The wild Banker horses of Corolla, descendants of Spanish mustangs, are unique to the Outer Banks, and visitors and locals never tire of seeing them in their natural habitat in the 4WD area north of Corolla.
If you want to see the horses safely, but with the thrill of a 4-wheel-drive experience, you should take a Back Beach Wild Horse Tour with an experienced guide. But take note: Just as the wild Banker horses are not like other horses, the same is true of the tour companies. Back Beach was the first to have open-air, safari-style tour trucks. All trucks have forward facing seats for an unparalleled view!
Back Beach Wild Horse Tours is not owned by an out-of-state entity but rather a local couple named Bob and Wendy White. In business since 1996, Back Beach Wild Horse Tours is the only company that is still truly owner operated. They stand by those words because when you call to book, Bob or Wendy will probably answer the phone, and when you check in, Wendy or Bob will likely be there to greet you. This is the true spirit of the Outer Banks – family-owned businesses with strong community connections.
Bob is also known as Corolla Bob, a name that he has rightly earned for service to the Corolla community and his guardianship of the Corolla wild horses.
Back Beach Wild Horse Tours has deep local roots and a reputation for having fantastic guides who know their Outer Banks history. They will not only teach you the history and habits of the horses, but will also fill you in on the facts and folklore of the Northern Outer Banks, all with good humor, which makes the tour all the more enjoyable.
The guides also stop frequently so you can take photos. The tour truck holds 15 people and the seats are purposefully high, so everyone can see everything no matter what seat they choose! The tour lasts about two hours, but as you cruise down the beach enjoying that fresh ocean breeze, your time with the horses will fly by.
The horses have been here for 500 years, and Bob is keen to ensure that they will be here for 500 more. Through his horse tour company and as a Currituck County Commissioner and Corolla Wild Horse Fund board member, he has kept a watchful eye over the horses in one way or another for decades.
One of his main concerns is development in the 4WD area and the way it affects the horses’ habitat. He says protected land is the key to the long-term survival and sustainable future for the horses.
“Land preservation is the big deal right now,” Bob says. “We have to slow development or the horses will face big issues with human interaction.”
To this end, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, which manages the horses from a distance, created its Habitat Preservation Initiative to preserve portions of land within the 7,544 acres of horse habitat in the 4WD area. With the rate of development ever increasing, the Fund strives to preserve as much land as possible to provide habitat for the horses and other wildlife. Visit the fund at corollawildhorses.com for more information on how you can get involved.
Using data on horse movement, grazing patterns and herd behavior, the Fund has identified a north-to-south wildlife corridor of undeveloped property. Since 2015, nine parcels in this corridor have been secured, including lots bequeathed to the Fund for conservation.
While the Fund is trying to build up the money to extend the wildlife corridor, they welcome donations and charitable bequests.
“More work has yet to be done,” Bob says. “We need to secure hundreds of acres of land.”
Clearly, the horses need a safe space, and Bob says he will never stop working with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund to ensure that they have it. Corolla Wild Horse Fund accepts donations toward its Habitat Preservation Initiative, with donations going toward the purchase of land, conversion to habitat and property maintenance.
At Back Beach Wild Horse Tours, Bob and Wendy make contributions through their tours. If you book your tour online, you can choose to donate to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. Bob and Wendy then match these donations to give back to the horses that give us all so much happiness.
It’s a win-win situation – you get to ride on the beach in an open-air safari-style vehicle and enjoy unobstructed views of the Banker horses, and your donation helps to protect the herd for future generations.
Back Beach Wild Horse Tours
(252) 453-6141
817 B Ocean Trail, Corolla
seewildhorses.com
About the Author Anna Thomas
I am originally from Manchester, England – go, Reds! I have made the Outer Banks my home for the last 25 years. I think that being close to the water is transformative, and I love how close I am to the power of nature here – in the ocean and the sky. I enjoy a good laugh with friends, reading, 80s music, traveling and spending time with my family
