples

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