Elderly, ailing Outer Banks stallion removed from beach for treatment

Captain, believed to be well into his 20s, had come out of winter thin. The fund, tasked with caring for the northern Outer Banks wild mustang herd, had watched him through the spring and summer to make sure he was getting along OK.

“… While he remained skinny he was alert, mobile, grazing, and behaving normally,” the fund said. “As long as he seemed comfortable our plan was to allow him to live out the remainder of his days in the wild.”

But in the past week, Captain developed an abscess on his face that indicated to us he was battling an infection.

Caretakers made the decision to remove him to the rescue farm for treatment.“He was very easy to catch this afternoon and we got him to the farm with minimal stress,” the fund said. “Our vet came and took x-rays of his skull, and we weren’t surprised to see that his teeth are a mess. That’s a natural part of aging for a horse, but he had also developed a severe sinus infection from the cracked and broken teeth.

“He’s now on antibiotics, a painkiller, and steroids. Next week we will sedate him and see what we can do to fix/remove his damaged teeth.”

The CWHF describes Captain as a kind, level-headed horse and has been very easy to treat and work with so far.

“We will continue to do what we can to keep him comfortable and help him maintain a decent quality of life,” the fund wrote.

The group thanked resident and visitors for helping keep an eye on stallion.

“We’d also like to thank the Currituck County sheriff’s department for escorting us safely up and down the beach today,” the fund said.

The CWHF is raising money for Captain’s care. You can give via Facebook, or visit for more ways to give: www.corollawildhorses.org.