© 2004 Elizabeth Lofton.
All Rights Reserved.


To this day, the Shackleford horses continue to roam the islands, and the Diamond City Horse Gallery continues to do everything in its power to keep them free.

 

The Spanish Mustangs came to the North Carolina coast as early as 1521 with Lucas Vasquiz de Allygon who had a charter from Spain to explore and colonize the New World.  He landed at what may have been Cape Fear.  During this time the colonists traded with the Coree Indians and among the goods were Spanish Mustangs.
 
     In 1584, Richard Granville, who intended to build a colony, traded with the Spaniards in Puerto de Elata.  He brought Spanish Mustangs, saddles, sheep, hogs, cattle, sugar, ginger, tobacco, and other supplies to Wocoeon, Ocracoke, Shackelford, Portsmouth Island and other areas which are now referred to as the Outer Banks.  His intent was to trade with the English who were also exploring the area for suitable colony sites, but some of his ships went aground near Ocracoke and Portsmouth Island and the Spanish Mustangs reclaimed their freedom and swam to the nearby shores.
 
     Later and English historian, John Lawson, who explored coastal North Carolina in the early 1700's, upon seeing the mustangs, described them in his journal as well-shaped, sturdy and able to travel long distances.
 
During the time periods between 1812 and 1863 the largest and most successful whaling village called Diamond City, (claiming its name from the big, bold diamonds on the Cape Lookout lighthouse) used the sturdy little horses to pull the whaling boats and whales to shore for slaughter.  They also pulled the wagons loaded with tremendous weight along the beaches for the sailors and fishermen.

In 1856 a historian named Edumond Ruffin visited the Outer Banks.  He found horses running free on the islands on some penned up on private property.  The wild mustangs were reported to still be running free in 1938.  To this day, the Ruffin Spanish Arabian is in high demand at the finest breeding stables, and the horses continue to roam the islands of the Outer Banks.

Spirit, the little white warrior, loved by all, protected as an orphan by Majestead who would come running to Ms. Loftin's call, as witnessed by the Raleigh News and Observer's own writers and photographers.  Sadly, the last sighting of Spirit was shortly after the N.P.S. rounded up the herd in 1996 and removed Majestead, the stallion who was so important to his livelihood.  The mare who adopted Spirit as her own and nursed him was also removed or destroyed.  Sometimes, mankind's most well-meant interaction to nature is nature's most deadly enemy.