The
Wild Spanish Mustangs of Corolla
Corolla's
wild horses are descended from the Spanish mustangs that have roamed free on North
Carolina's Outer Banks for centuries. These tenacious, hardy survivors adapted to
the vegetation available to them on the sandy, windswept barrier islands and have
thrived here since the earliest European explorers ran aground on these shores in
the 1500's.
Now these inspiring wild mustangs inhabit
an eleven mile long remote area covering thousands of acres between Corolla and the
Virginia border on the northern end of Currituck Banks. Though part of the area is
set aside
as nature preserve,
the rest of the area is open for habitation. These horses wander freely along the
beach, across the dunes into the pine and yaupon woods, and through the yards of
the homes that dot this remote spot.
These wild Spanish mustangs
roamed as far south as Duck free from the dangers of cars prior to the mid 1980's, because until that time NC12 ended at Duck. When the state extended the highway all the way to Corolla, it soon became evident these wonderful wild horses were in trouble. The more popular the wild mustangs became, the more danger it brought them.
Corolla has grown
exponentially in recent years, due mainly to its two largest attractions
- Currituck Beach Lighthouse and
the wild horses. With that growth came more people and cars, a dangerous mix with
horses roaming free along the highway. The horses remained free to go wherever they
wanted all around Corolla until the mid 1990's, when finally they were moved north
of Corolla into this remote area. Now they enjoy a safer environment with no open
highway or speeding cars to endanger them.
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