Owners facing charges as 10 wild mustangs run loose in Iredell County

IREDELL, N.C. — Some Iredell County residents are worried someone could get hurt as wild mustangs are running free.

Animal Services told Channel 9’s Dave Faherty that ten wild mustangs have been spotted across the area, one even ending up on the interstate.

Recent photos show six of the horses in a cornfield along Eufala Road overnight. Hay had been spread less than 100 yards away to attract the mustangs.

Vanessa Banks and her family saw the horses dart down their street nearby.

“We’ve seen three horses come down to the end of the road and back,” she said. “I’ve seen people on horses with lassos trying to catch them and animal control trying to catch them.”

A non-profit that is working to capture the horses said they believe the nine horses were purchased from the Bureau of Land Management in Monroe.

The Bureau of Land Management told Faherty that it manages and protects wild horses on millions of acres of land across 10 western states. To control the population out west, the government sells the wild horses at $25 a piece.

Officials said that buyers must meet certain qualifications to ensure the horses would receive “humane care.”

Channel 9 does not know who purchased the horses that ended up in Iredell County. But residents like Linda McFarland and Eric Perrson said they hope the horses are caught soon.

“I thought it was pretty wild,” McFarland said. “But I thought it was kinda dangerous too for traffic people. Somebody might hit one of those horses.”

Perrson saw first-hand how dangerous it is for the horses to be running free.

“I was coming home and just got through the intersection, and all of the sudden three horses came galloping by me,” he said.

Animal Control told Faherty that they have been working to capture the horses for a week.

Drones have been flown in the area to try to locate the horses, officials said.

Now, some people are facing charges for letting the horses run free.

Animal Control said livestock owners are legally responsible for securing their animals. Two owners were criminally charged for failing to confine the horses and cooperate in recovery efforts.

Officials asked residents not to approach or capture the wild mustangs themselves. Anyone who spots the horses should report their location to Iredell County Animal Services or local law enforcement immediately.

©2026 Cox Media Group