We scheduled our wild horses tour on our first full day in the Outer Banks. We arrived at the tour company ready for fun. The vehicles were open air Hummers with a shade cover.
Our tour guide had been on the job for a long time. He had such great stories that we were constantly entertained and educated.
There were signs everywhere telling people not to touch or feed the wild horses. Some were just warnings. Other signs gave more information, like the wild horses evolved over the years so their digestive systems could only eat the wild grass grown in the sand dunes.
We were really glad we didn't rent the house in the middle of the wild horse preserve. It turned out that vehicle tires needed to be deflated and inflated every time you drove on the sand. There were vehicles in line at the entrance with people deflating tires. About a mile outside the preserve was an air station to inflate tires. It was fine for one trip, but doing it every day would not have been an enjoyable way to spend vacation.
The horses were a beautiful mix of wild and practical. The guide said that horses use house carports to stay out of the heat. People living/staying in the houses have strict guidelines about co-existing with the horses. As we drove around, we saw several people standing on a deck taking photos.
As we left, there were two horses walking in the surf. They were just walking on the edge as if they owned the place, which they actually do.