Where the Ponies Are

These are corralled in a farm field on a country road in Lincoln, MA, where you might expect to see live horses roaming. Instead, the horses in this field were never alive except in the childish imaginations of their former owners and visitors. 

Ponyhenge is the name of this whimsical New England collection that started sometime in 2010 and is both nostalgic and melancholic. While there's a lot of theories on its origin, no one knows the exact answer. The herd has increased annually and the corral field has become a New England roadside novelty that's been written about many times. Children's horses are in many different styles and materials from classic brown rocking horses on a spring bases to colorful ones in ivory, black, pink and blue. Some include the names of a former owner or family, some include a message. There's even some few non-ponies.

We saddled up drove here a couple of months ago after visiting the American Heritage Museum in nearby Hudson, MA. This was after, I had listened to a podcast about this novelty attraction and, since we were in the area, we went looking for it. The day we stopped, there were a couple of families with young children who were riding the ponies.

The word henge describes a prehistoric monument made up of a circle of stone or wooden uprights. The term first appeared in the mid-18th century and comes from the word Stonehenge, derived from Middle English words for stone and a version of the word hinge. 

How it was applied to this roadside collection is a mystery as the only thing both have in common is that their origin is unknown. This collection of ponies has also been called the Rocking Horse Graveyard, and unlike the British one, it often changes both in number and formation. Yet, the how and why remains unknown to all, locals and visitors alike.

Owners of the farmland (James Pingeon and his wife Elizabeth Graver) live next door and have said in various accounts that the collection began when a headless horseman prop was left there after Halloween. Another story is that, years ago, children started a lemonade stand, then abandoned it leaving behind a couple of toy horses. Yet another tale claims that a left over a Christmas display horse was then put out to pasture there. 

It's also uncertain where the subsequent herd additions have come from as Ponyhenge is a collaboration of many unknown donors. According to some accounts, there's been as many as 50 in the field. We counted over three dozen plastic and wooden models with rusted springs and peeling paint, many saddled up with wood or plastic handles just awaiting young riders.

According to some accounts, the herd is sometimes rearranged into a new formation. No one seems to know how or by whom. Reportedly. at Kentucky Derby time, the horses have been moved into lines awaiting a starting shot. They've also adorned with lights at holiday time. 

Despite its popularity, there's no vandalism apparent, only the ravages of time and the elements. Rather than take away, people increase the collection. The horses are cared for by no one and everyone. It seems that visitors come to remember a bit of childhood memory or to share it with their children. 

The collection was close to the road, easy to spot and arranged in a circular pattern on our visit. While on privately owned land, it's open to all visitors all the time; these ponies are not fenced in. Children can and do ride them; some cry when parents signal it's time to leave (we witnessed this firsthand). The land owners maintain the grounds and keep the grassy area cut. Rocks placed near the road keep motorists from driving directly onto the field. There's no specified parking area, but enough space to pull over on the rural roadway. 

Some folks might consider this site creepy, others unusual. It's someplace where there’s nothing to do except look, remember and, if you're young enough, to ride some not-so-wild horses.