North Carolina's Wild Horses
The Wild Spanish Mustangs
of Corolla (cont'd.)
The
wild mustangs aren't the only residents of this remote area. There are quite a few
beachfront homes, as well as homes back off the beach, where people live year-round. The
largest community here is Carova, nestled next to the Virginia state line. Beyond
here there is no beach traffic, as the north horse fence not only keeps the Corolla
wild horses from wandering into Virginia, but keeps people and vehicles out of the
nature
reserve
on the Virginia side, where special permits are required.
The wild horses and people live
here side by side. Though the horses are accustomed to the presence of people and
cars, they are certainly not tame. It is their wildness that protects them, for
any
of the horses that come to expect food or the attentions of people have to be removed
from the wild herd. On such occasions the horses are taken elsewhere
and put up for adoption, which then denies the herd of yet another member of an already
endangered gene pool. For these wild Spanish mustangs to survive, there must be enough
horses in the herd to maintain a viable bloodline for future generations. Everytime
one of these rare horses is injured or otherwise has to be removed because of someone's
careless actions, it puts the future
of these magnificent mustangs in further jeopardy.
There are ordinances requiring
people to keep at least 50 feet away from the horses. No petting, feeding or harrassing
of the horses is permitted, and enticing a wild horse to come closer than
50 feet to anyone holds the same penalty as getting too close to the wild horse yourself. There
is
also
a speed
limit
on the beach, not only to protect the horses, but beachgoers as well. There
are patrols driving up and down the beach to watch for infractions. Visitors must
keep these things in mind when they come to see these wonderful wild mustangs. | 
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