The CWHF rescue farm is home to twenty-four very special horses. Each of them were born in the wild but then 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 truly the best thing 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.
In the late winter of 2017 and early spring of 2018, a group of six horses began habitually circumventing the fence at the NC/VA state line and going into False Cape State Park and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. CWHF worked with park and refuge officials to routinely move the horses back to Carova, but unfortunately due to a plethora of issues we were unable to extend the fence through the navigable water of the marsh and sound and ultimately the horses were removed by the Department of the Interior and brought to the CWHF rescue farm in Grandy. It was a devastating loss to the herd, since the group consisted of four mares of breeding age, several of which were proven broodmares, a young proven stallion, and a yearling colt. But the alternative was potentially worse, and we could at least take comfort in the fact that they were finally safe with us at the farm.
Each group of wild horses has one mare that is in charge – you’ll often hear them referred to as boss mares. Virginia Dare was the boss mare of the False Cape group, and she is the boss mare at the farm now too. Virginia is in her teens, and has had two foals that we know of (Ocean Pearl and Mateo, both removed with her). She has a regal air about her – that’s how she got her name, and is very demanding of respect. Virginia Dare is not a horse you can tell to do anything. Working with her is a partnership, and earning the trust and cooperation of a mare like Virginia is one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable. Within the herd of mares at the farm, she is a strong, calming presence and very good at keeping the pecking order intact. She loves human attention on her own terms, and really loves babies of all species. She has accepted orphaned foals as her own, and was once even heard making “mama noises” at a puppy.
Virginia Dare is certainly queen of the farm now, and despite the sad circumstances that brought her there we are very grateful and honored for the chance to have this special mare in our lives. She serves as a reminder of why the farm sanctuary is so important, and her story serves as an important example of how very critical each and every one of these horses is to the genetic health and sustainability of the wild herd.
