02/03/2026
Wow if I knew about this when I was younger I would be applying!!
eXp Realty
2026 Pony Patrol Applications Open
Cape Lookout National Seashore, the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses, Inc., are partnering again this year to offer a volunteer opportunity known as the Pony Patrol. These volunteers help to raise community awareness, protect wild horses, and increase visitor compliance with regards to wild horse rules and guidelines at Shackleford Banks. In 2025, volunteers conducted 260 patrols and engaged with approximately 3,900 visitors at both sites.
Pony Patrol volunteers will work three to four-hour shifts, walking Shackleford Banks and talking with visitors about how to best experience the beauty and natural behavior of the horses. Pony Patrol volunteers will receive training in effectively communicating with visitors; in understanding the importance of giving wild horses space to be ‘wild’; and in the knowledge and skills to protect both the visitors’ safety and the wild horses’ welfare, so that they can answer questions about the horses and their natural barrier island homes.
Candidates must be at least 18 years old, a US Citizen / Permanent Resident, and be physically able to walk the islands in a dynamic setting, consisting of sandy terrain, extreme sun, heat, humidity, wind, and buggy environments. Pony Patrol volunteers will be expected to work three to four-hour shifts, at least three times per month. The positions will be competitive because there are limited spots available.
Interested candidates should apply online at: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a09SJ00000KXnknYAD/pony-patrol
The application period opens Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, and closes 11:59 p.m., Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Selected candidates will be contacted for interviews in late February or early March.
For more information, visit Cape Lookout National Seashore at www.nps.gov/calo and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses at www.shackleford-horses.org.
Image Description: A pony patrol volunteer observes a Shackleford Banks Horse during their shift. Image Credit: NPS Photo/S.Godin