Corolla’s wild horses weather Hurricane Erin using a centuries’ old trick

As Hurricane Erin moves by North Carolina, the wild horses of Corolla weathered the storm thanks to a natural trick they’ve been using for centuries.

Hurricane Erin has prompted an array of warnings from the National Weather Service, particularly for those living in the Outer Banks. Roads remained closed in the area as of writing, though the storm is thankfully moving away from the NC coast after passing by overnight. Ahead of Hurricane Erin’s potential landfall, many residents were concerned about Corolla’s wild horses—particularly in terms of how the animals would remain safe amid mandatory evacuations and rising water levels. As the Corolla Wild Horses Fund stated on Facebook, though, these majestic creatures instinctually understand when bad weather is on the horizon, and they know how to protect themselves when it is.

The Bankers, as the horses are affectionately known, have lived and survived on the barrier islands for almost 500 years, which is a point the Corolla Wild Horses Fund kindly stressed in their post. “It’s a natural part of life for them and has been for many, many generations.” Though people have contacted the fund to request that the animals be rounded up and moved somewhere “safer” during the storm, this wouldn’t necessarily be the best option for the herd. “We would never round them up and move them ahead of a storm. It’s completely unfeasible and unsafe for a mile-long list of reasons, and would be a gross overreach from a herd management perspective,” the Fund said.

In fact, the wild horses naturally implement a centuries’ old trick whenever the tides turn and the weather changes for the worst: They turn their “butts to the wind.”

How NC’s wild horses safely ride out a storm 

Yes, you read that right. To stay safe during a hurricane, the Bankers move to higher ground—typically underneath live oak trees that are sturdy—and position themselves so their butts are facing (er? butting? you know what I mean) the wind. They do this to protect the more sensitive areas of their bodies, like their eyes and faces, and to stabilize themselves against the intense shift in weather. The colonial Spanish mustangs have been instinctively using this trick for hundreds of years.

Prior to Hurricane Dorian in 2019, the Corolla Wild Horses Fund stated on Facebook that, “The wild horses are better equipped to handle a hurricane than most of us humans living on the Outer Banks,” for this very reason. The Fund also emphasized that the stretch of OBX where people most frequently encounter the mustangs isn’t the only land available to the herd. “Their habitat ends at the Virginia state line, and comprises about 8,000 acres of land that includes maritime forest, marsh, and an 11-mile strand of beach.”

So, for all of you animal lovers reading this, there really isn’t a need to worry about the Bankers. They have plenty of space available to seek safety, and they know when it’s time to head for high ground and close ranks. The Corolla Wild Horses Fund will also drive around once it is safe to do so to check on the horses and administer food and care as needed.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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