Mystery solved: We now know what Outer Banks horses do all day, group says
One of the many mysteries surrounding North Carolina’s coastal wild horses has been solved, thanks to a bit of spying on the Outer Banks.
The horses are known to vanish into the maritime forest on the Outer Banks for months at a time, raising questions about how they spend their days.
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund, the nonprofit that watches over a herd of about 100 at the northern end of the Outer Banks, says it finally knows.
This time of year, the horses spend 89% of the day, or 16-plus hours, fattening up for winter, the organization reported on Facebook Wednesday.
Not so shockingly as a result, the horses poop 1.5% of the time, according to the fund. They were seen traveling 10.5% and resting 12.5% of the day.
Other findings by the organization:
- The horses both breed and roll 0.3% of the time and nurse, neigh and scratch 0.2% of each day.
- The horses need 15,000 to 30,000 calories a day and forage “on what grows naturally in their habitat.” “We do not provide any supplemental feed to the wild horses,” the group posted on Facebook.
The group’s post sparked some humorous replies from fellow horse lovers.
“30,000 calories over a 16 hour period,” a woman wrote on Facebook. “My God! I know what I was in my previous life!”
“Resting and eating are my favorite winter activities as well!” another woman quipped.
Others expressed amazement at the horses’ endurance.
“Only 3 hours rest!!!” a man posted on Facebook.
Corolla Wild Horse Fund leaders also explained the reason for the study.
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“As our staff are out monitoring the horses every day, they’re recording information that helps us better understand how the horses interact with each other and utilize (and survive!) their environment,” according to Wednesday’s Facebook post. “We take notes on location, weather, behavior, and more.”
That prompted thanks from some on social media.
“You all do a wonderful job of educating and conservation,” a woman wrote on Facebook..
“Appreciate all that you do,” another woman wrote, with a heart emoji.
This story was originally published December 10, 2022 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Mystery solved: We now know what Outer Banks horses do all day, group says."