The top picture is from the National Parks Services web site for Assateague National Seashore. I fondly remember visits there. First when I was a teen (early 1960s) and we had to take a boat to Assateague Island. I swam in the ocean on Thanksgiving. The water was warm but the air was frigid. A decade or so later my wife, son and I visited to see the ponies and the natural beauty. Ten to twenty years later I visited NASA on Wallops Island, just south of Assateague where I worked on the telephone system.
In 2014 I moved from Maryland to Wilmington, North Carolina. Recently I discovered a coastal horse refuge in North Carolina up the coast from Wilmington.
Horses of Shacklefords Banks
This picture is from Shackleford Banks. The southern-most barrier island in Cape Lookout National Seashore, is home to more than 100 wild horses. Venture out by boat or passenger ferry to enjoy the rare privilege of watching horses that live without the help of man. Appreciate the horses’ tenacity and watch their social behaviors. Respectfully stay far enough away to avoid disturbing the horses or endangering yourself, your children, or your pets.
General information on the horses, horse behaviors, and park management can be found in the Shackleford Horses brochure (pdf, 1.8 MB) . You can also download our answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Our Local Wild Horses (pdf, 404 Kb). Updates on the horses are posted each year, these reports can be found on the Horse News and Updates page.