The Pony Park Project

Sponsored by the Wild Horse Preserve at Grayce Wynds

             When the nonprofit Wild Horse Preserve at Grayce Wynds was incorporated on May 08, 2017, it was stated that the organization would (1) enrich the lives of people, and (2) preserve the wild horses which inspire us. We see our mission as two-pronged.

            It is with great pleasure, then, that we have purchased a piece of property that we are designating as Pony Park #1. We “closed” on this lot in Corolla, NC, on January 10, 2022. It is located at 2014 Midland Road. We have officially pulled it out of development to enhance the habitat for the wild horses of Corolla.

            We consider the habitat of this particular herd as “endangered” because the horses are primarily roaming private land that is being sold for development. Horses roam yards, have been rescued from decks, and have even entered homes through open doorways. Because the 4x4 area homes are primarily rentals, the horses come near people. Even though there are laws that warn visitors to keep a safe distance (50 feet) and never feed a wild horse, sadly people sometimes disregard the law.

            Our first Pony Park #1 is a beautiful lot in the maritime forest. We will be taking down the pine trees, trimming up the live oaks, and planting grass. We intend to post a sign on the property, inviting others to join us in building “pony parks.” We invite you to join us in this endeavor by donating through our website. We hope to raise $50,000.00 every year to continue purchasing lots in strategic locations.

            Please enjoy the following photos. We are including a photo of a nearby home where horses roamed the nearby yard. Our “neighbors” stayed inside their home as they took pictures of their visitors and will be keeping an eye on our property as well. On one occasion they noticed a horse in distress so they notified the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, the nonprofit organization that manages the herd. They were instructed to supply fresh water for the horse without violating the distance rule. The horse was gone the next morning so it was assumed that he recovered (from the heat) and resumed his roaming life.

            To sum up, we are extremely proud that we have been able to initiate our Pony Park project. We want to thank our real estate agent, Jason Summerton, who also is dedicated to land conservation in this special environment. We also want to thank all of you who will be contributing to our Pony Park Project in the future. We are working on a recognition program so “stay tuned.” Together, we can preserve habitat for the wild horses of Currituck County, North Carolina. Long may they roam...safely!!

Updates:

In the spring of 2023, volunteers took fertilizer, lime, and grass seed to The Pony Park to plant.  It was discovered that there was too much shade and debris on top of the soil to make it plantable.  We asked Mark Thompson, a local landscaping specialist, to come back and take out a few more trees and disc in the vegetation to expose more soil.  Mark donated his time and equipment to improve the soil for planting.  The Wild Horse Preserve at Grayce Wynds plans to return to the Park in the spring of 2024 to put out the fertilizer, lime, and grass seed, based on soil sampling.  In the meantime, the horses are enjoying what little we have provided so far!