COROLLA, N.C. — The Corolla Wild Horses Fund says a 12-year-old wild mare named Caroline died Friday after breaking her neck while a stallion was trying to mate with her.
Around 5 p.m. Friday, witnesses saw a stallion "aggressively chasing her and trying to breed her, then saw her fall to the ground and die nearly instantaneously," according to a Facebook post from the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.
The Fund said their veterinarian performed a field necropsy to find the cause of death, finding that her neck had been broken and no abnormalities or injuries were found internally.
"Caroline's death should serve as yet another reminder of just how truly wild and dangerous these horses are, especially when hormones are involved," the Corolla Wild Horse Fund said in the Facebook post.
The Fund says her injury was in line with the behavior that was reported and "while it is a devastating loss, it was the result of natural wild horse behavior."
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is asking that if anyone shared or posted photos of Caroline's body that they be removed.
