I rode in a friend's pickup truck on the beach in Corolla, N.C., last summer and got a good look at a wild horse.
Wild horses have been a key part of the history and tradition of the Currituck Outer Banks, according to the Currituck Outer Bank Wild Horse Management Plan.
It's unclear when or how the horses arrived on the Outer Banks, but they may be descended from Spanish horses brought by explorers 500 years ago, according to the plan.
The horse population may have been as high as 200 to 500 at some points, according to the plan.
The horses have been used for transportation, hauling, pleasure, profit and for life-saving by surfmen and Coast Guardsmen, the plan says.
Here are a video and photo of a wild horse:
