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2 days ago

It's calendar contest time! 📸🐎

Submit your photos for the 2027 calendar by March 15: www.corollawildhorses.com/calendarcontest/

Grab a copy of the 2026 calendar today: www.corollawildhorses.com/shop/product-category/calendar/ ... See MoreSee Less

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3 days ago

How about some good news? 2025 left us a parting gift - one last foal born the week of Christmas, bringing our herd’s total for the year to ten!

While it’s uncommon for mares to foal so late in the season, it’s not abnormal. Nature made sure this little guy is well-equipped to handle the cold with a thick winter coat and his mother’s nutrient dense milk. Both mare and colt are in excellent condition; this is her second foal and she is a great mother.

Even though it’s the offseason, the rules still apply. This mare is especially protective and sensitive to intrusion - please give them plenty of space if you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them.

www.corollawildhorses.org

*Media has permission to use the photos and information in this post, with credit to Corolla Wild Horse Fund ... See MoreSee Less

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1 week ago

Topnotch and Blossom taking a nap together in the sun this afternoon. 💛 ... See MoreSee Less

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1 week ago

Thank you!

Two years ago, we made the decision to shift our fall fundraiser to a year-end campaign. We certainly know that we have an exceptionally generous community of supporters but did not know what exactly to expect with this change in our calendar. Well, for the second consecutive year, you have exceeded all of our expectations. This year’s campaign surpassed our goal and is sending us into 2026 with so much optimism.

We know there will be challenges ahead, but we are as prepared as we ever have been to confront those challenges. Each one of you is a huge part of the reason why. Each one of you inspires us every day. We are truly honored and humbled to serve a mission that has such passionate support.

It is my hope that each of you has a truly wonderful 2026. Whether in Corolla at the museum, in Grandy at the farm, or out on the beach, please come by to see us this year.

Above all else, your support is integral. The Bankers on the beach are wild and free with your support. The Bankers at the farm are well-fed and healthy with your support.

Sometimes words feel small; this is one of those times. Nevertheless, thank you!

Chris Winter, Chief Executive Officer

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2 weeks ago

The wild horses are seasonal grazers, which means they utilize different parts of their habitat at different times of the year based on what’s available for them to eat.

The Bankers are a thrifty breed and able to survive on rougher forage and fewer calories than many other types of horses. Even in winter there is plentiful food across the 7600 acres of habitat, and you’ll often see them browsing for bull briar, acorns, marsh grasses, and even yellowed beach grass that still has plenty of nutritional value. This keeps them warm and in good weight all winter long!

All of these photos were taken by our staff over the last week. ... See MoreSee Less

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2 weeks ago

It’s been a little over a month since we relocated Topnotch to the farm and it’s safe to say he has officially settled in and become a part of the family. Feels like he’s been here forever! 😉

He knows exactly what time he’s supposed to be served each meal and you better not be late with it! He and Blossom are getting along really well, and his training is progressing slowly but surely. He’s still not comfortable being touched but is very eager to engage with us, so we are confident that with time and patience we’ll eventually get there. Physically, he’s in very good shape for a horse his age. Sometime before spring he’ll have a full veterinary and dental exam, vaccinations, and maybe even a hoof trim.

Maybe not the most exciting update, but in this case that’s a very good thing! All is well in Topnotch’s world. 🩵

If you missed the last update about Topnotch, you can read it here: www.facebook.com/share/p/1C2XnUS42f/

Sponsor Topnotch and help cover the cost of his feed, veterinary, and training: www.corollawildhorses.com/horse-sponsorships/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Observing the horses interacting naturally with each other and their habitat can teach us so much about them! Our staff monitors the herd every day and we collect data on all kinds of things, including locations, grazing patterns, herd dynamics, and even weather conditions.

Today we came across two bachelor stallions on the beach; the chestnut is quite old whereas the bay was born in 2022. This is a great example of what life is like for a stallion in the years before and after the prime of their life. They often band up together and the older horses play an important role in the development of the younger stallions. Play-fighting like what’s happening in these photos is a way for the less mature horses to develop skills they’ll need to one day challenge other stallions for mares.

However - even low-stakes scuffles like this can be extremely dangerous for people. Always keep your distance and remember that a seemingly peaceful moment can escalate quickly! The second and third photos were taken through the lens of the binoculars. ... See MoreSee Less

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Rescued Corolla Banker Rico doing amazing work with I AM HERD Mustang Sanctuary. 💕She placed the palm of her hand on Rico's forehead and closed her eyes.

"If anything upsetting happens in the ER today I am going to remember this moment with Rico."

As the words were still reverberating in the air, Rico responded by gentling taking the energy of them in and yawning out in transformed release.
It was so beautiful to witness.

This photo is as she was first placing her hand on his face. Just as these words were first being said.

Rico is a Corolla Wild Horse who was rescued by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund after breaking his foot in the wild on the outer banks of NC.

He is all healed now and has a forever home here at I AM HERD and spends most of his days eating, playing, and resting with his pony herd here that loves him dearly.

Yesterday, he traveled to Rex Hospital in Raleigh to greet health care providers as they made their way into work on New Years Day 🐴

We are so grateful that this is the work we get to do through I AM HERD.

May all hearts be held. May all hearts be heard. May all hearts be free.

💕 Mary, Rico, and all of the Mustangs of this Sanctuary

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@unchealthrex
@iamherdmustangsanctuary
@justme_mmj_mary
@corollawildhorsefundinc
@triplecrownfeed @mustangheritagefoundation ... See MoreSee Less

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Happy New Year! We hope your 2026 is off to a great start! 🌟 ... See MoreSee Less

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As we reach the end of 2025, the realities of an Outer Banks winter are beginning to arrive. Temperatures are dropping, the cold north wind is a regular companion, and the beaches are as empty as they will be until spring returns. This is a time in which many days will see more horses roaming the beaches and dunes than people.

Each of you, the supporters that enable us to serve our mission, has been with us each step of the way in 2025. You have experienced the highs and lows that the circle of life inevitably brings the herd each year. Like any other year, we saw a new generation of foals, full of energy and life, join the herd. We also lost horses, some of whom were able to live their entire life wild and free. All of us can find stability and comfort in these rhythms of life – knowing that the cold of today will lead to a season of new foals just around the corner.

Essential work continues this time of year; we are in the process of upgrading our well and constructing a hay barn at the farm. Necessary improvements designed to further establish our farm as a true sanctuary for Banker horses that have been removed from the wild.

For one final time in 2025, on behalf of the staff and board of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, I ask for your support of our Year-End Campaign. We are all poised to meet the challenges of a new year and are able to do so because you take this walk with us.

Make a donation today, and your gift will be doubled thanks to a generous match: www.corollawildhorses.com/campaign/

We wish each and every one of you the happiest of new years.

Warm regards,

Chris Winter
Chief Executive Officer ... See MoreSee Less

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Merry Christmas! ❤️ Hope your day is filled with comfort and joy. ... See MoreSee Less

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This year we began collecting data on something new - measurements. What is the average length of these horses’ legs? What’s the average distance between the top of the shoulder and the base of the tail? The circumference and length of their neck? The width and length of their hooves? This information will help us put together a breed standard for the Corolla Bankers.

A breed standard defines how the ideal individual should look and behave. It identifies the acceptable size range, colors, how the animal should move, conformation, and temperament just to name a few things. With these measurements we can begin to put together an average range of common physical characteristics for the breed that, when combined with what we know about genetics and ancestry, will help define exactly what a Corolla Banker is and provide a blueprint for purposeful, responsible conservation breeding in the future.

We obviously can’t take these kinds of measurements from the living wild horses, but we can collect data from wild horses who have passed on. If you remember the story about Knight/Airman (read more: www.facebook.com/share/p/14S9nCVF2py/) we were able to get his measurements from his skeletal remains. And we have horses at the farm who represent all of the different areas and territories of the wild habitat, several different family lines, and both distinct body types that we see in these horses. Even though they are no longer wild they are still serving a very important role in the work that we’re doing to protect and preserve this endangered breed.

You can help support this project and many others by becoming a member, sponsoring a rescued horse, or just making a one-time donation - every single dollar makes a big impact! Get involved today: www.corollawildhorses.com/campaign/ We are so close to meeting our year-end goal, and your gift makes double the impact right now thanks to a very generous match! ... See MoreSee Less

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With only a couple hundred left in the world, the Bankers are recognized as a critically threatened, endangered breed. DNA research has confirmed that the Bankers are indeed direct descendants of the horses originally brought to North America by the Spanish in the 1500s. They have remained isolated on our barrier islands for hundreds of years, preserving their genetics and earning them a place in the very fibers of our culture and history here in North Carolina.

As the herd faces more modern threats to their survival - encroachment, environmental changes due to climate change, a decreased herd size, etc. - the role that all of us play in their survival has become increasingly important. We must balance habitat preservation, breed conservation, and accessibility (we want people to be able to come see them - safely and respectfully!) to ensure that a thriving wild herd remains here for many more generations.

Habitat is more than just food and water. It is every single part of the environment that the horses encounter during the course of their normal lives. Nowadays the habitat includes more houses, more traffic, more people - more challenges than ever. It’s up to all of us to protect the habitat and make it as safe as possible for the horses. This includes keeping your property free of dangerous trash, fencing, and debris, it means following the rules and not getting too close to the horses, and it means taking an active role in our land preservation efforts. You can learn more about that here: www.corollawildhorses.com/land-preservation-initiative/

Becoming a member or setting up a recurring monthly donation are great ways to provide sustaining support for this important work! Get involved today: www.corollawildhorses.com/campaign/

From now through the end of the year your donation will make double the impact thanks to a generous match! ... See MoreSee Less

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Greetings everyone,

As we gather with friends and family here in the waning days of 2025, all of us at the Corolla Wild Horse Fund are filled with gratitude that each of you is part of our community. It is because of you that we are able to serve the mission about which all of us care so deeply.

With just two short weeks until New Years Eve, our annual year-end campaign is once again serving as a reminder of just how important your support is. Not only does it directly fund so many of the activities that will keep the Bankers wild and free, it also generates considerable momentum for us headed into the new year. 2026 will be a year of strategic planning for us, and a successful campaign creates the environment in which each one of us can step into that process with optimism, determination and an eye to what is possible.

I am thrilled to share that your support of the campaign thus far has been exceptional! We are on pace to surpass our financial goals. For those of you that have already given, feel our gratitude. For those of you that are still discerning, we are humbled and honored to have your consideration. The campaign will close at midnight on Dec. 31. Whether it is a CWHF membership, horse sponsorship or one-time philanthropic gift, please join us in bringing 2025 to a close in grand fashion.

Give now: www.corollawildhorses.com/campaign/

The Banker horses will wander the marshes, run on the beach and be perched atop the dunes in 2026 just as they have for hundreds of years before. The pressures and challenges evolve over time, but our collective passion for keeping the herd wild and free never wavers.

Warm regards,
Chris Winter
Chief Executive Officer ... See MoreSee Less

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Topnotch has been at the farm three weeks today and is doing really well. When we relocated him we set the following goals for his first month:

✅Get his diet straight
✅Establish a routine for feeding - when/where/expected behavior
✅Introduce him to wearing a halter
✅Introduce the concept of personal space; establish and be respectful of each other’s boundaries
✅Give him a friend

One week to spare and we have accomplished all of our goals! Of course everything is still very much a work in progress but we are really thrilled with how game Topnotch has been to learn all these new tricks.

Topnotch is very smart and likes using his brain (puzzle feeders are one of his new favorite things), and he has a great sense of humor. It’s almost like he’s indulging us because he finds it all very entertaining. At no point in his training have we confined him or forced him into anything. There’s always an “escape route” for him and he can leave if he chooses, but instead he always engages with us. That is huge! We don’t want him to feel threatened or trapped, and we want him to go at his own pace as much as we can safely let him. He is not “gentled” yet by any means (90% of this training occurs with a wall between us and him) but he’s made an exceptional amount of progress in this short amount of time. We’re very proud of him (and proud of our team as well!).

Today was a big day because we introduced him to Blossom. They are about the same age and have similar dietary needs, so they will make great pasture mates. Introductions went off without a hitch; these old stallions are extremely respectful and well-behaved around mares. Blossom pinned her ears at him once and that was that. Now he’s following her around like a puppy and letting her eat his dinner.

We’d like to thank everyone who has sponsored Topnotch or made a donation towards his care. Your support has allowed us to provide him with the feed and enrichment he needs to stay healthy and comfortable. Finding different types of food that he will consistently eat has taken a bit of trial and error, but thanks to you we’ve been able to try a variety of things and come up with a diet that works. We’re almost to the point where we feel comfortable making an appointment to have our vet come check out his teeth and vaccinate him, so he will have some medical bills coming up as well.

Right now during our year-end campaign your gift has double the impact thanks to a generous match. You can make a donation via our website: www.corollawildhorses.com/campaign/ or mail checks to PO Box 361, Corolla, NC 27927

Horse sponsorships make great gifts! And don’t worry if you’re behind on your holiday shopping - sponsorships are digital so you have until December 21 to purchase one and ensure that all of the materials will be personalized and emailed to the recipient. Learn more: www.corollawildhorses.com/horse-sponsorships/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Congrats to Danielle, the winner of our holiday raffle!

Thanks to everyone who purchased a ticket, and to Middleton Clay Project for creating and donating this beautiful pot for the fundraiser. We sold 551 tickets!

You can find more work by Middleton Clay Project on their website: www.middletonclayproject.com ... See MoreSee Less

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Fire-breathing dragon spotted in Carova! 🤣

One of our staff snapped this great photo of a young stallion just a bit ago - it’s chilly out this morning. May even see a few ❄️❄️❄️! ... See MoreSee Less

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Horse sponsorships make greats gifts, and also help the horses! By sponsoring one of the rescued Bankers you can help us provide feed, veterinary care, and training all year round. 🎁🐴

More info: www.corollawildhorses.com/support-corolla-wild-horse-fund/ ... See MoreSee Less

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