10 Things to Know about the Shackleford Ponies 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
These ponies live on the banks on their own with no human interaction since the 16th century. They are actually called “feral” ponies since they are descendants of domesticated stock, rather than totally wild. The number of ponies on the island range from 105 to 130 to maintain a healthy population. One theory claims the ponies are descendants of shipwrecked Spanish herds from 400 years ago. They live on federal goverment land and are co-managed by Cape Lookout National Seashore & the non-profit Foundation for Shackleford Horses. The docile banker ponies are small in stature due to the limited nutrients in their diet. Ponies mostly eat grass and will dig into underground water sources for fresh water. The herd will divide into roughly 25 separate harems (groups) and seven “bachelor” bands. One theory is that some are also of Viking descent, due to the occasional blonde tufted horses. Each horse is freeze branded so that they can be identified by the National Park Service. In the 1980’s, a population boom with the horses resulted in a degraded habitat and unhealthy horses. Because of this, select female horses are given birth control to keep a healty population.
BookBluewater.com |
page 29