The Corolla wild horses (also known as Bankers) that live along the shores of the Outer Banks eat a very specialized diet of native vegetation. Feeding these horses is not only illegal but could cause them extreme pain called colic, choke, or even death. 

There are signs everywhere telling visitors to keep their distance and to not feed or touch the horses. Treats that people may share with their own domestic horse like an apple could be a death sentence to a wild horse.

That is why when countless apples appeared on the beach, locals and staff with Corolla Wild Horse Fund (CWHF), who protects and manages the horses, rushed to pick them up before the horses found them. 

CWHF shared, "Our employee started heading towards the area where the apples were reported and quickly realized someone didn’t dump them out there on purpose - they seemed to be washing up out of the ocean! They must have come off a ship out at sea. Not something you see every day, but does happen from time to time."

It was a team effort to remove all the apples. CWHF staff, people on the beach, locals collecting garbage, and sheriff's deputy collected several bags of apples and even a few oranges. 

The following morning, staff were going to return to the beach to clean up any that washed ashore overnight, but found out that volunteers from N.E.S.T. (Network for Endangered Sea Turtles) had already cleaned up the remaining apples. 

The quick actions by many saved the horses from a tragic incident. Apples can be deadly as CWHF shared how they claimed the life of one foal and nearly killed a stallion years ago.

"In 2020 we lost a yearling colt to choke after he was fed an apple. In 2021, stallion Junior nearly died after choking on an apple. You should never feed an animal that isn’t yours, whether it’s domestic or wild. It is against the law to feed or bait the wild horses."

Protecting the wild horses is also a team effort and one that you can help with by following the rules posted for their safety and yours.

These magnificent animals have been roaming the North Carolina shore for nearly 500 years and will continue to do so as long as they can remain wild and free.