Adopt a Pony

Legend has it the Ocracoke Banker ponies arrived in the Outer Banks with shipwrecked explorers in the 16th or 17th century, and they’ve called the Ocracoke Island home ever since. While many of these early ponies were claimed by residents, some were left to roam wild. The National Park Service took over their care and maintenance in the 1960s to keep them safe as the island’s human population continued to grow.

Now you can help these beautiful and unique ponies by symbolically adopting an Ocracoke pony! Your support of the ponies – individually or the herd – will help to pay for their ongoing care and feeding.

When you Adopt A Pony with a gift of $50 or more, you will receive an adoption certificate and a picture of your pony or the herd to keep. Learn more about the history of the ponies here.

Hazelnut

Hazelnut

Birthday: February 4, 2015

Hazelnut loves to graze alongside her siblings. Her parents are Sacajawea and our young stallion Rayo.

Adopt Hazelnut

Jitterbug

Jitterbug

Birthday: 2008

Jitterbug was adopted into the Ocracoke family in 2010 from the Shackleford herd at Cape Lookout National Seashore. She is mom to Captain and Jobelle.

Adopt Jitterbug

Jobelle

Jobelle

Birthday: May 7, 2017

Jobelle is a Palomino and the daughter of Jitterbug and Rayo. She enjoys lounging in the sun on warm days!

Adopt Jobelle

Lawton

Lawton

Birthday: March 9, 2004

Lawton is a beautiful paint and the herd’s only gelding.

Adopt Lawton

Luna

Luna

Birthday: August 1998

Luna loves long walks in the moonlight, and is one of two ponies with one blue eye and one brown eye (Like Lindessa!).

Adopt Luna

Maya

Maya

Birthday: May 24, 2000

While our ponies are smaller than most horses, Maya enjoys being the tallest in the herd.

Adopt Maya

Paloma

Paloma

Birthday: March 22, 2010

Paloma’s mother was Spirit, a deeply missed member of the herd, and her father is Wentzel from the Shackleford herd.

Adopt Paloma

Rayo

Rayo

Birthday: March 26, 2012

Rayo is the herd’s youngest stallion with lots of spunk! He is Paloma’s brother and also father to Jobelle and Hazelnut.

Adopt Rayo

Sacajawea

Sacajawea

Birthday: 2007

Sacajawea currently has her hooves full raising young Winnie, born May 3, 2018. She is also mother to Hazelnut.

Adopt Sacajawea

Winnie

Winnie

Birthday: May 3, 2018

Winnie is the youngest of the herd, she like spending time with her mom, Sacajawea, and will give you a nibble if you get too close!

Adopt Winnie

Captain

Captain

Birthday: May 9, 2013

Captain is one of two stallions in the herd. His mother is Jitterbug, and his father Alonzo was a member of the Banker pony herd in Corolla.

Adopt Captain