Corolla Wild Horse Fund

22 hours ago

In March 2020 Squirt was removed from the wild and relocated to our farm due to a condition called degenerative suspensory ligament disorder (DSLD). DSLD causes the ligaments in the legs to break down and is ultimately fatal. Not only was Squirt beginning to show signs of discomfort with a noticeable decrease in his mobility, but because researchers believe the condition may be genetic we also didn’t want to risk him passing it down to any offspring. There is no cure for DSLD, but it can be managed for a time with corrective hoof trimming, proper nutrition, and supportive therapy.

Once at the farm we were able to keep Squirt comfortable and sound, and he settled into his new life well. He was friendly and very trustworthy with other horses, and was the first pasture mate both Riptide and Brio had once they were well enough to go out into one of the bigger pastures. Squirt was instrumental in helping to raise them. He lived a very normal life on the farm - he ran around and played with his friends, enjoyed being groomed, did some in-hand trail obstacle work with our 4H members (he was great with human kids too!), painted, and just generally brightened our days with his cuteness and his quirky personality.

We can count on less than one hand the number of times over the last five years that Squirt showed any signs of the DSLD causing him discomfort.

However, towards the end of the summer Squirt began showing signs of pain and lameness, was laying down more often and for longer periods of time, and was having difficulty standing back up. It had also become difficult for him to support himself when getting his hooves trimmed. He was started on pain medication and an anti-inflammatory which initially helped, but after several weeks he began to show signs of discomfort again even on the highest dosage.

We knew from the moment we brought Squirt to the farm five years ago that this was an inevitability. And while that doesn’t make it any easier, in our line of work you do come to cherish the rare times when you can make the decision to let a horse go with peace and dignity on a good day when it isn't an emergency. This was the point we’d arrived at with Squirt, and rather than waiting for his pain to increase or for him to go down and be unable to stand back up, we made the decision to euthanize him. Squirt passed away at the end of a beautiful, sunny day, surrounded by his horse and human family. Everyone had a chance to say their goodbyes, and he was laid to rest in a quiet, shady spot on the farm.

We sure miss the little guy; there is a Squirt-sized hole in our hearts now, but we are grateful that we were able to provide him with the care he needed in his last years and help him pass when the time was right.

Run free, Squirt. ... See MoreSee Less

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Corolla Wild Horse Fund

2 days ago

The holidays are right around the corner and we have some great new merchandise available! Get a jump start on your shopping and support our mission too. 100% of the proceeds from our gift shop go directly to the care and management of the horses.

Shop online now: www.corollawildhorses.com/shop/

You can also visit our store and museum in Corolla Monday-Friday from 9am-3pm, or come see us at the farm open house in Grandy on Saturday. More information on our website 👆🏻 ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

4 days ago

We've got another nor'easter blowing in tonight, and one of the most common questions we get when there's bad weather is "what do the horses do?"

These photos from today show one of the ways they handle the rain and wind - by going into the maritime forests and taking cover under the live oak trees. Live oaks are native evergreen trees that provide dense cover all year long, and have a deep, wide root system that makes them very resistant to damage from strong winds. Not only do these trees provide a safe, natural shelter, but they're a food source too - acorns are a large part of the horses' diet this time of year.

Just like the oak trees, the wild horses are well adapted to handle the harsh weather here on the Outer Banks - they've been doing it successfully for hundreds of years!☔️🐴 ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 week ago

Missing the beach? Limited 8x8 canvases and 8x10 matted prints of the wild herd by Kris’ Corolla Creations are now available in our online gift shop to ship straight to you from Corolla! 🐴

www.corollawildhorses.com/shop/product-category/photography-and-canvas/ ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

2 weeks ago

From newly born to six months old - this filly is heading into winter in excellent condition! By the time a foal is six months old they’ve reached about 80% of their mature height, and about half of their mature weight. 📈

www.corollawildhorses.org ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

2 weeks ago

It’s been dark and dreary here for daaaaays and it’s got us missing summer! Here are some photos taken in June and July to brighten things up. 🏖️☀️ ... See MoreSee Less

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Corolla Wild Horse Fund

2 weeks ago

On September 20 we removed stallion JW (aka Jumper) from the wild after he presented signs of colic that did not resolve on their own after several hours of observation. We were able to successfully manage his symptoms, and he responded very well to supportive care and medication. However, since our last update about him, these episodes began occurring again. While he initially responded well to treatment, he started having breakthrough symptoms and was still exhibiting signs of discomfort even while medicated. On Friday afternoon he became acutely worse while being treated. Based on his history, his age, and the severity of the colic episode, our veterinarian and herd management team made the decision to humanely euthanize him.

JW was well into his 30s, which is very old for any horse, but especially for a stallion who spent his entire life in the wild. He was one of the more well-known horses due to his habit of jumping in and out of the Carova Beach Park. He came by the name Jumper honestly! If you have ever visited the park, it’s likely you saw JW there. He was one of the horses we could always expect to see most days, sometimes alone (he was a longtime bachelor) but often with the other old stallions who lived in the same territory.

These stallions were all around the same age and spent their entire lives together. They formed bachelor bands in their youth, they battled for mares and raised foals alongside each other, and in their later years, after they were done with fighting and breeding, they joined back up with each other to spend the rest of their days together as old stallions often do. Over the last several years they have been reaching the ends of their lives. It is bittersweet - there has been a lot of smiling through the tears the last few days as we’ve been remembering this old guard and reflecting on the lives they lived and the lessons they taught us. There is a new generation of stallions taking their place now, and there’s an even newer generation behind them waiting in the wings. This is the same cycle of life and death that has been happening here for hundreds of years. It is beautiful, it is sacred, and it is one of the cornerstones of a healthy population.

There is a passage from Rachel Carson’s seminal work Silent Spring that we quote often in times like these to help remind ourselves that we should take comfort in this steadfast cycle of nature:

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

We will miss seeing them quietly grazing in the meadow, we will miss catching them asleep in the shade of the scrub oaks, and we’ll even miss the calls about a horse being “stuck” in the park - though JW did teach some of the other horses how to jump in and out, so that tradition will likely carry on. But JW and Flint, Theo and Yogi, Buddy, Knight, and Rhett - they all left their mark on the herd. We can take comfort in the fact that they all lived the kind of life that we hope every Banker foal born on this beach grows up and experiences.

Jumper, JW, Dubs as Betty often called him, was laid to rest on the farm Friday night near his old friend Flint.

It was such an honor, boys. ... See MoreSee Less

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Corolla Wild Horse Fund

3 weeks ago

In 2007, CWHF herd managers collected DNA from nineteen of the wild horses. Those samples have been instrumental in helping us build an ancestry that now goes back many generations. As we’ve been collecting DNA from the current herd, we’ve been comparing it to the samples from 2007 - not just to determine parentage and other relationships, but to see if any of those horses are still alive. We have some photographs of the 2007 horses, but matching up identities based solely on colors and markings seen in one photograph is tricky and often produces inaccurate results.

By using DNA we have successfully re-identified a handful of the 2007 horses who are still alive, and recently we were even able to confirm the identity of a horse who passed away last winter.

In the spring of this year we were alerted to the skeletal remains of a horse. After inspecting the remains closely, we found a tiny patch of distinctively shaped white hair that was still left on one of the hind legs. Based on that, the location of the remains, the age of the teeth, and our daily observation logs, we tentatively identified the horse as an older stallion we called Knight, who we’d not seen since the fall. We took a bone sample to send to the lab for DNA and then put Knight’s remains back where we’d found them, in the resting place that he’d chosen for himself.

We recently got the results of Knight’s DNA test back and learned that he was one of the 2007 horses - a stallion named Airman. We have a photo of Airman, but had never considered that he might be Knight since you can’t see the white marking on the leg due to the angle at which the photo was taken. After getting the DNA back and then comparing photos again, we are now certain it was the same horse. Airman was related to a lot of other horses whose DNA we’ve already collected, and by the looks of it was probably related to many more that we’ve yet to get. He may be gone now, but his legacy will grow as we continue our work on this project. Airman’s place in this herd is now permanently recorded, and it’s very possible he will become one of our “foundation” sires. Due to his advanced age it’s highly unlikely that his parents are still alive to collect DNA from, so his family line begins with him.

As we continue to collect DNA and work to reconcile nearly 40 years of records, we will surely uncover more stories like Knight’s. They remind us of how important the science is - how critical it is to work methodically and carefully, to not make assumptions, to be open-minded to change, and to learn from and build upon our past. They are a testament to the decades of tireless work that’s gone into managing and protecting this herd; to all of the people who helped build the foundation for this project. And perhaps most importantly, it ensures that these horses and the lives they’ve lived will never be forgotten.

Knight lived a long, wild life and in the end returned to the earth that made him and sustained him. We could not ask for anything more or better for any of these horses. He never had a human hand laid on him, but he still impacted our work in ways that will benefit the herd for many generations to come. What a legacy, and a life worth celebrating.

Rest easy now, Airman. ... See MoreSee Less

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Corolla Wild Horse Fund

4 weeks ago

We are keeping a very close eye on the forecast for Saturday, the day of our fall open house at the farm. Hopefully this storm decides to stay off the coast and we won’t get rained out! A few showers are one thing, but no one is going to have fun in nor’easter rain - take our word for it! 😉 We will most likely make a final decision on Wednesday so keep an eye on this space for an announcement one way or the other. 🤞 ... See MoreSee Less

Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

The end of September on The Northern Outer Banks - some photos of the wild horses taken by our staff as they've been out monitoring the herd over the last 10 days or so. 🐴🍂

www.corollawildhorses.org ... See MoreSee Less

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Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

An update on JW, the horse we removed from the wild last Saturday (first post: www.facebook.com/share/19qPtFf6j8/)

JW has been slowly but surely improving in the week that he’s been at the farm. Our main goal for him right now is to make sure he is consistently eating and drinking, his bodily functions remain normal, and that he’s feeling settled and comfortable in his new home and around us. He’s been spending a lot of time resting, a lot of time grazing, and most recently, a lot of time enjoying getting scratches on his face and neck. He figured out the fans in his stall real quick (it’s been ridiculously hot this week) and can be found napping in front of them throughout the day. In the last day or so he’s started paying more attention to where we are and what we’re doing, and is beginning to seek out attention (and ok, maybe food too 😉) from us. Great progress!

Our vet was over on Wednesday to do a recheck, and we elected not to do anything too invasive that would require us to restrain him since we’ve been so successful in gaining his trust, and because he has been consistently improving since we brought him in on Saturday. Because of his age and his condition, stress could cause additional complications that could damage this progress. The supportive care we’ve been providing since Saturday is working, so we are staying the course with that.

His teeth are of some concern (an external exam indicated some missing and probably broken molars, which is not uncommon for an old, wild stallion) but very often in these cases doing anything to try and “fix” them actually causes more damage. Once he is more stable and more comfortable being handled we will do a more thorough exam. For now we will continue to feed him a diet appropriate for a horse his age and in his condition, and will monitor him very closely for any signs of difficulty chewing, swallowing, etc. We’ve been feeding him very small amounts of chopped hay that is easier for him to chew, he does have some grass in his paddocks, and on Wednesday we began slowly introducing him to a feed formulated especially for senior horses.

Late yesterday afternoon he passed a major milestone by drinking water out of the trough. It was cause for major celebration in the group text - if you have any experience with horses you know what a relief it is to see an unwell horse take a big drink of water! Before that he was only drinking from buckets we had placed around his paddock that had hay in them, which was doing the trick in a pinch but we were concerned that he wasn’t consuming as much water as he needed. He was pretty dehydrated when we brought him in on Saturday, but is really doing much better now.

He did some damage to his face when he was rolling and thrashing around on Saturday, but luckily it’s all external and superficial. We were a bit worried that sand may have scratched his eyes, but they’ve cleared up nicely thanks to antibiotic ointment. The abrasions around his eyes are superficial and already starting to heal up, and he’s been very agreeable to having them cleaned and ointment being applied to them.

We are still very much in the “day at a time” stage with JW, but he has been steadily moving in the right direction and we are very encouraged by his progress over the last six days. Like many of the other older horses on the farm he is going to require a high level of care and monitoring for the rest of his time with us, but we are well-equipped and well-experienced to handle that.

We could certainly use your help, though! The costs associated with keeping these older horses healthy and comfortable can get quite high. With JW’s addition to the herd at the farm, we will be going through more senior hay and feed, he will have on-going medical costs for the foreseeable future, we will probably need to order him some blankets for the winter - the list goes on and can change at a moment’s notice. Your dedicated support means that we can roll with the punches as they come and remain confident that we will always be able to provide the life-saving and life-supporting care that these horses require.

There are lots of ways to get involved that will make a very significant difference in these horses’ lives: www.corollawildhorses.com/support-corolla-wild-horse-fund/

And don’t forget that we are having a fall open house at the farm on October 11 from 10am-2pm. Come meet all of the rescued horses, chat with our staff about how we care for them and their wild counterparts, and see firsthand how important your support is and what an impact it makes! More information: www.corollawildhorses.com/event/fall-open-house-at-the-rescue-farm/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Corolla Wild Horse Fund

1 month ago

The CWHF rescue farm is home to twenty very special horses. Each of them was born in the wild but had to be removed for various reasons, ranging from life-threatening injuries and medical conditions, to severe habituation and behavioral issues that put them and humans in danger. Removing a horse from the wild is a last resort option and one that we do not take lightly, but sometimes it is what’s best for the horse’s wellbeing.

Our farm is a sanctuary for these horses; a place where they can live out the rest of their days with the care and support they need to stay healthy, enriched, and safe.

Caring for this many horses, all at different levels of training, different life stages, and with different past traumas and medical issues can be quite a challenge! Each horse is unique and what works best for one might not work for another. We have to be flexible, good at compromise, and patient. But the one thing that rarely changes is the fact that our horses go through a *lot* of hay.

In fact, hay is our biggest regular expense at the farm.

Horses are meant to graze most of the day and night (15-17 hours at the least); otherwise, stomach acid can build up and cause ulcers, and other behavioral issues can arise. And in the winter, a full belly is what keeps horses warm. At the farm, we keep hay in front of the rescue horses 24/7, giving them the chance to forage as naturally as possible.

For the horses who don’t have any special dietary needs, we feed a hay that is low in calories, sugar, and other carbohydrates that we’ve found most closely resembles the type of forage they have available to them in the wild. We put these 700lb bales of hay in slow-feeder nets to make them work a little bit harder for it, mimic grazing behavior, and keep the hay clean and off the ground. The nine mares who share a pasture go through two of these bales every five days or so in the middle of winter. The Bankers are very easy keepers and generally don’t require a lot of calories to survive, so keeping them in good weight while at the same time making sure they have a constant supply of hay can be a challenge!

The farm is also home to several elderly horses who do require a more specialized diet - including our newest rescue JW (more info: www.facebook.com/share/1J4zkZpMma/). JW (also known as Jumper, though he’s not particular about which name you call him 😉) is quite old, and in the two days that he’s been with us we’ve noticed that he has difficulty chewing. This is common for older horses and something that can be managed with proper dental care and appropriate feed.

For right now, JW is being fed a soft hay that is highly palatable, has a high nutritional value, high in fiber, and low in sugar and starch. He’s getting fed several small meals a day, and the hay is soaked in water to make it even softer and also give him some additional hydration. Luckily we already had this hay on hand because it’s what Blossom and Jasmine eat too. In the winter we also supplement the older ones' diets with a feed formulated especially for senior horses so that they have extra calories to help keep them warm and in good weight.

Now that summer is winding down and the amount of hay we are feeding is going up, we are asking for your help to make sure our hay barn (and the horses’ bellies!) stay full all winter. Hay costs have increased significantly over the last couple of years, but it’s not something that we can skimp on. Poor quality hay can cause a whole host of health issues, and we will never jeopardize the health and wellbeing of our horses simply to save a few dollars. Your support makes a world of difference in the rescued horses’ lives - please consider making a donation today, and know that it will go towards keeping them healthy, warm, and happy all winter long.

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

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