Listen To This Article
The wild horses that freely roam the Outer Banks’ pristine northern beaches are, in many ways, living history. While a majestic herd of mustangs occupying a stretch of sandy beach may seem like fiction or fairytale, the Corolla wild horses are a living, breathing connection to the area’s rich past.
According to Outer Banks legend and lore, when 16th-century Spanish explorers encountered the shoals and sandbars of our infamously treacherous shoreline, their ships had to lighten their load by whatever means necessary to avoid being marooned or sunk. The horses that went overboard managed to swim to shore, adapt to their new environment and continued to grow in number. Centuries later, the herd descending from these Spanish mustangs is around 100 strong and is one of only two remaining herds of wild Spanish mustangs, the other occupying Shackleford Banks farther south on the North Carolina coast.
Passionate about local history, I had to see these living legends for myself. Coming along for the adventure was my family, including everyone from our two young children (ages 2 and 5) to their grandmother and great aunt. I had some apprehension about hauling our multigenerational crew on an off-road excursion involving rugged vehicles and wild animals, but booking with Wild Horse Adventure Tours put all my worries to rest.
When we arrived at their location in Corolla we were met with the comfort and convenience of ample parking, a smooth check-in process, a cute gift shop and restrooms to use before we set out for the tour. The helpful staff even assisted us with securing our children’s car seats into the back row of the Hummer.
Wild Horse Adventure Tours’ fleet of custom, open-air Hummers got the seal of approval from my mother-in-law for their comfortable seating, leg room and shade canopy offering sun protection. While all off-roading can be a little loud and bumpy, our tour struck the perfect balance of creature comfort and rugged adventure that kept our kiddos smiling – and the older folks comfortable – for the entire two-hour tour.
After a short cruise up the road through Corolla, we came to the 4x4 area known as Carova and left the pavement behind. We quickly learned that we were in great hands with our tour guide, who smoothly navigated the tracks over the sandy beaches and dunes, offered a wealth of information on the horses and kept us laughing throughout the tour with his quips and equine anecdotes.
According to Pete Cole, general manager of Wild Horse Adventure Tours, their staff is one of the company’s greatest assets.
“One of the most important pieces of our company, aside from educating the public, is training our tour guides and staff,” he says. “We have really low turnover and that's really 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, know all of the laws and also provide a lot of really good information on the area and the history of the horses.”
There is a delicate balance to be struck in the 8,000-acre wild horse habitat that is shared by the herd, horse-tour operators, beachgoers and private property owners. All parties learn to coexist, with the understanding that the wild horses have the run of the land. It’s not uncommon to see horses hanging out under the shady carport of someone’s oceanfront beach house.
Wild Horse Adventure Tours prioritizes the safety of the horses and their customers at all times.
“While it is thrilling, this isn't a thrill ride; it’s not about going off-roading,” says Pete, who started with the company as a tour guide himself. “The tour guide’s responsibility is to drive as safely as possible and drive in the most respectful manner as possible for the horses, other humans and the environment.”
Frequently during our tour, our guide was in contact with other tour operators, sharing everything from weather conditions to horse sightings. Their friendly working relationship allowed us to see more of the beautiful wild creatures during our two hours than we might have otherwise.
Wild Horse Adventure Tours donates a significant portion of its proceeds to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, including its emergency medical fund, and also works directly with the nonprofit organization while out in the field.
“We're in direct communication with them so if there is something unusual going on, they make us well aware of that fact and vice versa,” Pete says. “It may be that we need to stay away from a certain harem because there's an issue with one of the horses or a horse that needs medical attention or any number of things. If somebody just drove up here on their own, they would have no idea about that and might inadvertently get in the way of the situation.”
There have been unfortunate incidents of tourists getting too close to the wild horses and/or feeding them, resulting in injury and even death of horses. For the tour operators and the Corolla Wild Horse Fund nonprofit, who know each animal by name and family group, these occurrences are devastating. That’s why, for Wild Horse Adventure Tours, education and advocacy for the horses is a crucial component of their business.
“It’s important to educate the public and to recognize the people in the area who are keeping the horses safe and ensuring that they can be here long term,” Pete says. “We give back to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund as much as possible and encourage our customers to do the same.”
Operating in the sparsely inhabited area for the past 15 years, Wild Horse Adventure Tours has seen the rate and impact of manmade development increase and chooses to take an environmentally conscious approach to their operations. They have partnered with American Forests by planting trees to offset their Hummers’ carbon emissions and have purchased tracts of land in Carova and Swan Beach to protect those areas of the horse sanctuary from any future development. Their knowledgeable guides are advocates and educators.
As I watched my children marvel at the horses seeking shade in the scrub oaks, running over sandy paths in the dunes and even cooling off with their hooves in the salt water, I felt less like we were there to ogle or intrude upon the herd and more to learn about how we can become better stewards of them and their environment. It was an authentic Outer Banks adventure for the whole family.
As Pete says: “It's one of the perfect activities to do out here on the Outer Banks because nobody is left out; all ages and stages are welcome.”
(800) 460-4136 | (252) 489-2020
610 Currituck Clubhouse Drive, Corolla
About the Author Hannah West
Hannah West grew up on the Outer Banks and is a freelance writer and the author of Remarkable Women of the Outer Banks, published earlier this year. 
