The Corolla Wild Horses

How they came to the Outer Banks

Multiple expeditions from multiple explorers dating all the way back to 1521 created the Corolla Wild Horses that we know today. The first explorer to visit the North Carolina coast was the Spanish explorer Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon, who received a charter from the Spanish King allowing him to explore and colonize the eastern seabord. The Spaniards had trouble with the Native Americans, as they were taking children from the Native Americans to send them to the West Indies. The Coree tribe forced the Spaniards to flee, causing them to leave behind all their livestock including their horses.

Another explorer, an Englishman by the name of Richard Greenville, visited the area from 1584-1590. Raleigh’s ships maintained steady traffic between England and the Outer Banks. In June of 1587 it is recorded that one of Greenville’s ships, the Tyger, had gone aground on the shallow bar. Unlike the other ships in the fleet who floated off without much difficult, the Tyger struck and was eventually beached. All provisions on board were destroyed or damaged by salt water. Livestock, including horses, was either lost or had swum ashore.

The horses who survived were either cared for by local Native American tribes or managed to find a way to thrive on their own. In the 1920s it was documented that there were around 2 to 3,000 wild horses throughout the Outer Banks.

Modern Day

When Route 12 was put into place, horses began to be hit by cars. In 1989 an all-volunteer group known as the Corolla Wild Horse Fund was founded. After 6 years, the group was able to raise enough money and get the correct permissions to isntall a fence from sound-to-sea. The remaining horses were moved north of the populated areas of Corolla and today the horses roam freely across 7,544 acres.

In 2007, inspectors from the Horse of the Americas Registry as well as staff from the American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC) declared that the local Corolla Horses and the wild herd of Shackleford showed the traditional balance and confirmation of Colonial Spanish horses. These two herds became eligible for registration as Colonial Spanish Mustangs. The ALBC and Equus Foundation Trust have listed the Corolla and Shackleford Banker strain of Colonial Spanish Mustangs as Critically Endangered.

Unfortunately DNA testing conducted in 1992 shows that the Corolla horses have less genetic diversity than any other group of horses. In 2008 more DNA samples were taken from the herd size of around 90. Dr. Cothran, the conductor of these DNA tests, determined the horses have a high level of inbreeding and low levels of genetic diversity.

General Guidelines

Do not harass the wild horses during your stay at Sandy Paws. The horses have free roam of the area and you may find them on the beaches or even potentially rummaging through any unattended bags. Do not approach a horse from the rear and stay away from mares with their foals, as they can become very protective. Do not feed wild horses anything. Horses that eat outside of their diet can oftentimes choke or colic, both of which can have very severe and fatal outcomes. It is also recommended to keep your dogs away from the horses, as a kick from a horse can cause some serious damage.