Wild Pony Island
...you will notice a fenced in area on the sound side. That fenced in area contains Ocracoke's beloved "wild" ponies.
Physically, the Ocracoke ponies are different from other horses – they have a different number of vertebrae and ribs as well as a distinct shape, posture, color, size, and weight that sets them apart from other horses.
History claims the ponies came to the island in 1500's or 1600's aboard ships of European (Spanish and English) explorers. When people started to settle on the island in the 1700's they started to try and domesticate some of the ponies that roamed the island so the ponies could be used to help with hauling fish, nets and freight. During WWII the ponies were also used for patrolling the beaches by the Coast Guard and the US Lifesaving Service. At one time there were over 300 ponies roaming free on the island.
In 1950's the Boy Scouts on the island took over the care and feeding of the ponies and they became the first and ONLY mounted Boy Scout troop in the United States.
In 1957 the highway came to Ocracoke and that caused some contention for the ponies. There were fears of them wandering on the highway and getting hit as well as them eating the grasses the park had planted to help stabilize the dunes. So it was decided that a area of sound side marshland would be donated by the National Park Service exclusively for the ponies. The pens were completed in 1959 and the National Park Service took over care of the ponies in 1960 and still maintain their care today. If you would like to help maintain and care for the ponies follow the link below.
https://obxforever.org/adoptapony/
