Meant To Be, Our Sandcastle By The Sea

06/14/2024

06/05/2024

Late this afternoon we made the sad but necessary decision to humanely euthanize the herd’s newest foal, a filly born Sunday morning named Elsa.

On Sunday when Elsa was first seen, besides being on the small side she seemed to be in decent health. She was observed nursing and was seen multiple times yesterday as well. However, this morning when one of our staff came across Elsa’s mother and two-year-old sister, she was not with them. After a quick search the foal was located out on the beach with a different harem about a half mile away. She was with a mare who was being very protective and even letting her try to nurse, but obviously Elsa was not getting any nourishment and could not be left with her.

After touching base with our vet, we decided to try and grab Elsa and take her back over to her mother to see if they could be successfully reunited. We were able to catch her and get her into the truck, but once we had our hands on her we could tell she was in very bad shape. After another conversation with the vet, and also after learning that her mother had been seen kicking at her on Sunday, we decided to forego trying to reunite them and brought Elsa directly to the farm so she could be seen by the vet.

Blood tests revealed that Elsa did not receive any colostrum, so either her mother was not producing it or Elsa was not successfully nursing. She also had pneumonia, was severely dehydrated, and while we don't think she was truly premature she was definitely dysmature. She was very sick. It became clear why Elsa’s mother had rejected her - she most likely sensed that Elsa was not going to survive.

Elsa was already fading quickly by that point so we made the decision to help her pass quietly and with no further suffering. She has been buried at the farm next to the other foals we’ve lost over the years. They are just outside the mares’ pasture so they always have a big herd of their “aunts” watching over them.

We’d like to thank our staff and volunteers who helped get Elsa to safety today. It’s difficult any time there’s a medical emergency with one of the horses, but going through this kind of thing with a foal is exceedingly hard. Our staff and volunteers always rise to the occasion and always put the horse’s needs above their own emotions, and that is not something we take for granted. We are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you.

Rest easy, Elsa.

www.corollawildhorses.org

**Media outlets have permission to share the information in this post, along with the photograph. Credit to Corolla Wild Horse Fund. At this time we have no further comments or additional information to share.

05/10/2024

As you come around the curves near the end of the paved road in Corolla you will pass multiple signs that say different variations of “stay away from the horses.” Right at the cattle guard there is a very large sign saying citations will be issued for infractions. There are more than 20 very large, permanent signs lining the dunes the entire 11 miles up, along with several scattered behind the dunes too. In addition to that there are yard signs everywhere. Probably at least a hundred of them, if not more.

It is literally impossible to miss one of these signs. Not a single person who drives or walks onto the beach can say they didn’t know the rules. It’s in your face before you even hit the sand. And despite all of that, what you see happening in the photo below (taken today) continues to occur. In fact, there is even a large sign just outside the frame of this photo.

Here are just a few reasons why this kind of behavior is a problem:

1. The dunes are an incredibly fragile, important part of our ecosystem. Walking on them damages years and years of work by locals to build them up and stabilize them. It destroys grass that’s been meticulously planted sprig by sprig. And it’s also private property. If you are walking on a dune that is not directly in front of a house you own or are renting, you are trespassing.

2. You do not know how many horses are on the other side of that dune. You could suddenly find yourself surrounded by ten horses with nowhere to go if they decide you’re a threat, if they spook, or if another stallion comes along and a fight breaks out. The people in this photo have put themselves and their children in great danger.

3. Today was hot and buggy. The horses have been miserable and doing their best to combat the biting flies and the heat. They are already uncomfortable and irritated, and these people are making things even worse for them.

4. Habituation can lead to horses being removed from the wild. Horses that become overly familiar with people can be very dangerous, especially if they’ve been fed. There’s an even greater risk of this happening to foals.

Last summer a group of local Currituck kids attending a day camp came to an open house at the farm. We were standing in the barn with Junior, who was rescued after nearly choking to death on an apple, talking about what the wild horse rules are and why they’re important. Nearly every child could name off a reason why people should keep their distance - feeding can make them sick, it can cause them to become aggressive, you could get kicked or bit, and on and on. After everyone else was finished one little girl raised her hand and said with an air of great finality, “Because the sign said not to.”

Because the sign said not to.

If you witness this kind of behavior, please immediately call the sheriff’s department at 252-453-3633. Even if a citation is not or can not be issued, sometimes being corrected by a deputy is enough to scare people into following the rules. They can also get in touch with us directly and quickly should we need to respond for the horses’ safety and wellbeing.

We are fast approaching Memorial Day weekend and the true start of the busy season. It’s absolutely critical that every person who is visiting the northern beaches this summer does everything in their power to keep the horses safe.

This endangered herd already faces so many natural challenges to their survival; preventable issues caused by human negligence should not play a factor in their lives. We want the horses to remain accessible so that people can come see them in their natural habitat, and in order for that to happen everyone needs to be responsible and respectful. Your actions have far-reaching consequences.

For more resources, please see the Community Wild Horse Toolkit on our website:
https://www.corollawildhorses.com/community-wild-horse-toolki

05/05/2024

It’s been brought to our attention that a photo of an elderly wild stallion, Theo, has been posted in a local Facebook group and people are understandably concerned about his body condition. We want to provide some information and context before the conversation spirals any further.

Theo is very old for a wild horse; we believe he is most likely close to 30 years old or even in his early 30s based on physical characteristics and our photographic records dating back to the early 2000s. Over the last couple years we have watched Theo age like a typical wild stallion. This past winter was particularly rough for him, but it is also normal (and healthy) for horses to have cyclical weight gain and loss throughout the year. They bulk up over the summer and then burn those fat reserves over the winter, and it is very typical (and also healthy) for them to enter into spring on the thin side. This is often even more noticeable in older horses who may also have other issues related to aging (worn down teeth, for example) that can make keeping weight on difficult for them.

While Theo’s body condition may be alarming for some people to see, it is not currently life-threatening and he is still behaving normally for a wild horse of his age. We have been monitoring him very closely over the last few months and our vet has also been consulted and is aware of Theo’s condition and history. At this point in time we have no plans to intervene because Theo simply does not need our help. He is living out a normal life cycle for a wild horse and it is our responsibility to give him the chance to do that. As long as Theo is able to get to water, graze, and otherwise behave normally we will continue to monitor him from a distance. If at any point our management team and veterinarian determine that Theo has reached the end of his life and needs to be humanely euthanized to prevent further suffering, we will step in immediately.

Theo deserves the chance to die as naturally as he has lived - free, and without ever having human hands on him. That is what we hope for every single one of the wild horses, but unfortunately not often the case. Theo is very lucky that he has lived such a long, good life and while it may be hard for us to watch, we have to remove our emotions from it and focus on doing what’s best for the horse from both a wildlife management and veterinary perspective.

We appreciate that so many people care about Theo, and we also appreciate your trust in us to do what’s best for him.

www.corollawildhorses.org

05/03/2024

Somebody taking a neck scratch break

05/03/2024

Guess who's ready for rental season 2024? We've been working hard behind the scenes painting, staining, inspecting, doing preventative maintenance (new air conditioner units, hot water heaters) and shining up!!! Looking forward to opening the door of our home to our 2024 guests

05/02/2024

Bill and I had a chance to take the historic flat top roof tour in Southern Shores this year. Here are some inside peeks. We loved the simplicity of the homes, so many kept the original paneling, cabinets,etc and it added to the charm and nostalgia.
If you are ever in town the last Saturday of April we highly recommend doing the tour.

05/01/2024

Welcome Ezra !!!

Join us in welcoming the newest member of the herd, a c**t named Ezra. He was born about a week ago to a very experienced [Read More]

04/19/2024

04/18/2024

This is why they say "Stay 50 ft Away!!!!"

03/27/2024

We only have three weeks remaining that are still available to book this season!

June 1st - June 8th
August 3rd - August 10th
August 17th - August 24th

More details regarding booking, pricing, and information about Meant to Be available by messaging us directly, or on Houfy/VRBO.

https://www.houfy.com/lodging/meant-to-be/10846

https://www.vrbo.com/85767

02/18/2024

Best front door view ever!!!!!

02/13/2024

Exciting News!!!

01/24/2024

5:00 p.m. traffic jam on Carova. Beach. We'll take this traffic jam over any hard road traffic jam

12/07/2023

12/06/2023

On the evening of October 14th, we received a call about a horse that had been behaving abnormally for about a day, and had gone [Read More]

11/24/2023

On this Thanksgiving Day, we are grateful for a healthy herd, our amazing staff and volunteers, our community, and of course all of you. We hope everyone has a wonderful day!

www.corollawildhorses.org

11/09/2023

The Golden Girls are getting some good, empty beaches time in, while we work

11/09/2023

Behind the scenes at Meant To Be. Painting railings, cleaning blinds, curtains and windows this week

09/09/2023

Enjoying our family vacation at our favorite place!!!!

08/08/2023

Around 7:30 this morning we received a call from a resident about a horse that had been struck by a vehicle. After arriving on the scene our veterinarian determined that the mare, named Cora Mae, had fractured her tibia in multiple places. She was humanely euthanized.

The driver of the vehicle also notified the sheriff’s department and a deputy was dispatched. Statements were taken and a report was filed, but please understand that this was truly a terrible accident and all parties involved are devastated. We ask that people please be respectful as all of us - including the driver of the vehicle - cope with this loss.

Cora Mae was in her teens, and one of the top producing mares on the beach. In recent years, she foaled Liberty, Valor, Riptide, Bravo, and Cosmos. She was an excellent mother and her offspring are all extremely well-bred. Cora’s loss will have a significant, lasting impact on the wild population.

There is some comfort in knowing that Liberty, Bravo, and Cosmos are still in the wild and will hopefully sire their own foals in the coming years. Riptide was removed from the wild in 2020 when he contracted pythiosis, and now lives on the CWHF farm on the mainland. At four years old, he is our best ambassador/outreach horse, has been started under saddle, and we have plans to potentially breed him next year. We sadly lost Valor in 2020 at the age of two due to an infected tendon sheath.

Cosmos turns a year old on September 15 and while this isn’t the way we like to see foals weaned, he is old enough to survive on his own. He is still with his dad Surfer who will take excellent care of him as long as they stick together. We will be keeping a very close eye on him and will intervene if it seems like he’s struggling, but as of right now we are hopeful that he will acclimate just fine.

We’d like to thank everyone who helped us take care of Cora Mae today. We are so grateful for the quick, compassionate response from our community, our staff, and our veterinarian.

You were a good girl, Cora Mae. Rest easy now. 💜

(Photo is of Cora and Valor, 2018)

www.corollawildhorses.org

08/04/2023

Beautiful moon tonight 😍🩶

08/04/2023

Romantic walks under the moon 💘😍