Rarely witnessed moment of wild horses enjoying di
Post# of 123823
June 1, 2022
A family of wild horses was seen relaxing in the Atlantic on the North Carolina coast this week, proving the majestic animals are just as fond of the ocean as Outer Banks tourists.
Video of the rarely witnessed moment was recorded by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, a nonprofit that tends to the wild horses that roam the northern end of the state’s barrier islands.
“One of the most common questions we get is ‘do the horses get in the ocean?’,” the fund wrote in a May 31 Facebook post.
“When it’s hot and buggy, they do! Today was both of those things. This is Surfer with his mares Cora and Peaches, and yearling colt Bravo.”
It’s not something tourists commonly see, herd manager Meg Puckett says. The wild horses more commonly stick to the dunes and beaches when tourists are around — in case they need make a hasty exit. (Noisy vehicles and unleashed dogs are among the most common threats.)
“You’ll see them standing right by the water but it’s not too often you see them go that deep out into it,” Puckett says.
Using the salt water as bug repellent — and to cool off — is one of many adaptations the horses have made since being abandoned by early visitors to the continent around 500 years ago.
The state’s wild horses have even been seen swimming between barrier islands farther to the south at Cape Lookout National Seashore. It’s believed they do so in pursuit of fresh grazing spots.
Puckett notes the untamed horses are smart enough to know ocean water is not drinkable, though they will playfully stick their nose in it.
“They don’t stay in the water for long periods at a time and to be honest, horses are much better at taking care of themselves than most people,” the fund reports. “There is plenty of fresh water available to them behind the dunes.”
Her video of the horses in the water had been viewed more than 44,000 times, inspiring more than 4,000 reactions and comments as of the morning of June 1. A second video shows the horses quickly moved away when 12-year-old Surfer appeared to sense something amiss on the beach.
“Amazing! Brings tears to my eyes,” Trudi Parrillo posted on Facebook.
“This will never get old,” John Bell wrote.
“That has to be the most awesome and beautiful thing to see,” Doreen Lavorato posted.
Source:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/rarely-witnessed-m...35177.html