Wild horse family reveals adorable new member on Outer Banks beach. See the photo

The wild horses that roam North Carolina’s Outer Banks hide their young for weeks and even months, so it’s always a surprise when a new face shows up.

Such was the case when the Corolla Wild Horse Fund discovered a previously undocumented tiny horse roaming the beach.

The colt has been named Ezra, according to an April 29 Facebook post.

“He was born about a week ago to a very experienced mother and both are in excellent condition,” herd manager Meg Puckett said in the news release.

“All of this mare’s other foals have been black with no markings so we were excited to see that this little guy was not only chestnut, but also has a star on his forehead. Color and markings make absolutely no difference to the horses, but they sure make it easier for us to identify them when they’re older.”

Ezra is the third foal of 2024 on the northern Outer Banks, officials says.

One was born in February and another was born last month. However, the latter has been kept well hidden by its protective mother.

“We have not yet been able to determine if it’s a colt or a filly,” the fund reports.

“That group lives primarily in the marsh and we do not see them often, but they did bring the foal out to the beach very briefly one afternoon a couple weeks ago.”

The foal and its mother appeared to be healthy during that one sighting, officials said.

Corolla has a herd of around 110 feral horses and county law requires people to stay at least 50 feet away from them and to never offer them food. Traditional “horse food” like apples and carrots is unfamiliar to the herd and known to choke the horses, experts say.

Stallions are known to battle when their turf or mares are threatened, and will kick and bite intruders, experts say.