Born to Be Wild

It’s no secret that some of life’s most precious moments occur in nature among ocean breezes, swaying trees, shifting sands, impossible blue skies and, for those lucky enough to live on or visit the Outer Banks, wild mustangs frolicking in their natural habitat.

Capturing magical moments among the Corolla wild horses is a favorite Outer Banks pastime, and Bob’s Wild Horse Tours is one of the Outer Banks’ most well-known and pure experiences to witness the majestic, untamed beauty of the wild horses that have roamed this coastline for more than 500 years.

“I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing a wild horse for the first time,” says Bob White, owner of Bob’s Wild Horse Tours, who saw his first as a teenager in 1983 while on a trip with his dad to Corolla.

Bob’s Wild Horse Tours has humble roots, with Bob Sr., Bob’s father, using his personal Suburban and a genuine desire to show guests staying at his Corolla Light Inn the unrivaled natural beauty of the northern Outer Banks. Bob’s was later the first company to pioneer the popular safari-style open-air vehicle tours and use them to take groups of people past the end of the road to the open beaches where the wild horses live in delicate balance with a small population of year-round residents. Thirty years, numerous vehicles and a team of guides later, Bob Jr. still maintains his family legacy of providing unforgettable memories for generations of families and honoring, protecting and raising awareness about the horses.

“When I started this, I never imagined people would do more than one tour,” Bob says. “I’m humbled by how many people come back and go year after year as part of their family’s vacation. I’m now part of people’s memories they have for years.”

Bob and his well-trained guides – part historians, part entertainers and, thankfully, in large part educators, protectors and preservationists of the critically endangered wild horses – share the history, legend and lore of the wild Spanish mustangs.

It is said that the horses’ ancestors got to these islands in the 16th century when Spanish explorers encountered the shoals and sandbars off the Outer Banks. Ship captains would lighten their loads, including livestock, to avoid being marooned, and the horses that went overboard swam to shore, eventually adapting to the new environment and growing in number. Centuries later, the northern Outer Banks herd descending from these mustangs numbers 99 and is one of only two wild herds remaining; the other herd occupies Shackleford Banks farther south on the North Carolina coast. 

“One of the most important pieces of our company, aside from educating the public, is training our tour guides and staff,” Bob says. “We have very low turnover, and that's important with a job like this; everybody is on board with the company's mission and with what we're trying to do. We have extensively trained tour guides to know how to respectfully navigate the area, track the herd’s movements, know all the laws and provide a lot of really good information on the area and the history of the horses.”

As a local with a preference for enjoying nature in her purist sense and often in solitude, I do not exactly fit the criteria for a tour company’s target market. I’m more the type to throw some snacks and water into my backpack and hoof it for miles and hours on the beach in search of the horses. So when I was asked to write about Bob’s Wild Horse Tours, I was torn between a slight resistance to organized tours and a “heck-yes!” desire to trade in my flip-flops for a seat on the super-fun, open-air, four-wheel excursion.

I went for it with a completely curious and open mind, and I’m so glad I did! From check-in to finish, I was impressed and refreshed to see a business strike the sometimes-elusive balance between tourism and preservation. The experience shifted my perception and helped me gain an appreciation for the challenge that those in the business of providing access to nature face. They must find the middle ground between a protective instinct to preserve the sanctity of the wild horses and the other extreme of providing public access to them. I, for one, am grateful for stewards and business owners like Bob, who have the experience and knowledge we can rely on for giving us ways to enjoy the horses while still protecting them.

Seasoned guide and Corolla resident Scott Thibodeau provided our 15-person group with laughter, comradery, adventure, education and the sighting of more than a dozen horses. He also shared some personal stories, making the history come alive. His humor was a bonus, creating levity and connection between the families on the tour.

“If for some reason this wild horse adventure turns into a cruise, don’t be worried, your life preservers are underneath your seats,” Scott joked and clearly took pride when a few of us attempted to take an inconspicuous peek under our seat. “I always get one or two, every tour,” he laughed. “Oh, and buckle your seatbelts, this isn’t the teacup ride at Disney.”

It’s true that Bob’s Wild Horse tour is a far cry from any manmade amusement ride. The experience contains all the makings of unforgettable family traditions – the freedom of an off-road excursion, the indescribable joy of witnessing wild horses in their natural habitat and the bond created by sharing this experience with loved ones.

In the past few decades, rapid real estate development on the northern Outer Banks and the related paving of N.C. Highway 12 and side roads has greatly impacted nature, challenged the horses to adapt to an ever-changing environment and created some interesting juxtapositions.

Scott shared a cautionary tale from the height of the dicey times when the worlds of man and wild horses collide. “One July three horses walked through the automatic doors at the Food Lion where you got on the truck earlier. True story,” he says. “Because of the way they merchandise the stores, the horses were forced around to the deli and then onto the produce. The general manager was freaking out because the horses were heading to the produce section among hundreds of customers. You’ve seen the signs ‘Don’t feed the horses.’ That’s not to scare people away from interacting with them; feeding these horses anything, even carrots and apples, truly will kill them within a few hours because their stomachs can’t digest sugar.”

While stories like this are a fabulous example of how nature, humans and modernization must co-exist, they are also a stark reminder that protecting living, walking history is something everyone can prioritize. Education is a key component of Bob’s mission to raise awareness and protect the horses. He donates proceeds from his business to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and serves on the Fund’s board of directors, helping make decisions for the good of the animals.

If you want to create unforgettable family memories, capture images of some of the Outer Banks’ greatest treasures and find comfort in choosing a tour company that sincerely reveres and protects these magnificent horses, be sure and check out Bob’s Wild Horse Tours for your next adventure.

(252) 453-8602
817 B Ocean Trail, Corolla
corollawildhorsetours.com