S.C.'s Endangered Horse Breed, the Marsh Tacky

UPDATE 10:12 a.m. Really good story about the horse's history and efforts to save them at American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Click on the link to the right ALBC Works with Owners & Others               to Conserve the Critically Endangered Marsh Tacky Horse

This photo is of a Marsh Tacky stallion, an endangered breed of horses descended from Spanish horses. There are only 150 of these tough little horses left. Though I live in S.C., I've only encountered one of these horses in my life. After reading about them, I think I need to get several. What's good about them? They're said to be sensible, athletic, extremely hardy horses who can handle anything. And with the price of hay, I'm very interested in horses that can survive on marsh grass. What's bad about them? Not so pretty and kind of small, though we all know that pretty is as pretty does.

Here's an excerpt from the story:

YONGES ISLAND, S.C. — During centuries of isolation on the Carolina sea islands, the short-legged, sway-backed marsh tacky horses became perfectly suited for toiling long hours in the swamps and oppressive humidity.

But their wild looks and workhorse reputation — their name comes from the old English word meaning "common" — didn't exactly make them prized among horse lovers. Today, only about 150 of them remain.

Now, breeders are coming together to save the tacky, whose ancestors were left by colonial Spanish explorers......

"You can work'em, you can ride'em. When you put them in swamps and mud like we have around here in the Deep South ... instead of panicking and floundering around, they can just plow right on through it."

Intelligent and superbly adapted to the Southern humidity and coastal marshes, tackies can be broken quickly and prove docile for even the youngest riders. They can survive on marsh grass and forage other horses won't eat — farmers and owners simply kept them tied up in their yards over the years.

"We haven't found anything they are not good at," said Jeanette Beranger, a program manager with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. "They jump like rabbits, have a lot of endurance and can thrive on nothing.".....

"I don't think they are ever going to overtake the quarterhorse in popularity," she said. But they are ideal "if somebody is looking for an easy keeper that is safe with children."

The tackies' colonial Spanish strain comes from the same ancestors as cracker horses in Florida and bankers from the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But DNA testing has found that the tackies are a separate breed, with unique characteristics thanks to their relative isolation. (go to this link for the complete story)

Comments

[Molly]

I read that article this morning and have never heard of them before. Very cool. I want one.

[Grey Horse Matters]

They sound like a pretty nice horse. Everyone can use a reliable horse like these seem to be. Wish they had a better picture of them though, it's hard to really see what they look like from the one in the article.

[risingrainbow]

I have never heard of these horses before. Very intersting.

[GrayHorse]

I've been following this story and have seen many photos of these wonderful little horse and all I can say is, I think they are beautiful...very pretty and very tough.