Corolla Wild Horse Fund

3 days ago

That’s a wrap on Mustang Mornings 2026! We had such a great summer at the farm, visiting with old friends and making new ones too. This year we welcomed 1,631 people to the Betsy Dowdy Equine Sanctuary!

Mustang Mornings has evolved into such a special, important program. It’s an opportunity for people to get up close and personal with Banker ponies in a safe, respectful way. Every single horse at the farm has a story to tell that helps us educate people about the wild herd, the work that we do, and how our community can help keep these horses and their habitat safe.

Thank you to everyone who made that trip back across the bridge this summer to spend some time with us and the horses who call the farm home!

Don’t miss our Fall Open House, taking place on November 7 from 9am-1pm. More information: www.facebook.com/share/1D6mzrXEA3/

These events are sponsored in part by The Northern Outer Banks. ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

4 days ago

The weekend before last someone peeled out of the estuary parking lot and took out about three sections of fencing that’s there to keep the wild horses off the pavement. We work cooperatively with Currituck County, USFWS, and NCDEQ to manage these dual-purpose areas in the horses’ habitat, so today we loaded up our fence fixing supplies and repaired the damage.

All in a day’s work! 🔨🪏

The Currituck Banks Reserve is about 900 acres of pristine habitat bordered by the Currituck Sound to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. There’s an accessible boardwalk that leads out to the sound, as well as a hiking trail that takes you through the maritime forest. The reserve is home to hundreds of species of plants and animals not commonly found in similar environments along the East Coast due to the low salinity levels of the Currituck Sound. And if you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of a wild Banker pony through the live oaks!

Please be respectful if you do visit this area. Pack your trash out or dispose of it in the secure trash can just inside the boardwalk gate. Do not climb on fences, don’t damage the boardwalk and trail markers, and do not disturb the natural beauty of this special place. And it should go without saying to please drive carefully. We’re so glad that this incident only resulted in some damaged fencing, and not a person or animal being injured.

Learn more about the Currituck Banks Reserve: www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/nc-coastal-reserve/reserve-sites/currituck-banks-reserve ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 week ago

This horse has a wound on his back that we’ve been monitoring since the end of July. Nothing too serious - a relatively typical injury for a wild stallion. It’s likely he sustained it while scuffling with other stallions (behavior that was observed a few days prior).

These types of wounds tend to heal well. As long as the horse is behaving normally (eating, drinking, able to move around), intervention is not necessary. While we were not immediately concerned about the stallion’s condition, we did touch base with our vet when the injury was first observed just to be on the safe side. They agreed that it should heal on its own, and advised us to continue monitoring the horse and update them should anything change.

When we are monitoring a specific horse, our staff makes a point to keep an eye out for them in the areas they are known to frequent, and take as many photos and videos as they can without being too intrusive. We generally do not go out of our way to track the horse down at the risk of stressing them out and causing further damage. If the horse chooses to go back into the marsh to heal (as many do) we are very respectful of that. However, this guy tends to hang out in the more human-populated areas of the habitat, so we’ve been able to keep pretty good track of him. The wound is healing nicely - faster than we expected, even!

These photos show how the wound has been healing over the last few weeks, and also provide a behind-the-scenes look at how this particular aspect of herd management works. Our herd management team and veterinarian can reference these dated photos should the stallion’s condition change, they can be referenced in the future and may be helpful when making decisions about other horses, and they are also very useful for educational purposes.

Yesterday we got multiple calls about this stallion and some photos were posted in a local Facebook group, so we just wanted to post an update today with a little more information, and the reassurance that he should be just fine. Thanks to everyone who reached out in concern. We really appreciate it!

If you see an injured horse, you can call us at 252-453-8002, or the county non-emergency number at 252-453-3633. We are on call 24/7. ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

2 weeks ago

Some of our favorite photos taken by our staff over the last few weeks. ☺️

So far in 2026 the herd has welcomed ten healthy new foals - four colts and six fillies. The busiest part of foaling season is over, but it’s likely we’ll have one or two more before it’s all said and done.

Last year the majority of the foals were on the ground by mid-May, with one more being born in September and another in December. This year, we had four born in April, three born in May, one in June, and two in July.

We’ll see what Mother Nature has in store for the rest of the year! 🐎🌊 ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

3 weeks ago

What are the horses eating this time of year?

All kinds of grasses, of course, but our staff has observed them browsing on several other types of interesting plants as well. Horses have been seen eating grape leaves, goldenrod leaves, and evening primrose - all native North Carolina plants. The sea oats are also blooming right now. All of this data is recorded daily, and helps us better understand how the horses utilize and impact their habitat.

We’ve gotten quite a bit of rain lately, which is making everything lush and green. Exactly what the horses need during this busy season of breeding, raising foals, and bulking up for winter!

Learn more about our habitat preservation initiative: www.corollawildhorses.com/habitat-preservation-initiative/ ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

4 weeks ago

We received Topnotch’s lab report and it confirms what our vet suspected during necropsy - seminoma, which is the most common type of cancer found in older stallions. We’re glad to have some closure, and find comfort in knowing that Topnotch lived a very long, very good life.

Lots of people have been asking about Blossom, and how she’s been doing since Topnotch’s death. She was given some time with him after he was euthanized, and then we moved Bella, Jasmine, and Betty into the barn pasture with her. Jasmine and Bella are both about the same age as Blossom, so having access to the barn with fans and free-choice hay is a good move for them. Betty is younger and doesn’t really have any special needs but she’s Bella’s emotional support pony so she gets to become a “house horse” now too. 😉 They all get along well and everyone is happy!

Blossom has a sebaceous cyst under her eye that generally doesn’t bother her but has been draining a bit lately and attracting flies, which is why she’s wearing a mask in one of these photos. Don’t worry - she can see through the mesh!

If you’d like to help us care for these ladies or any of the other horses on the farm, consider sponsoring one of them: www.corollawildhorses.com/horse-sponsorships/

Sponsorships help us cover the costs of hay and other feed, veterinary care, training, facilities maintenance, and more. They make great gifts, too! ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

Beautiful! Thank you RJStein Photography. 🫶 ... See MoreSee Less