Native to Eurasia, feral horses have lived on the Outer Banks of North Carolina for over 400 years, perhaps introduced by Spanish explorers. Having lived on the banks for many generations and adapted to local conditions, the Shackleford horses are quite small (10-13 hands, pony-sized), considerably smaller than most domestic horses.

Feral horses are common and easy to see on Shackleford Banks, with a population of over 100.

All these photographs were taken on Shackleford Banks, Carteret Co., NC 10/30/05.