A Purpose

Lately I have been questioning my involvement with horses. Whether or not I really want to own them. At times I feel like I do not give my horses the amount of time they deserve but then the thought of not having them seems even worse then the guilt. Knowing that as I head into High School my work load will only get heavier and things will get tougher I strain to see a place in my future where they would really fit.

But I know that I do not want to lose horses in my life. I have been thinking that maybe my reason for being introduced to horses was not for the riding, the training, or even to own horses. My Corolla inspires me in ways that no other horse has. To know her ancestors history and to own her is beyond a privlage. I want to be around one day and know that the Corolla's will be safe, secure, and live on long after me. They deserve that much. They are as much a part of history to me as George Washington.

So maybe re-evaluating my involvement with horses isn't such a horrible thing. I do not know yet what my purpose with horses is. The thought of giving up my horses leaves me dissapointed in myself and feeling like aa selfish kid. I gave up alot for them and I wonder is it just me feeling done with a phase of my life.

I dont know my purpose with horses but as each day passes I seem to think of it as being there for the Corollas. An activist for their preservation and a voice for them. It's hard to imagine that I might not need or want my horses. I do not want to lose them though. But it's hard to draw the line of where love ends and reality begins. I love my horses but the reality is, we might serve different purposes that have nothing to do with each other.

Indian Horses

What's an Indian Horse you might ask yourself? I do not know the facts. I never took the time to memorize just what makes a Horse an Indian Horse. I can tell you what I think makes a Horse an Indian Horse.

Indians were nearly fearless. They lived in a world that was steadily changing. People from England, Spain, Mexico, and many other countries were flocking to the "New World." They were being driven from their land. They were cheated and robbed. They were carelessly killed. Disadvanteges like language barriers, race, and even there thoughts on just what was going on seperated them from the other people. They had to learn to survive in a world that did not have room or time for their survivial, nor' did it have the want neccesarily for them to survive.

They had to be fearless, quick, strong, intellegent, and wise. They knew the land better than anyone and they had to use it to live. This wasn't a problem though. For a long time they went untouched. Their life was rather simple from what it was to become soon. The Indians had one thing there for them though. Something more trustworthy than any person they had met. That was their Indian Horse.

To get back to the question what makes a Horse an Indian horse, it's not so much a breed, a lineage, or a certain sire and dam. It's spirit.

The Corolla's have the spirit of an Indian. They live nearly fearlessly. They have been driven from their land. They have been cheated and robbed of things like fresh water. They have been carelessly killed and they have the biggest disadvantage of all, they are not human. They have had to live in a world that has changed so much. A world that does not have room, time, or even a want for them to be a part of it. A long time ago their life was simple much like the Indians. Man changed all of that. These horses are more trustworthy and in a way more worth the time than anybody I have met.

So to tell you the truth Im not sure I want to know what makes a Horse an Indian Horse. I could know all the facts and still be completely blind to what an Indian Horse is. To me it is a Horse that has been there and gone through what and Indian has and most of all their spirit hasn't changed since they outlived the people that rode them through the making of America.

The Past, Present, and Future

In the past the Corolla Wild horses really didnt have many dangers. They roamed free; untouched, unharmed. They had plenty of things to eat and all the fresh water to drink. The land was never ending and the beach served as the perfect playground for these wild horses. Overtime that has all changed. Now they live in a human infested area with minimal land access. While the food isn't gone the fresh water stands polluted from all of the new waste. The land has changed and slipped away into the ocean or for man made reasons. The once carefree playground of sand and surf is now a danger with speeding vehicles, wreckless hunters, and cruel and careless people. The future stands unclear. While new actions are being carried out to save them, the horses still face many dangers. They have nothing that will ensure that they will be around in the future except for the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and the caring people who fight for these horses everyday.

Look at how time has changed their outlook? Now as time goes by how will their future stand? No one knows but with the help of more people they will stand protected and once again as carefree as before.

The horses pictured stand together as past, present, and future.

Something To Die For

Why would you go to Corolla, NC? To see tons of commercial buildings advertising things you could buy anywhere else? The only difference is the prices are so much higher. Or do you go down there to relax on the beach? One of the nations biggest tourists attractions are the Outer Banks of North Carolina. That isn't for our businesses, buildings, clothes, restruants, ect. Thats for the nice beaches, calm waters, good temperatures and one of the biggest things, the Corolla Wild Horses. Lets build buildings, cause pollution pave roads on the beaches and get rid of the horses. What do you have now? Nothing but the same as everywhere else. Busy roads, not a glimpse at the beach through all the houses and stores, thick car smoke hanging in the air and tons of people. What's so great about that?



These horses are amazing. They are older than me and I respect them like I respect adults. They ARE the Outer Banks. They seperate us from everywhere else and make the beaches worth it. The show decades of changes through surviving hurricanes, nor'easters, man-made changes and so much more. Why take them away from the only thing they have? Why drive 30 mph. down a beach, hit one and not care to stop? Why shoot them like they are nothing?

I can honestly say that I am scared of the outcome of the Corollas but I have faith that they can be around 100's of years from now. That's not going to happen unless more people put an effort forth into saving these horses. So many people love these horses and have devoted there lives to them. Others could care less. Which one do you want to be?

Disconnected

I have felt more disconnected from the horse world than before I even became a part of it. My horses mean the world to me but I have lost sight of why that is. My life no longer revolves around eating, sleeping, and breathing horses and because of that it has been suffering.

The Corollas still face so many problems. They are not out of danger. Please don't just look past the message of saving the Corollas as a smaller priority on your list. These horses are amazing and are the reason so many people of the Outer Banks aren't money obessed from all the tourists. They are the spirit of the OBX. They show us what life was like for our ancestors and how different a world can be.

My Corolla has shown me that. Life isn't about what you can get from it all the time. It's more about what you can give and what your life could mean to someone someday. Live your life for a purpose and not just going through it blindly. These horses are important. They are so different from any horses out there and that makes them unique and that along with a million other things, makes the Corolla Wild Horses worth saving.

Scary Situations

Today around 3:45 I took Honey out. It wasn't much at first but I decided to go to the lake. I did that and the sun was setting but I was pretty close to home so I found an old path that led to a farm back in the woods. I thought it would dead end quickly but it didn't.

After the sun set around 5 down behind the trees it became dark and the trail still wound on. I became nervous and Honey got nervous too. I kept going and ended up in a field full of soybeans that was pretty far from my home but I still knew where I kinda was. With honey sinking in the mud I had to walk too. Now it was almost dark and I wasn't home. We had a couple scares but eventually we made it to a place pretty familiar. I tried to get Honey to jump a water filled ditch but she instead balked, slipped in and laid down in the water and started to drink it. I pulled her up and she shot back and pulled me in. The temperature was only about 50 which is cold when your wet.

We came to the big ditch by our house seperating the field. I jumped through and stood and commanded Honey to jump. She rared up on her back legs, tucked her front feet and sprung from the ground. At 5'6" I am taller than Honey. She soared at a height that was way above my head. We finally got back to the pasture after dark. Honey kept a level head. If I would have let her she would have guided me home. Not because she knew where she was going but because as we got closer the shrill whinny of Matoaka got Honey's attention. She quickened her pace everytime and turned her head from the wind to hear her. Although we were lost we still made it home. Before I got on the trail Honey had outright stopped. She eyed it but I forced her down it anyway. Maybe she knew that would happen???

This picture is of me and my Honey girl.

A Friend Of A Different Kind

I snapped this picture of a Red Fox up in the dunes of the Outer Banks. They had said that a band of about three of them roamed around the dunes and to please not feed them or interact with them. He came up to me while I was washing my feet off and just sat there licking up the runoff water. I didn't hurt him, he didn't hurt me.

People petitioned to have them removed but it was overruled by The Game and Wild Life Board. They stated that these animals were in their natural habitat and they wouldn't take them from that. Kind of a similar thing going on somewhere else isn't there???

Yeah there is. The Corollas. They are being taken. Why is that? People are more worried about tourism on the beaches versus our horses who ARE the main tourist attraction down there.

This fox looks pretty peaceful and he is in his own habitat, around humans.