Runnin’ Free, the Outer Banks ‘Bankers’: The Wild Horses of Corolla

You may have heard of them, you may have even seen them in such shows as Jon & Kate + 8 or “Rodanthe Nights” with Richard Gere. You might also have seen them on youtube, where they are known to make frequent appearances, shown poking their heads over fences or wandering in the between the houses in the 4 wheel drive area.

But what exactly are these wild horses? Where did they come from, and where are they now? If you’ve always wondered about them then read on…

When the colonists from Spain were settling in the New World in the 1500’s, it was common practice to bring over horses to use during times of war. Sometimes the Ships that were bringing over some of these horses would wreck off our coast, (as many ships did back then.)

The surviving horses swam ashore and went from being domesticated animals into being wild ones.

The Wild horses of Corolla, also called ‘Bankers’ are descendents of these first horses. They are allowed to roam free in the 4 wheel drive area. You can take tours to see them, or if you have 4 wheel drive, you can just go on the beach with it and see if you can find them.

They seem friendly and are used to people, but they are still wild so don’t get too close and don’t feed them.


The herd is managed by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. They make sure that the heard is safe and healthy. (They also get them veterinary care when needed.) When the heard gets too big, some of the younger horses are adopted out. If you already own horses or have the ability to, you can find out more about that program here:







You can read more about the horses here