“Come on girl, pick up your feet, you have to see my new wild horse. It’s from Corolla.” I looked into the face of a rather short man but maybe I’m just tall. Steve Edwards smiled proudly of the mention of his new Corolla stallion. Covered in dirt from the day’s ride I felt like sitting down and watching the horses eat as I imagined he did. “A wild horse from Corolla huh,” I asked, following him through the gate. Steve did not answer as he continued to smile. He lead me to a pen where a little, dirty, black colt stood just staring out at the other horses. His ears pricked forward when he saw us coming. Wow some “wild” horse I thought. Steve slipped into the ring as I followed. The stallion looked slightly uncomfortable at my approach so I lagged behind. “This is Manteo,” Steve announced with enough enthusiasm I got the feeling he had practiced it. Manteo was short and shaggy. His eyes were showing a bit of white as he eyed me. He had a shaved spot on his neck from a surgical procedure, the surgical procedure that required them to take him out of the wild, off of the beaches of Corolla and to a strange new place that he didn’t know. “Can I touch him,” I asked stretching my hand forward slowly. “Sure why not,” Steve said as he hugged the little stallion around the neck. I ran my hand across his neck and buried my fist into his deep fur. He eased at my touch as I began to rub my knuckles into his “momma spot,” a place on there neck that there mothers rubbed when they were a foal. I soon ran my hand over his back and down the other side. I had grown comfortable with him so I draped my arms over him and rested my head on his back. He only propped his back foot and closed his eyes. Steve beamed at my appreciation for this new horse. I closed my eyes and continued to lay there completely comfortable.
Manteo was a two year old stallion that was newly captured when I did that. His trust was not strong and neither was mine. That was my first contact with a Corolla Mustang but thankfully it was not my last. I have the amazing honor of working with these horses every chance I get and I was given the opportunity to own one.
They are strong, beautiful, graceful, and talented. They can run across the sand without a problem and swim through the water when it is below freezing. The Corolla’s are perfect athletes with there quick start and very fast gaits. The picture of beauty and magnificence there is only one little flaw in there lives. They have to fight to live on the land that they came to with the Spanish centuries ago. To be the first on the land and to outlive many generations they were made for Corolla but are being driven to extinction. Development of the land, people who think these horses are not true wild horses, and the cruel people who decided that they would rather kill these horse than give them a chance are all contributing to determining these horses futures. Fortunately some caring people came along. Those caring people are part of an organization called The Corolla Wild Horse Fund. They stand for saving these horses while we still can. Along with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Steve Edwards of Mill Swamp Indian Horses and his riders have set forth in an effort to save the Corolla’s. He has accomplished a breeding program of tough and sturdy stallions and beautiful mares that prove to be as tough as the stallions. Through his breeding program he has successfully bred a Corolla stallion, Croatoan, and a Corolla mare, Baton Rouge. The end result was a beautiful little roan filly named Mokete. The saving of this breed does not lie in our hands but the hands of everyone who can help us out and just take the time to realize that they are worth saving.
Manteo was a two year old stallion that was newly captured when I did that. His trust was not strong and neither was mine. That was my first contact with a Corolla Mustang but thankfully it was not my last. I have the amazing honor of working with these horses every chance I get and I was given the opportunity to own one.
They are strong, beautiful, graceful, and talented. They can run across the sand without a problem and swim through the water when it is below freezing. The Corolla’s are perfect athletes with there quick start and very fast gaits. The picture of beauty and magnificence there is only one little flaw in there lives. They have to fight to live on the land that they came to with the Spanish centuries ago. To be the first on the land and to outlive many generations they were made for Corolla but are being driven to extinction. Development of the land, people who think these horses are not true wild horses, and the cruel people who decided that they would rather kill these horse than give them a chance are all contributing to determining these horses futures. Fortunately some caring people came along. Those caring people are part of an organization called The Corolla Wild Horse Fund. They stand for saving these horses while we still can. Along with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Steve Edwards of Mill Swamp Indian Horses and his riders have set forth in an effort to save the Corolla’s. He has accomplished a breeding program of tough and sturdy stallions and beautiful mares that prove to be as tough as the stallions. Through his breeding program he has successfully bred a Corolla stallion, Croatoan, and a Corolla mare, Baton Rouge. The end result was a beautiful little roan filly named Mokete. The saving of this breed does not lie in our hands but the hands of everyone who can help us out and just take the time to realize that they are worth saving.
This picture is of a Half Corolla colt.
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