CURRITUCK COUNTY, N.C. (WAVY) — If you didn’t know not to approach Corolla’s wild horses while at the beach in Currituck County, it’ll be hard to ignore the rules thanks to new signage.

The Corolla Wild Horse Fund says “the ‘I didn’t see a sign!’ excuse has officially become obsolete” after an anonymous donation added new banners and 20 new, permanent signs along the dunes at the beach.

The Currituck County Sheriff’s Department now puts out the banners each morning, the fund wrote on Facebook.

“It takes a village and our village is dedicated to keeping these precious horses safe!”

The fund manages more than 7,500 acres to help ensure the safety of the horses, who’ve been in coastal North Carolina for more than 500 years.

If you plan on visiting the herd, there are a few things you should know:

• Do not try to pet the horses or get closer than 50 feet, which is about a school bus length away.
• Carrots and apples kill: The wild horses don’t eat the same foods as domesticated horses. Apples and carrots can (and have) killed herd members.
• Pick up your garbage after visiting the beach.
• Cruelty, enticing, harboring, luring, seizing, and failure to report injury are also against the law.
• Look into horse tours. The Corolla Wild Horse Fund works closely with various horse tour companies on conservation and education efforts surrounding the horses. By taking a tour, safety measures are already in place for both you and the horses.

The fund also recently welcome a new foal, Betsy. She’s the third foal of 2021.