Protecting The Herd
Protecting Corolla’s wild horses, which have been named North Carolina’s state horse, is truly a community effort — combining safe visitation, habitat conservation, science-driven herd management and legal protections.
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund (CWHF), along with Currituck County, is dedicated to the safety and preservation of the wild horses. The Fund works to name new arrivals and trace their parentage and is also undertaking DNA research to create a detailed family tree of all the horses in Carova.
Corolla Wild Horse Fund
CWHF is also acquiring undeveloped parcels in the off-road area to create a north–south corridor, ensuring genetic diversity and space for the herd. They monitor water quality, plant native forage, and manage flooding. A humane immunocontraception (PZP) program helps control herd size, prevent overgrazing, and extend mare lifespan. Some horses are relocated or adopted to maintain a viable population range of ~110–130 as are Injured horses and sick horses that have been identified as having to be taken from their natural habitat for the preservation of their lives. For more information on the Corolla Wild Horse Fund go to their website.
Ways You Can Protect the Horses
- Stay 50 ft or more away from horses. This is the law.
- Do NOT feed them human food. Wild horses eat a very specialized diet of sea oats, coarse grasses, acorns, persimmons, and other native vegetation. When they ingest apples, carrots, or other non-native foods, they are at great risk for painful colic at best and DEATH at the worst.
- Drive slowly in horse zones.
- Do NOT speed or drive intoxicated, especially at night when the horses are roaming the beaches.
- Report injured or trapped horses.
- Do NOT harass, chase or touch them. Horses have to be removed from their native habitat if they become habituated to humans.
