Wednesday, August 19, 2026
By Outer Banks Voice on May 11, 2025
Last week, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund announced a new policy regarding publicly sharing the names of their horses. In a lengthy Facebook post, the Fund stated that “Moving forward we will not be sharing the names of foals, and we will use more discretion when sharing the names of adult horses as well.”
The post noted that, “the primary reason for naming the horses is that it makes it much easier for our staff to communicate with each other about them. It’s far easier to remember ‘Caroline’ than “Mare 162168.” But given the increasing population in the area and the growing number of visitors, “We have noticed a concerning trend of anthropomorphization and familiarity with individual horses that delegitimizes their wildness, makes herd management difficult, and puts the horses in danger of habituation.”
In discussing the new policy, the Fund stated that, “You may have noticed in the last couple years that we have not been announcing foal births immediately. This is because we have noticed another concerning trend of people going out of their way to seek out pregnant mares and newborn foals like it’s an Easter egg hunt. And believe us – we get it. It takes a lot of restraint on our part not to shout the arrival of new foals from the rooftops [but] “is it in the best interest of the mare who has hunkered down deep in the marsh to protect her newborn foal? We don’t think so, and we believe that she has a right to her privacy and a right to her wildness.”
The Fund did share the names of the first two foals to come out in public in 2025, Finola and Folly, before reconsidering that policy. And in the May 7 post, it introduced the newest unnamed addition to the heard by reporting that “This beautiful colt made his public debut…after spending the first month of his life deep in the marsh with his first-time mother and the rest of the harem.”
To learn more about Corolla Wild Horse Fund or to donate visit their website and follow them on Facebook.
Comments
Just saying
The place is turned into a joke the horse tours are a menace to the horses the tourist and to property owners. I say relocate the horses to insure their survival it is not sustainable anymore. I personally saw the tour companies today circling one of the new foals and separating it from it’s mother while the horse fund just watched. Something needs to change up there!
M
So, now after years of the Fund, Tourism Boards and Horse tour companies using the Herd to bring in tourist dollars you are concerned about them, really!
Wayne
Wonderful. I think that is a great idea. all the full-time residents Absolutely know Our visitors who come here. Do not respect our wildlife ! Every week in Tourist season., you see another horse hit by a car that’s totally unacceptable. They know they’re there. And all of us know what the problem is but can be fixed. Stop the horse tours. Stop cars from driving on the beach. Only homeowners and guests. And a 10,000 Dollar fine if you get to Close to the horses.
Herd you
I have observed the tour companies for many years. Only one seems to herd the horses as a particular way of touring. Their response over the years has been “our boss is a commissioner, we do what we want”. Perhaps the authorities will show some spine now that he isn’t and corral this company and make them adhere to the rules. The others seem to respect the residents and the horses.
Tours need stricter rules around newborns
Was really disappointed to see Meg Puckett posting on her fb about how a resident is putting the horses in danger by posting pics of the new foals. Using offensive language and claiming that ‘he needs to get a life’. I would be more concerned with the horse tours who break their laws & policies whenever they’re around the horses and share their location with coworkers. The worst behavior I’ve seen this season has been from the horse tours around a 2 day old foal. Coming to sudden stops around it and reversing up & down the block multiple times to pass it over 3x more than the company’s policy allows. The other day I witnessed a tour separate a mom & newborn from their stallion after passing the harem more times than recommended. I saw Meg met with this company recently. Hopefully they put more guidances in place to allow more bonding time between mom and baby. Would love to see the tours be more transparent about their policies on their websites, or even better for all companies to follow the same policies set by the fund instead of different tours having different standards. Profits, donations, and tips have altered reality and created major cognitive dissonance
BeachGirl
The Wild Horse Fund and all involved are doing an exceptional job managing and caretaking of the herds, and swamp/dune areas.
Jill
I agree with others who are not fans of these “horse tours”. Whatever this business donates to the horse fund is nothing to what it puts in it’s pocket and causes more trouble than good for these horses. I know county likes the revenue as well, but tours should be stopped.
Craig
A lot of trouble for an invasive species, caused by another invasive species.
Any of them ever named Mr. Ed?
I should start a “tourist tours” business where we drive around and observe tourists in their natural habitat doing tourist things. There’s plenty of entertaining things they do that make no sense or are just brainless wrong.
lee
The horse tours are much worse than most people understand. In season there are over 150 tour trucks that come up the beach most every day, that is if they only run five trips a day and some run six or seven. They run from 8am to 8pm 7 days a week. They harass horses, residents and tourist. Had a tourist stop me on the beach and ask if there is always so many tour trucks. He said he paid 10k for a weekly rental and felt like he was in the middle of a horse tour rodeo. I live on a dead end road and it is not uncommon for them to pass my house 80 times a day. They do separate the little ones from the heard, I have seen it twice. A crying lost colt is a awful sound.