One of the main reasons we chose to stay in the 4x4 area of the Outer Banks during our recent Spring Break trip was quite simple: the horses. And it makes me feel better to continually justify having an 8 passenger 4WD SUV. Our vehicle was full to the brim with stuff and people and without it we'd have had to stay where they have, gasp, paved roads. None of that for us, we're adventurers!
On a 10 mile long, 1800 acre portion of the northern Outer Banks in Currituck County over 100 wild horses, descendants of Colonial Spanish Mustangs, roam free. The refuge is accessible only by foot or 4WD vehicle and features a fence on either end that runs from the ocean, across the terrain, to Currituck Sound. You can read all about these wonderful animals and what is being done to protect them on the Corolla Wild Horse Fund website.
Our first wild horse sighting came early Monday morning when all the children were still asleep. Bobby Law came in and alerted me with great enthusiasm. 4 horses were grazing at the house on the corner, not far from us. I grabbed my camera and we dashed outside. The wild horse ordinance states that you must not approach, feed, harm or kill the horses. People are to remain at least 50 feet away from horses. That being said, thank goodness for my 70-300mm zoom lens!
Aren't they so cool?
Afterwards Bobby Law told me he thought one of the horses in the group looked "funny".
Maybe you can see where this is going. Let's just say we are obviously not equine experts...
Fast forward to Friday afternoon. I was showering and heard a good deal of commotion both inside the house and on the exterior wooden stairs. I had no idea what was going on but I was enjoying the peace and spaciousness of the shower so I wasn't too concerned. Suddenly Bobby Law burst into the bathroom shouting "Horses!" and "Baby!". Within 90 seconds I was dressed, put a hat on my wet hair and ran out with my camera.
Same house, same horses. Plus {an adorable} one! There was quite a crowd gathered. When I first arrived the baby horse, I mean foal, was lying on the grass. Soon though, he/she stood up.
So, so cool.
I couldn't stop taking pictures. You never know how long the horses are going to stay around.
About 10 minutes or so after I arrived on the scene, the gang decided they'd had enough and 4 of them, including mom and baby, took off running. That was an amazing sight in itself.
The leader of the pack (stallion?) waited on the hill and then joined the group as they galloped over the dunes.
We were all just left shaking our heads at the wonder of what we'd just seen. The highlight of a great vacation.
It wasn't until after we got home and I uploaded the photos from my camera onto my computer that we fully realized what (we think) happened. We're pretty sure the "funny looking" horse we saw on Monday was the same horse that had the foal with her on Friday. And, again, we're no experts, but that foal looked pretty brand-spankin'-new to us.
Mother Nature, thank you and we are in awe!
