The St. Louis Republic., 1902-11-30
Wilt. HORSES OF
NORTH CAROLINA,
Ponies Covered With Hair Several Inches
in Length Are Captured on
Sand Banks.
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC


and curious territory is in the United
States than the long sand banks which
mark the eastern boundary of North Caro-
lima.
They form vast breakwater, within
Government now proposes to provide an in
! land waterway which will end the terrors
of Cape Hatteras.
On that part of the banks further to the
southwark of Cape Hatteras there are lit
tie ponies. the only wild horses east OF the
Mississippi.
The ponies have more than three centu-
ries of history behind them.
They date back to the time of knightly
Sir Walter Raleigh ahd the days when the
Moors Of Barhary were a power.
The part Of the banks in question Is
known as Shackeiford's Banks. taking it's
name from the chief owner.
Beginning at Ocracoke Inlet this stretch
of sand reaches to Rogue Inlet. terminat-
Ing at Shaekelfords Point, in front of the
town of Beaufort
| Shaci>elford's Banks Is almost forty miles
long low lying, with here and there dunes
or sand hills rising to height of, say. forty
feet. tree covered.
The trees loaded with vines. and in this
mass Of nearly subtrop;cal vegetation.
much of it evergreen, are the Spanish bay
fan or scrub palmetto.
On Shaekeiford's Banks alone the little
ponies are found in their wild state-no-
where else
There are said to be about twelve hun
dred of them on the banks.
Inquiry made OF residents to whether
the number of ponies had decreased dur
ing the last fifty years brought the re
sponse that it had. and that until about
1850 the ponies had increased.
WEIGH 800 POUNDS.
The ponies weigh about 500 pounds and
their height is about Is to IA hands-that
Is. ~ to AZ feet.
Their life is mainly on the banks. though
in very stormy weather they sometimes
swim over to the mainland, distance OF
from two to 1--WE miles.
Their food IL marsh grass, leaves of scrub
by trees and shrubs and berries. particular
ly the berries OF the holly.
The woods usually give them good shell
ter, and hence 1t is seldom that they seek
the shelter Of the mainland
They live to quite an age. but the average
is about = years.
Some reach the age of 40.
When they, want water they bore holes in
the sand in low places and secure plenty Of
it.
These ponies have owners.
The banks are owned by various per-
sons. largely by grants sold by the State.
These people make pens out OF driftwood
and rough logs and poles. and into these
some of the ponies and their colts are at
times driven and branded.
A colt following branded mare is con-
sidered the property of the owner of the
mare. and he holds 1t.
In cases where there are colts which do
not follow the mares. the pennerS'-thae
is the men who make and own the pens
take them.
Such is the unwritten law.
The ponies are driven out OF the SCRUB
by drivers or herders. and this Is mat
ter of no small difficulty. as the scrub is
often SO thick as to be a Jungle threaded
by thousands Of narrow paths through the
shining sand. $50
The wind and salt keep down much Of the
vegetation so that there may be seen hick-
ory trees not over three feet in height, yet
loaded with nuts, and horse chestnut trees
equally drawfed.
The colts are covered with hair several
inches in length. natures protection against
the weather. 5sA
This looks like felt
1t falls of in large flakes.
Most of the colts are Of q faded brown
color, but some are black. These ponies
are known in all parts OF the State as
banker ponies.
They do not appear to be sold much out
side of North Carolina. as the people In
them.
st DARKEN IN COLOR
They cross well with horses.
When taken up country and fed upon
corn hay and oats they fill out and darken
in color somewhat.
Their instinct is remarkable
They know by means of it the way to
get 10 the mainland or to islands with the
minimum amount OF swimming.
n "a s.
tances without getting out of their depth,
making various turns and changes of direc-
tion to conform to the shoals, yet they are
fearless swimmers.
Though an inlet only about two miles In
width separates Shackelfords Banks from
Bogue Banks, the ponies never go on the
latter banks, nor do they cross the Ocra-
coke Inlet
The ancestors of these hardy and valuable
little horses were the Barbary horses, which
Sir Walter Raleigh sent over with his col
onists, to Roanoke Island. Sir Walter Ra-
leigh's colonists. when the relief from Eng
land was SO long delayed in reaching them,
went with the Indians to the mainland, but
must have left the ponies.
The Indians were unused to horses.
The Indians were the Haterasks. who
gave their name to the dreaded capa.
These sturdy little. ponies are therefore a
part OF the romance which hangs about
this quaint part of North Carolina.
There are persons who hold that Raleigh's
colonists first landed on Shackelford's
Banks, and later went to the Isle of Roa-
noke, where they built their fort because
1t was more defeBsible place, and that
they left the little Barbary horses" On the
banks until better times should come.