Outer Banks Wild Horses - Mare & Two Foals

Sponsored by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.  Wild Horse Days celebrates the presence and significance of the wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs living on the Currituck Outer Banks.

Activities will take place at the Wild Horse Museum, Currituck Heritage Park, and the Corolla Light Town Center.

Tuesday, July 6: Starting at 10 a.m. at the Wild Horse Museum:
Games and painting activities for kids of all ages; see beautiful silver jewelry being crafted by a local artisan, Lynne Wilson; enjoy a variety of food and sweet treats; wine tasting for adults; vote for your favorite wild horse photo for the 2012 calendar; hair braiding and face painting; live music; carriage rides.

Wednesday, July 7: Starting at 10 a.m. at Currituck Heritage Park:

• 10 a.m to 11 a.m.. – Kids (or adults!) ride the North Carolina State Horse,
  the Colonial Spanish Mustang
• 11 – 11:20 Police K9 unit demonstration
• 11:20 – 11:45 Dressage demo on Cayuse Gold, a Colonial Spanish Mustang
• 11:45 – 12:15 Wild Horse Training demo by Mill Swamp Indian Horses
• 12:15 – 1:15 Colonial Spanish Mustang rides
• 1:15 – 1:35 Dressage demo
• 1:35 – 2:05 Wild Horse Training demo
• 2:05 – 3:00 Colonial Spanish Mustang rides

Animal Lover’s Assistance League will have adorable, adoptable pets.

Wednesday, July 7: Starting at 11 a.m. at Corolla Light Town Center:
Giant silent auction with over $10,000 worth of merchandise. Just to name a few:

• One week at an oceanfront beach house in Whalehead ($3450 value)
• Two night stay plus breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn ($500 value)
• Wine Tasting for up to 18 people from Native Vine ($360 value)
• Green fees for four at the Currituck Club ($400 value)
• Portrait session and one 11×14 canvas portrait from Lorenz Fine Photography
  ($545 value)
• Restaurant gift certificates from North Banks, Route 12, Mike Dianna’s Grill Room,
  La Dolce Vita, Flying Dutchman and more
• Gift certificates from Ocean Treasures, Farmer’s Daughter and more
• Gift baskets from Bacchus, Corolla Wine Cigar and Gourmet, Lovie’s Kitchen
• Lots of horse related items including a horse quilt from The Cotton Gin ($300 value), Barbara Livingston horse photos, ceramic horse lamp from Dolphin Watch Gallery

Games for children, music.

Thursday, July 8: Starting at 10 a.m. at the Wild Horse Museum:
Games and painting activities for kids of all ages; see beautiful silver jewelry being crafted by
a local artisan, Lynne Wilson; enjoy a variety of food and sweet treats; wine tasting for adults; vote for your favorite wild horse photo for the 2012 calendar: hair braiding and face painting; music; carriage rides; pet a gentled Mustang.

Call 252-453-8002 for more information.

Outer Banks Wild Horses

The Outer Banks wild horses are one of the most popular OBX attraction, and Currituck County is considering the possibility of limit professional tours to see the wild horses.

Currently, there are eight companies operating tours that are comprised of 45 vehicles with the capacity to carry as many as 324 people.   Permitted tour businesses include a golf cart tour in Corolla, two kayak tours along the Currituck Sound shoreline, and two Segway tours.  In addition, a company with two 24-person buses is seeking a permit.

The drawback is that County Commissioners are finding it difficult to keep track of these budding businesses, and as a result, they are considering a moratorium on new horse tours to give an opportunity to assess the number of people on the tours and the number of vehicles.

The Outer Banks is one of the few locations to glimpse the magic of wild horses, and a balance must be struck between allowing access to these gorgeous animals and preserving the private setting for the horses…and the local residents.

Outer Banks Wild Horses - Mare & Two Foals

As an update to a previous post entitled Outer Banks Wild Horses to be Named State Horse, the general assembly ratified a bill last week to name the Outer Banks Wild Horses the state horse of North Carolina.

These horses are believed to be the decendants of Spanish mustangs that would have first arrived to the OBX in the 1500s. The estimated population of wild horses is somewhere around 100 mustangs in Corolla, and about 140 in Carteret County.  

People who have studied these amazing animals have realized that the group that is located in Corolla splits into smaller groups of a lead stallion, a few mares and a young horse.  These horses have become one of the top attractions of tourists to the Outer Banks. 

The great idea to name these majestic animals the state horse was thought of by students at Shawboro Elementary School in Currituck County.  The governor is expected to sign the bill into law soon.

Outer Banks Wild Horses - Mare & Two Foals

The size of the herd for the Outer Banks wild horses is regulated by state legislation, and the size has been a hotly discussed topic over the years.  The current legislation places the limit of horses in the herd at 60, but many believe this limit is too low to preserve the horses health and longevity.  

Many horse supporters are celebrating a bill that has been introduced by US Rep Walter Jones.  The legislation, introduced last Wednesday, would require Federal and State government to form a new herd of horses that should not contain less than 100 horses in the Corolla area. 

According the Karen McCalpin, director of the Corolla Wild Horse fund, the herd is too small.  A genetic study that was conducted by Texas A&M University determined that the herd needs more horses to avoid genetic defects and protect the herd’s health and safety in the future.  McCalpin said. “On Ocracoke Island (the herd) is down to less than 20. This (bill) is going to enable us to manage the herd at a genetically healthy number. Without genetic health you don’t have physical health.” 

The bill still has quite a long way to becoming law, but Walter Jones getting his foot in the door with the bill is a big step toward the health and well-being of the wild horse population on the Outer Banks.

Outer Banks Night at the Races

Outer Banks Wild Horses

As of 2010, guided tours in search of the Outer Banks wild horses will have new regulations to comply with.   Tours to see the OBX wild horses will be required to have permits, a guide, and a sign on the tour vehicle.  Commissioners approved the requirements in September.

Two nonprofit companies have been issued their permits over the last week and four others have applied.  In the past, driving in this area has been considered a nuisance to many residents of the Carova area, reporting trespassing and reckless driving.  The goal of the newly adopted regulations is to increase safety for all the residents of the area, including the horses. 

As a membership benefit, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund plans to offer a private tour in one vehicle driven by herd manager Wesley Stal-lings, “You’re going with the guy who sees these horses on a daily basis,” said Karen McCalpin, director of the nonprofit.  “It’s almost like a National Geographic experience.”

Outer Banks Wild Horses

Residents of Corova have historically been resistant to commercial construction on the northern beaches of the Outer Banks.  This resistance stems from the desire to keep the area as pristine and natural as possible, but also to protect the wild horses that are a main attraction of the northern OBX beaches.

Shops in Corolla sell t-shirts and other horse related items by the hundreds.  Truckloads of visitors have made the trek into the dunes to catch a glimpse of the wild horses.

In fact so many people have shown interest that the county will support a $300,000 project that will make major improvements to Ocean Pearl Road on Corova Beach.

Most of the residents of the area are in favor of the project (it will be funded with county occupancy taxes).  However, the fact that the wild horses often wander along the sides of these roads is a concern to some locals.

Another cause for concern is the fact that not far from the beach in Swan Beach, a developer proposes a commercial district of 31.71 acres that would include an inn, shops, restaurants and residential units. Also in the same plans is another small commercial area of 5.86 acres that would include a fishing pier to the ocean and a bait shop.

Original plats done in 1969 set aside these tracts for commercial use. County zoning calls it residential. The commission turned down an application for a similar project on the same tract in November 2008 after residents protested.

Outer Banks Wild Horses - Mare & Two Foals

A group from Carteret County is joining with Outer Banks horse supporters to have Outer Banks horses named the official state horse.

The group has a goal of getting the bill introduced to the General Assembly this spring for approval will be holding a special event in Currituck County to promote the initiative.  If the General Assembly is in agreement on the bill, then North Carolina will be among 10 other states to add the Colonial Spanish Mustang to their state symbol collections.

The bill has received enormous support.  Currituck County has received over 1000 letters of support since the campaign began.

Standing before an audience of more than 500 at Shawboro Elementary School on Friday, second-grader Catherine Simila declared why she thinks the Colonial Spanish Mustang should be North Carolina’s state horse. “These horses have survived the most violent weather, sand, heat and even sun,” she said. “Because of their toughness and iron will, there is no other horse to represent our strong state of North Carolina.”

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.