“Folks, This Is Not OK”: Wild Horse Fund Implores Outer Banks Visitors to Respect Laws
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The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is once again pleading with visitors to follow the rules.
Earlier this week, the non-profit organization that cares for the herd of wild horses that roam the Outer Banks shared a photo on Facebook showing several people standing atop a sand dune in close proximity to at least two of the animals.
“Folks, this is not ok,” the fund pleads alongside the photo. “These people are too close to the horses and they’re damaging our dunes. Both are illegal. If you are here for the week or visiting for the day, please be respectful and follow the rules.”
“The horse in this picture is young, and easily habituated. We lost a yearling colt this summer because of behavior like this,” the post continues. “Please don’t let it happen again.”
The post includes a link to the Wild Horse Ordinance of Currituck County, which outlines the laws protecting the horses and their habitat.
According to the ordinance, feeding the wild horses or getting within 50 feet of them is punishable by law. Cruelty, enticing, harboring, luring, seizing, and failure to report injury are also illegal, among numerous other offences.
Remember, wild horses are above all, wild. They rely on each other and their instincts to keep them safe, and most have limited interaction with people. Even their dedicated human caretakers know the best approach is a hands-off one, preferring to let them fend for themselves, just as they have for centuries.
“Please, please educate yourselves before you visit,” the fund writes. “We don’t often have to post reminders like this over the winter, but 2020 continues to throw us all curve balls.”
For more information on the horses and how to visit the area responsibly, visit CorollaWildHorses.com.
