Loneliest wild horse on Outer Banks finds its happy ending after months of wandering

A lonely wild horse has been wandering North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and the story of her months-long search for companionship has been breaking hearts on social media.

The saga of 2-year-old Alma came to light in June, when the Corolla Wild Horse Fund noted on social media that it had gotten multiple calls about a “lost” horse with wounds on her face.

As weeks passed, fund officials posted updates, revealing Alma had walked miles up the coast by herself with no clear destination in mind.

“Earlier this spring, Alma was pushed out of the harem she (was) born into. The stallion (who is most likely her father) became aggressive towards her and would not let her get close to the rest of the mares,” the fund wrote in a June 24 Facebook post.

“Alma is often alone on the beach and to human observers seems lost, which is understandably concerning. It may be difficult to see, but we have to remember that these are wild horses behaving naturally. It’s what eventually happens to each and every young horse, though Alma’s situation is a little unique.”

Alma lives in an area where the wild horse population is sparse. That made her situation seem almost hopeless, as she wandered weeks without seeing another wild horse.

Herd manager Meg Puckett said there was no promise of a happy ending.

However, things changed July 20, when the fund confirmed Alma had been seen in the company of other wild horses. Among them was a male, Renzi, who is close to her age, the fund reported.

“We knew she would figure it out. She’s with stallion Cowboy, mares Daisy and Shala, and Shala’s 3-year-old son Renzi,” the fund wrote.

“The wounds on her face are healed, she’s in excellent physical condition, and now she’s got friends too. There’s a lot to be said for trusting the horses, trusting nature, and doing what’s best even when it’s hard on our human emotions.”

In a best-case scenario, Alma and Renzi may eventually split from the group and create their own family, the fund said.

The update has gotten more than 9,000 reactions and comments on Facebook, most of them people who celebrated the news.

“I was visiting Corolla the end of April. ... I cried watching her stand off from the group,” Carole Disarno-Ross wrote. “My heart is so relieved.”

“It’s hard to sit back sometimes and let nature take its course, but they always know what they are doing. ... Everyone needs at least one friend,” Amber Thomas Crawford posted.

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