The “Banker” horses at Cape Lookout National Seashore are thriving and the heard is spreading to the Outer Banks. 

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore recently adopted two Shackleford Banks ponies from the Foundation for Shackleford Horses. Both ponies are fillies and approximately two years old.  The fillies are named Sacajawea and Jitterbug and were delivered to Ocracoke Pony Pens on Sunday, December 13.

Maintaining herd size and genetic diversity is crucial for herd survival, and the addition of the two ponies will help reintroduce the genetic strain common to Outer Banks horses.  This particular strain of ponies is typically identified by the brown body and white face markings commonly seen in other Outer Banks horses.