The uncertain future of N.C.'s wild horses

North Carolina has long been proud of the wild horses that roam our coast. (We even promote a link to the Shackleford Banks horse foundation under our links section.) But these animals face an uncertain future because of tourism, according to the AP.

On a stretch of barrier island without paved roads, some of the last wild horses in the eastern United States are seeing their world get smaller each year.

A boom in vacation homes in the last 25 years in this remote place has seen the descendants of colonial Spanish mustangs confined to a 7,500-acre sanctuary on the northern tip of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. And now the herd itself may shrink along with its habitat.

A plan backed by the federal government would see the herd reduced from about 115 horses today to no more than 60 in a bid to stop the animals, designated North Carolina’s state horse this year, from competing with federally protected birds for increasingly hard-to-come-by resources.

The Fish and Wildlife Service says the plan will reduce harmful behavior by a species it considers a nuisance. But residents who rely on the horses to bring in tourist dollars or who simply cherish the mustangs as a symbol of the country’s spirit worry it could bring about the collapse of the herd through hereditary diseases and other complications of a shallow gene pool.

“The American wild horse is disappearing from our country,” said Karen McCalpin, executive director of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, a nonprofit group that manages the herd. “To me, they’re as much a symbol of freedom as the bald eagle.” ...

Thousands of mustangs once roamed the Outer Banks, descendants of horses brought during an ill-fated Spanish colonial mission in the 1520s. But Highway 12 has been steadily moving north through the barrier islands, reaching Corolla in the 1980s and bringing rapid development with it.

Huge, brightly painted vacation homes now line the road, and even pop up behind the dunes on Corolla’s beach, accessible only by vehicles with four-wheel drive. Once the paved road ends, there’s no development except vacation homes, some as big as mansions. ...

The horses around Corolla are in a unique situation. Unlike their counterparts farther south in Shackleford Banks, the mustangs don’t have any kind of federal protection.

In fact, on its website, the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge describes the animals as something of a pest: “The Fish and Wildlife Service considers the horses to be nonnative, feral animals and not a natural component of the barrier island ecosystem,” it reads. “These animals compete with native wildlife species for food and fresh water.”

The management plan calls for the size of the herd to be kept at 60, meaning horses in excess of that number would have to be captured and put up for adoption to new homes off the island, while remaining mares would be treated with contraceptive medication to stop them from becoming pregnant. ...

Quick hits: It's 'cane season, and an official state horse?

It's hurricane season, y'all

"The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season has begun and comes at a time when oil from a spill off the Louisiana coast continues spewing into the Gulf of Mexico," according to the AP.

"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an active season, with as many as 23 named tropical storms.

"An estimated eight to 14 storms could strengthen into hurricanes. Of those storms, three to seven could become major hurricanes. ..."

Senate gives Mustang the OK

"The state Senate has passed a bill naming the Colonial Spanish Mustang the official State Horse of North Carolina.

"Sen. Pro-tem Marc Basnight, D-Dare, requested the adoption of the bill in the Senate. The legislation now heads to the House, where it has backing from Rep. Bill Owens, D-Pasquotank, and Rep. Tim Spear, D-Washington," says the Daily Advance.

"The idea for the designation came from students at Shawboro Elementary School in Currituck County. Basnight’s staff, Owens, Spear and other leaders attended a meeting at Shawboro in January.

"There are currently about 100 wild horses in Corolla and around 120 living in Shackleford Banks in Carteret County. ..."

Banker ponies get new fillies

WRAL reports that a couple of new new fillies have been added to the herd of wild horses at Shackleford Banks.

National Parks wildlife rangers introduced the fillies, Sacajawea and Jitterbug, to the Shackleford Banks herd and released them this week.

Sacajawea and Jitterbug are of the same Banker bred as the herd, which numbers around 110 horses.

The National Park Services adopted the fillies from the Foundation for Shackleford Horses, which manages the herd and conducts genetics research.

(Image courtesy of the Foundation)

Quick hits: Law to protect wild horses and 49ers football moves along

Law gives horses some space
"Visitors to North Carolina's Outer Banks now are required to stay away from the famous wild horses in the Corolla area," says the AP.

"The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reports that the Currituck County Board of Commissioners adopted a new ordinance last week that orders visitors to stay 50 feet away from the wild horses.

"A law adopted in 1989 made it illegal to be within 50 feet of a horse if trying to feed it. The new law bans any intentional contact.

"County Attorney Donald McRee says there have been complaints this year about people putting children on the horses and posing with them for photos. Officials also said a woman walked with a herd and ignored repeated warning to move away. ..."

49ers football campaign kicks into high gear

According to the Charlotte Observer, if "college football is to become a reality for the Charlotte 49ers, it has to happen in the next two months.

"That was the call to arms Monday night when school and local officials gathered at the Quail Hollow Club to kick off an aggressive program designed to sell the 5,000 football seat licenses necessary for the planned program to proceed.

"As of Monday, deposits had been taken on 1,850 seat licenses, far short of the goal of 5,000 set by Chancellor Phil Dubois. Organizers hope to reach the goal before a scheduled Sept.17 meeting of the school's board of trustees, when a decision on whether to continue with the football plan is expected. ..."

An official state horse?

North Carolina can boast a state reptile, gem, boat, dog, insect, etc. But up until now, there's been (as far as I can tell) very little clamor for a state horse. (After all, our northern neighbors in Virginia and Kentucky seem to hog the equestrian limelight.)

Now some students in Currituck County want to change that by campaigning for the Outer Banks mustang -- the banker -- to be the official state horse [says the Daily Advance].

Fourth-graders in the Currituck County Schools have started a letter-writing campaign to save the bankers — not the Wall Street kind, the equine kind.

Students have already written more than 400 letters to state lawmakers, asking them to make “banker ponies” — as the wild horses of Corolla are sometimes known — North Carolina’s official state horse.

“The marvelous Colonial Spanish Mustang is the perfect fit for North Carolina’s state horse,” writes student Lauren Cutler, in one of the letters. “So if the Spanish Colonial Mustang was our horse, maybe it won’t be endangered anymore.”

The horses, about 100 of whom roam the northern Outer Banks, are believed to be the descendants of the Colonial Spanish mustangs brought to the New World by Spanish explorers nearly 500 years ago. They’re called “bankers” because they live on the Outer Banks and ponies because of their small size — 14 to 15 hands, or about five feet from ground to shoulder.

Advocates for the horses worry about their future, particularly as the Outer Banks becomes more developed and their contact with humans increases. ...

School officials hit on the idea of making the wild herd North Carolina’s official state horse the subject of fourth-graders’ writing assessment this year. Students have to complete the writing assignment in order to pass their grade. ...

To prepare students for the writing assignment, each fourth-grader in the county schools learned about the horses’ history, how they came to the Outer Banks and how the breed has dwindled from human interaction, Jensen said. They also got to meet one of the horses — a tame 3-year-old named Uno who was rehabilitated after being injured, and now lives on a farm in Jarvisburg. ...

According to Netstate.com, 11 states have horses listed as a state animal or honorary equine, but only seven have an official state horse. North Carolina isn’t among them.

Organizers hope the letter-writing project creates more awareness about the wild horses and their place in the history of the Outer Banks, Jensen said.

“People don’t understand or realize about the history of these horses and how important it is to protect the breed,” she said.

Good luck to the students. I hope they are successful.

Enjoy the majesty of the Shackleford wild horses

There's a poignant scene in "Nights in Rodanthe" (yes, I admit I've seen it) where Diane Lane's character finally -- after apparently many, many years of waiting -- sees the Banker ponies along the Outer Banks. They are a sight to behold.

This video (courtesy of YouTube.com via my mother) is a wonderful one that discusses the Shackleford Banks wild horses, in Carteret County.

As I've said before, I've often loved standing along the edge of the water in Beaufort, looking across to the islands, hoping to get a glimpse of these wonderful animals.

If you are interested in helping to support the care of these creatures, click here. You could even adopt one of them, I believe!

(Photo courtesy of the wild horses foundation)

Quick hits: Wild horses, old piers and Ol' Roy

Study looks at how many wild horses are enough
"A study is being launched to determine what impact wild horses have on the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina, where the animals compete increasingly with visitors for space," says the AP.

"The Corolla Wild Horse Fund estimates the study could cost $800,000 and take up to two years, The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported Monday.

"Karen McCalpin, executive director of the fund, said the group plans to commission researchers from N.C. State to examine the effects the horse herd has on marshes and grass.

"The fund and the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge agreed in 1999 to limit the herd to about 60 horses. The herd currently numbers 101 and McCalpin said she thinks a herd of 120 to 130 would be good for long-term health. ..."


N.C. aquarium agency closer on bidding on pier
"The head of North Carolina's aquarium agency says he hopes a rebuilt pier on the Outer Banks will be open for use by 2010," says the AP.

"North Carolina Aquariums director David Griffin said the agency will begin seeking bids this week on the Jennette's Pier project, The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported Monday.

"The $15 million project would rebuild the pier to 1,000 feet and design it to withstand hurricanes of 130 mph. The pier would include alternative energy generators and a 200-seat meeting area. ..."


UNC hoops No. 1 in media poll
"For the second straight season, North Carolina was the unanimous pick of media members Sunday to win the ACC in men's basketball," says Ken Tysiac.

DNA may prove Spanish heritage

We've discussed before the majestic wild horses along North Carolina's coast. For years there have been theories on how they came to be. The most popular (and most plausible) is that they came ashore after a Spanish ship sank hundreds of years ago.

Now, further DNA test may prove that that is the case.

"An equine genetics specialist from Texas is collecting genetic material -- 60 strands of hair from horses in the herds on Shackleford Banks and around Corolla -- to analyze where these postcard-perfect icons of North Carolina originated," says the News & Observer.

"He expects the research will reinforce studies he conducted on the horses in the 1990s that indicated they have Spanish blood -- possibly descending from a lineage of horses brought by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. Blood tests found a link, but they may not be as definitive as the DNA testing he is now conducting.

" 'I think we're looking at something historically significant,' said Gus Cothran, a professor at Texas A&M University. ..."

There's more to it than just solidifying the horses' heritage. According the article, having a "Colonial" pedigree may make the horses (which can outgrow their habitats) more "attractive to horse owners eager to adopt exotic breeds."

"Herds around Corolla and on Shackleford Banks remain the largest surviving groups of so-called Banker horses -- the unbridled breed smaller than the average horse that have long captivated Outer Banks visitors. Legends held that the animals descend from Spanish mounts brought to North American in the 1500s. And English ships that came later may also have carried Spanish horses.

"After inspections of the Corolla and Shackleford horses, the Horse of the Americas registry ruled this winter that, while not purebred, both herds are rare descendants of Colonial Spanish equines.

"Not only do they have the distinctive trots and canters common in the Spanish lines, they also have certain physical characteristics. Horse bones found north of Corolla show spinal columns with fused vertebrae -- a feature typical of the Spanish horses. Also, their hooves are large for their body size -- another Spanish trait."