Pharmaceutical and veterinary supply company Merial has agreed to donate vaccinations and deworming products to the famous Chincoteague wild pony herd, according to a press release.

“Merial is committed to providing high-quality equine health care products to every horse owner,” says Frank Hurtig, DVM, MBA, director, Merial Veterinary Services. “Every horse in the country deserves a health care program that includes protection against West Nile virus, rabies and critical parasites.”

The herd, said to be descended from horses brought over by the Spanish in the 1600s, lives off the coast of Virginia on Assateague Island. The herd is owned and managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, which was incorporated in 1925 and obtained a federal grazing permit in 1946 for 150 ponies on the island. The annual swim has become an event where young foals from the herd are sold at auction to keep the herd down to its federal grazing limit.

The ponies are vaccinated and dewormed twice a year.