Students in Currituck and Dare counties of North Carolina’s Outer Banks have begun a letter writing campaign aimed at making the OBX wild horses the official state horse for North Carolina.

The wild horses have been on the Outer Banks for hundreds of years; it is believed they arrived with Spanish explorers, but due to increased development and a growing tourism industry, not to mention a lack of protection on a state and local government level, the horses are endangered.  The students hope to help the horses survive by drawing increased attention to their plight and generate state-wide support as the official state horse.

A formal event will be held in November to hand all of the letters over to N.C. lawmakers.