Colonial Spanish Mustangs have existed for 500 years on the Outer Banks. This rare breed lives on through careful conservation, management, and ongoing educational efforts.

Join us for a special program this Friday, May 15 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., at Island Farm. Corolla Wild Horse Fund’s Herd Management Coordinator will be joining the Farm’s historical interpreters to bring modern context to the history of the Spanish mustang breed. Also included in the program will be the history of the Colonial Spanish Mustangs, their introduction to the Outer Banks, and historic uses over the centuries.

At Island Farm, this rare breed is represented in the site’s Heritage Livestock Program by two ponies – Grace and Rainbow. In the nineteenth century, banker ponies were used endlessly across the Outer Banks: in traditional farm work and transportation, and in maritime pursuits like hauling nets or patrolling the beach after shipwrecks. Today, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund protects and manages the existing banker pony herd along the Northern Beaches in Currituck County.

Island Farm’s Banker Pony Program continues weekly throughout the 2026 season, where visitors are encouraged to interact with the Farm’s ponies and learn more about the history and vast importance of this rare breed. Admission to the site is $11, and children 3 and under are admitted for free. Island Farm is open March to December, Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., where programming and events vary throughout the season. The farmstead is located at 1140 N US Highway 64, north of Manteo on Roanoke Island.