An important piece of knowledge that we return to from time to time is the horses that roam free in Carova, the 4WD area north of Corolla, are wild horses. They are the protected herd of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and the important word to focus on here is wild.
We’re posting a picture from the CWHF Facebook page today of Alma, a two year old mare. It’s a bit hard to look at—we know—but it also helps to illustrate the point.
We want to quickly add that according to vet who has looked at the wounds, they’re not infected and Alma will be fine.
For some reason Alma has been run off from her harem—that’s the basic family group of the herds. No one knows why, but the stallion who controls the harem didn’t want Alma as part of the group and when he ran her off, he bit her. That what the wounds are.
He’s probably her sire, but genetic testing is needed for that.
It may be difficult to accept, but the behavior seen here, is not outside the norm for wild horses. Yes, they’re herbivores, but in the wild, horses are not gentle creatures.
Right now Alma is wandering north, and will probably become part of another harem away from where she was originally, which was farther south.
We’re posting this picture, as difficult as it may be to look at, as a reminder. These are wild horses. Take some time to watch them—it’s wonderful. Take a camera and get some pictures—they are very photogenic.
But under no circumstances should anyone get closer than 50’ from them. That’s actually the Currituck County ordinance (and it’s enforced) and common sense.
The beauty of the Outer Banks is endless. Take some time to explore for yourself when staying in a Brindley Beach Vacations home.