A Big Change In Directions

From its inception the off site breeding program has required that only pure Corolla mares be bred to pure Corolla stallions. However, in order to insure sufficient genetic diversity it is necessary to include some Shackleford horses into the mix. The Shacklefords roam free on an island at the bottom of the Outer Banks. They are closer related to the Corollas, who live wild on the upper end of the Outer Banks, than any herd that has been subject to genetic testing. They clearly descended from the same Spanish Colonial stock as did the Corollas. They are strait. They have always been included in the Banker strain and have been so designated by both the HOA and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. They have been successfully crossed with each other for many years in domestic settings.

I intended to make some of these crosses myself, but not for use in the off site breeding program. I intended to only breed Corolla to Corolla. After consultation with several people whose opinion I respect and who are dedicated to preserving the Corollas, I have decided to begin Shackleford/Corolla breeding this spring. One of the long term goals of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund is to place some Shackleford Horses among the wild herd in Corolla. In short, what we will be doing in captivity will one day occur in the wild.

I have one Shackleford stallion, Wanchese, pictured above in some of his first days with a saddle on him. He is gaited, fast, and tough. Many consider him to be the prettiest horse in the lot. He is small. His father is Dionysis, long the alpha stallion on Shackleford Island, and he is the uncle of my great Shackleford gelding, Holland.