Corolla Wild Horse Fund

3 days ago

Happy Thanksgiving from our herd to yours! 🧡

A special thank-you today to our staff and volunteers who are out making sure all of the horses - wild and at the farm - are being cared for and kept safe before sitting down to celebrate with their own families. We are so very grateful for our wonderful team!

www.corollawildhorses.org ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

3 days ago

Save the date! 📝 Next week is #GivingTuesday and we will be raising money for hay for the horses at the rescue farm. The wild horses don't need our help staying fed through the winter, but those on the farm rely on us to provide them with high-quality forage to keep their bellies full and bodies warm through the cold months.

Tune in on the morning of November 29 when we'll go live from the farm to talk about how we care for the horses there, and why your support is so critical to our mission.

Get a head start on the giving: www.corollawildhorses.com/hay-for-a-day/

See you Tuesday! 🐎🌾 ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 week ago

Raymond wants to know if you’ve ordered your limited edition Michaelmiddletonceramics ornament yet?? It’s him this year! 🤩 Each one of these unique ornaments is made with native Currituck clay and infused with strands of Raymond’s hair. Once these are gone no more will be made, so don’t wait!

Order online: www.corollawildhorses.com/shop/mike-mttleton-christmass-oromants/

Or come visit us at the shop in Corolla and browse our selection of CWHF shirts and hats, books, photography and pottery, and more. If you’re ordering online be sure to do it before December 15 for Christmas delivery. 🎁 ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

2 weeks ago

Thank you for your service and sacrifice, Veterans. 🇺🇸 ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

3 weeks ago

We’d like to thank everyone who supported our 2022 Fall Fundraiser! It was a huge success, and helps ensure that we will be able to continue to provide the best care and management possible for the wild horses of Corolla.

Mark your calendars for December 10, and come visit the farm in Grandy during our holiday open house. See your support in action - meet the horses that call the farm home, talk with the folks who care for them and their wild counterparts, and do a little shopping too!

Thank you again for your donations, shares, words of encouragement, and ongoing advocacy for these special horses. 🐎

www.corollawildhorses.com/support-corolla-wild-horse-fund/ ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

Our goal is to keep each and every horse wild for the entirety of its life. They are hardy and adaptable, and able to recover from injuries most domestic horses would not. If we intervened every time a horse had a bad bite wound, twisted an ankle in a fight, or lost an eye, over time the herd would lose those adaptations that allow them to survive life in the wild and the change to the herd would be irrevocable.

It's important that when we do decide to remove a horse, it's because that horse is suffering from something that will ultimately lead to its death if immediate, intensive veterinary care is not provided. We will not leave a horse in the wild to suffer needlessly; if it is determined by our vets that the horse will not recover on its own and/or if the horse cannot move to eat, drink, or behave normally, then we will intervene. And unfortunately there are also times when a horse has to be removed because of dangerous habitual behavior such as approaching people for food. This is rare, but does happen. Removal is permanent and is always a last resort, and we try to avoid it at all costs. But if we do have to take a horse out of the wild, it has permanent, safe sanctuary with us at the CWHF farm on the mainland.

(You can learn a little more about rescue and removal from this post: www.corollawildhorses.com/care-and-management-removing-a-horse-from-the-wild-or-not/)

It's because of your continued support that we can provide the best long-term care for these horses, and ensure that their lives are comfortable and enriched. Many of the horses on the farm are older and deserve a quiet place to live out their lives. Some have dangerous behavioral issues (through no fault of their own!) that require expert handling and an accommodating vet. We have several bonded pairs that we will never have to split up because we have the resources to care for them and keep them together. A couple horses are great ambassadors for their breed and we use them often for outreach and education. Many of them have medical conditions that require daily maintenance and regular veterinary attention in order to keep them comfortable. We are dedicated to providing these horses with the best care possible, all tailored to their specific needs and personalities.

Your support not only helps us care for the horses, but also make improvements to the farm that keep them comfortable and allow us to do our jobs more safely and efficiently. This summer, after years of planning, we finally completed the installation of a perimeter fence around the entire property. The peace of mind it's provided us is immeasurable. Last spring we repaired our ditches and culverts to reduce flooding on our property and neighboring properties. We've installed water hydrants at each pasture so that we don't have frozen spigots in the winter. When Raymond came to live with us, we did a total makeover on his barn and now have a secure place for intake and medical treatment, complete with bright fluorescent lights, electrical outlets, reinforced walls, and a tall, sturdy fence. We've installed gates between the pastures so we can easily rotate horses, move hay, and provide them with extra space. The list goes on!

If you've come to visit the farm at one of our open houses, share your memories and photos in the comments! We really love hearing from you and it's wonderful to see how these horses have touched so many lives. It means a lot to us to be able to share them with the public and we look forward to adding more events to the calendar as our resources continue to grow. And speaking of calendars, mark yours now for December 10 - we are going to be hosting a holiday open house at the farm. Details will be posted ASAP.

There are many ways to support the work that we're doing at the farm. Here are a few:

Sponsor a horse: www.corollawildhorses.com/horse-sponsorships/

Become a member: www.corollawildhorses.com/memberships/

Hay For A Day: www.corollawildhorses.com/hay-for-a-day/

Make a one time donation: www.corollawildhorses.com/one-time-donations/

You can also make a donation directly through Facebook - 100% of the money raised comes to CWHF with no fees taken out. Thank you, and we hope to see you at an open house soon! ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

We can't expect people to dedicate themselves to keeping the horses safe if they don't understand WHY it's so important.

Education is key!

Our farm on the mainland is first and foremost a sanctuary for horses that have to be removed from the wild, but it's also a place where people can come to hear their stories, talk to those of us who care for the herd, and learn about why it's so important that we all work together to protect the Banker horses. The horses at the farm serve as ambassadors for their breed, and for their relatives in the wild. Some even travel off the farm for community events, school programs, and other outreach - helping to spread the word about why these horses are so worth saving.

Support our work: www.corollawildhorses.com/support-corolla-wild-horse-fund/

Help us educate: www.corollawildhorses.com/community-wild-horse-toolkit/ ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

It's not enough to simply maintain a population of horses in the wild - we have to actively manage breeding and genetics to ensure the long term health and sustainability of the Bankers.

In 2020 we undertook a massive project to collect DNA samples from each and every horse. This is done via dart gun, using darts specially designed for this purpose. We collect a very small tissue sample that is then sent to the lab at Texas A&M, and from there we receive a report that gives us the unique genetic makeup of each horse. We can match relationships, construct ancestries, check for inbreeding, and even do further testing to look for genetic diseases.

Our goal is to create a DNA database that includes every Banker horse, establishes major family lines, and will be a resource for purposeful breeding for many, many generations to come.

This work also preserves history that would otherwise be lost. We've been able to reconstruct some family lines all the way back to the 1970s - many of the Dews Island mares are directly related to the famous stallion Star who was hit and killed in the 90s, and whose death was the catalyst for the creation of CWHF. Pretty neat!

You can be a part of this project by making a donation today. Just $20 will purchase a 3-pack of darts. A gift of $50 will cover the cost of one DNA report. Every dollar truly makes a difference!

🧬 www.corollawildhorses.com/one-time-donations/ ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

The Banker horses of North Carolina are a critically endangered breed, with less than 300 left in the wild and even fewer in captivity. They are at real risk of disappearing - but not on our watch!

Bankers are recognized as a landrace breed - one that has genetically adapted to and is able to survive its unique habitat, has distinctive and identifiable traits, has not been purposefully improved by the introduction of domestic, standardized stock, and has a historical origin in a specific region. In order to protect the integrity of the breed, we must maintain a wild population of these horses. That means learning everything we can about how they utilize their environment and survive here so that we can make the best decisions when it comes to habitat preservation and improvement. It means collecting DNA from each and every individual so that we can study the science that sets them apart. And it means preserving their cultural history and their ties to the people and places of their barrier island home.

CWHF is dedicated to this work so that we can ensure the Bankers will still be living wild and free (and healthy and thriving!) another 500 years from now. You can help us by making a donation today: www.corollawildhorses.com/one-time-donations/ ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

The wild horses belong to all of us, and that means it's up to all of us to play a role in protecting them. And that can look different for everyone! Maybe it's sharing our posts and advocating for them, maybe it's making a donation or becoming a member, maybe it's always being sure to follow the rules when you visit the 4x4, maybe it's putting signs and info in your rental home - the list goes on!

When we say it takes a village, we mean it from the bottom of our hearts! We are a small (but mighty!) group of paid staff and volunteers, and we rely on all of our supporters each and every day to help us fulfill our mission to protect the horses and their habitat.

There are all kinds of ways to get involved. Here are a few:

Make a donation: www.corollawildhorses.com/one-time-donations/

Become a member: www.corollawildhorses.com/memberships/

Sponsor a rescued horse: www.corollawildhorses.com/horse-sponsorships/

Planned giving: www.corollawildhorses.com/planned-giving/

Owners are Donors: www.corollawildhorses.com/owners-are-donors/

Community Cares partners: www.corollawildhorses.com/community-cares/

Community Wild Horse Toolkit: www.corollawildhorses.com/community-wild-horse-toolkit/

Thank you to our staff and volunteers, our community partners, our friends and neighbors on the 4x4 and across the Outer Banks, and of course all of our supporters around the world! 🌊🐎 ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

Did you know that you can now organize your own fundraiser for CWHF? It's an exciting new program that you can get very creative with, and 100% of the money raised goes into the CWHF Annual Campaign. These donations help support essential programs like breed conservation, herd and habitat management, rescue, and education and advocacy. Eight-five percent of our funding comes from a caring general public and this is a great way to get involved!

Learn more and start your fundraiser today: www.corollawildhorses.com/start-your-fundraiser/

More ways to give: www.corollawildhorses.com/support-corolla-wild-horse-fund/ ... See MoreSee Less