Call for ticket info. One of the most sought-after attractions of the Shackleford Banks are the famed wild horses that call this deserted barrier island terrain home — the Shackleford Banks Wild Horses. Local residents for hundreds of years, these feral horses may be shy and only make occasional appearances when humans are around, but they are nonetheless one of the most unique and popular aspects of the mile long Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Every beach visitor hopes for an opportunity to spot one of these feral horses in their natural environment, and often, a chance to see one of these famed island residents is just a short water taxi or ferry ride away.
At least eight shipwrecks that were noted in the area from are of Spanish origin, and many of these vessels were transporting Spanish mustangs and other livestock which might have been thrust ashore when the vessels inevitably sank. The characteristics of the breed which closely resemble ancient Spanish mustangs supports this theory, and the reports from several s and s captains who noted seeing the horses along the shoreline provides additional evidence as well.
Another somewhat parallel theory also suggests that the horses were purposely deployed by English ships as an effort to either unload weighty cargo while traveling through the shallow Diamond Shoals, or as an attempt to start a new colonization along the barrier island shoreline. There are currently about Shackleford Banks Wild Horses that call this southern component of the Cape Lookout National Seashore home, and while they come in a variety of colors, there are a few key characteristics that distinguish them from modern domestic breeds.
The typical Banker Pony is fairly small compared to modern horses, weighing roughly , pounds, and standing about hands. Despite this smaller stature, the horses are much stockier than contemporary breeds, with deep chests, strong bones, and broad foreheads. Most of the Shackleford Banks Wild Horses are brown, bay, or chestnut in color, with shaggy brown or blonde manes that grow wild and natural. Many of these characteristics have also been compared to both modern and ancestral Spanish Mustangs, which makes them very similar to the horses that conquistadors may have rode more than years ago.
Part of the small stature could be possibly attributed to the relatively limited diet that is available along the Shackleford Banks. The horses obtain nourishment by munching on local coastal grasses, which includes smooth cordgrass in the marsh, salt meadow cordgrass, and sea oats in the dunes.
This is part of the reason why they are most often spotted along a soundside or ocean-facing shoreline, grazing away, and paying no attention to the line of vessels that are cruising by. Obtaining freshwater may seem like the biggest challenge for the wild horses, but after at least years, the herd has carved out a method for obtaining water as well.
The horses are never interfered with by the National Park Service NPS — the organization that manages the Shackleford Banks — so they simply find all food, water, and other nutrients on their own — as they have for hundreds of years. The Shackleford Banks Wild Horses are found throughout the entire island, and are most commonly found in small groups or herds, which consists of a dominant stallion and his mares and young.
Because they have such natural free range, veritably any part of the island may present an opportunity to spot the horses in their natural environment. With that being said, getting to the Shackleford Banks in the first place requires a couple of extra steps.
The docks that border Downtown Beaufort serve as the best launching point for a trip to the Shackleford Banks. Here, visitors will find a number of water taxis and ferry service that make regular trips to the Shackleford Banks in 15 or 30 minute intervals, depending on the season and time of day.
Reservations for transport to the Shackleford Banks can be made in advance online through local ferry services like Island Ferry Service, or can be purchased right on-site. Book your experience today!
Shackleford Wild Horse and Shelling Safari. This tour lasts approximately 1. Book your tour today! Great for Families! Click here to Learn More Learn More. Beaufort Was Named. Highly Rated by Guests on TripAdvisor. This tour was great! Zipse: Letruska as horse of the year? It could happen It us something more out of a Hollywood script th Best of the Blogs.
Get it. No rating delete. Storm Cat. Storm Bird. Shared Interest. Pleasant Colony. Gana Facil. With Every Wish. Lear Fan. Clark Stakes-G1. Take Charge Indy. Bourbon Courage. Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile-G1. In the 16th century, my ancestors came from Spain via Hispaniola located between Cuba and Puerto Rico to live on one of the islands off the coast of North Carolina that make up the Outer Banks.
My island is called Shackleford Banks and it is only nine miles long. It is located just east of Morehead City and Beaufort we pronounce it Bow-fert.
Here is a map of the local area so you can see where I was born What you won't see on the map, though, is the abundance of bookmakers ready and waiting to accept your horse racing wagers. This list of new horse racing betting sites comes to show that the interest in us banker ponies and our ability to gallop is growing by the day.
Our performance on the track is monitored by specialists and then reflected in the odds so that the fastest of us would get priced up with the shortest odds. If you ask the old folks on Harkers Island about us, they will tell you that the horses have always been here.
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