Mounted Boy Scout Troop 290 of Ocracoke, North Carolina, is one of the few[1][2][3] mounted troops in the history of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The troop was founded by United States Army Lieutenant Colonel Marvin Howard in 1954 and was active for about 10 years.[a] They rode the feral Banker horses of North Carolina's Outer Banks. These horses were descended from horses that had either survived shipwrecks or early explorations from the 1500s–1700s along the Outer Banks. Though the ponies roamed free, they were considered livestock. In 1953, when the Cape Hatteras National Seashore was created, the Park Service banned free roaming livestock on the island. Efforts have been made to preserve the horses and improve their bloodline.
- ^ Kerr, Bob. "Flag from mounted Scout troop returns to post". FtLeavenworth.com.
- ^ "1931 Press Photo First Mounted Troop Of Boy Scout In U.S. (Fort Myer, VA Calvary". Historic Images.
- ^ "Rough Riding and Mounted Games" (PDF). TMR Museum.
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