Carolina Marsh Tacky
Encyclopedia
The Carolina Marsh Tacky or Marsh Tacky is a rare breed of horse
, native to South Carolina
. It is a member of the Colonial Spanish group of horse breeds, which also include the Florida Cracker Horse
and the Banker horse
of North Carolina. It is a small horse, well adapted for use in the lowland swamps of its native South Carolina. The Marsh Tacky developed from Spanish horses brought to the South Carolina coast by Spanish explorers, settlers and traders as early as the 16th century. The horses were used by the colonists during the American Revolution
, and by South Carolinians for farm work, herding cattle and hunting throughout the breed's history.
The breed is considered to be critically endangered by both the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
and the Equus Survival Trust
, and there are thought to be less than 150 Marsh Tackies in existence today. In 2006 and 2007, the two organizations worked together to complete DNA testing on the breed with the goals of mapping the Marsh Tacky's place among the horse breeds of the world and beginning a stud book. In 2007, an association was begun with the objective of preserving and promoting the Marsh Tacky; it is currently developing a breed registry
and stud book.
The Marsh Tacky generally stands between high, although the acceptable range is between high. Today, the breed comes in a wide variety of colors, including dun
, bay, roan
, chestnut
, black
and grullo
. Historically, multi-colored patterns such as pinto
were found, but they were not selected for when breeding, and today are not seen. The colors today are consistent with those of other Colonial Spanish horses. The profile of the breed's head is usually flat or somewhat concave, becoming slightly convex from the nasal region to the top of the muzzle. The forehead is wide and the eyes set well apart. The breed typically has a slight ewe neck, and the neck is attached low on the chest compared to many other breeds. The withers
are pronounced, the back
short and strong, and the croup
steeply angled. The chest is deep but narrow and the shoulder long and angled. The legs have long, tapering muscling, with in general no feathering
on the lower legs. The Marsh Tacky exhibits an four-beat ambling
gait, most similar to the marcha batida of the Brazilian Mangalarga Marchador
, another breed with Spanish heritage, although also compared to the fox trot of the Missouri Fox Trotter
. However, the Marsh Tacky's gait shows a period of quadrupedal support where all four feet are planted and diagonal foot pairings, whereas the Fox Trotter shows tripedal support and the Mangalarga Marchador lacks the diagonal foot pairings.
The Marsh Tacky is known by owners for its stamina and ability to work in water and swamps without panicking. They tend to be sure-footed, sturdy, smart, and able to survive in challenging coastal environments, as well as being easy keeper
s. Their small size and gentle nature made them the historically preferred mount for children and women, but they were also used as working animals due to their abilities in the field. Today, they are used in endurance riding
, as well as continuing their traditional work assisting humans with hunting wild game and herding cattle.
Marsh Tackies have the same ancestral bloodlines as Florida Cracker Horse
s and North Carolina Banker horse
s. However, DNA
testing has proved that the Marsh Tackies' relative isolation has made them a separate breed with unique characteristics.
brought to the island and coastal areas of South Carolina by Spanish explorers and settlers as early as the 16th century. More horses were added to the population that would become the Marsh Tacky through animals that were purchased in the Spanish settlement of St. Augustine
in Florida. They were then used as pack horses on Native American trade routes, and sold when the traders reached Charleston
. They were managed mainly as feral
herds, rounded up by locals when horses were needed, and this tradition continued into the 20th century. The breed was used during the American Revolution
by many of the irregular forces
of Francis Marion
, nicknamed the "Swamp Fox". The swamp savvy of the Marsh Tacky may have given Marion's forces an advantage, as British cavalry mounted on larger European breeds were not as easily able to maneuver in the dense lowland swamps. After the American Civil War
, they were commonly used by members of the Gullah
community on the islands off the South Carolina shore for use in fields and gardens. The breed derives the "tacky" part of its name from the English word meaning "common" or "cheap", as these horses were the most common breed in their area of the country for most of their history. During the height of their popularity they ranged from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to St. Simon's Island
in Georgia. The Tackies continued to be used during World War II
by members of the beach patrols tasked with the surveillance of South Carolina beaches against Nazi u-boat
s attacks and enemy troop or spy landings. During the 1960s, Marsh Tackies were used in races on Hilton Head beaches. This tradition was revived in 2009 during the Gullah Cultural Festival, and the races will be continued at the festival in future years.
In 2007, the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association was formed. The association was developed through the efforts of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
working with owners and breed enthusiasts, with the goal of preserving and promoting the Marsh Tacky breed. The association performs DNA testing on horses that are possibly Marsh Tackies, and is working to create a breed registry and stud book.
(ALBC) estimates that fewer than 150 purebred
Marsh Tackies remain in South Carolina. However, a few landholders remain committed to the breed, and it is getting a second chance for survival. The Equus Survival Trust
considers the breed to be at critical/nearly extinct levels, meaning that there are fewer than 100 breeding mare
s in existence. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy considers the Marsh Tacky (which they consider a strain of the Colonial Spanish horse) to be at critical levels, meaning that there are fewer than 200 annual registrations in the United States and an estimated global population of less than 2,000. Representatives of the ALBC state that the breed numbers will have to increase to an estimated 1,000 members to ensure permanent survival. On June 11, 2010, a bill was signed into law that made the Carolina Marsh Tacky the state heritage horse
of South Carolina.
In 2006, the ALBC began investigating the Marsh Tacky to see if it was truly a descendent of Spanish stock, and during the organization's initial field investigations it was found that many surviving members of the breed fit the physical type of Colonial Spanish stock. In 2007, the Equus Survival Trust partnered with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy in a project to preserve the Carolina Marsh Tacky. DNA samples and photos were taken of a herd in South Carolina, considered to be the largest remaining herd, with a heritage tracing back to the American Civil War
. DNA testing was undertaken in an effort to identify horses for a new studbook, reveal what DNA markers the breed carries, and map the breed's genetic place among all other horse breeds worldwide. Sixty horses were tested in the effort.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, native to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. It is a member of the Colonial Spanish group of horse breeds, which also include the Florida Cracker Horse
Florida Cracker Horse
The Florida Cracker Horse is a breed of horse from Florida in the United States. It is genetically and physically similar to many other Spanish-style horses, especially those from the Spanish Colonial Horse group. The Florida Cracker is a gaited breed known for its agility and speed...
and the Banker horse
Banker Horse
The Banker horse is a breed of feral horse living on the islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks. It is small, hardy, and has a docile temperament...
of North Carolina. It is a small horse, well adapted for use in the lowland swamps of its native South Carolina. The Marsh Tacky developed from Spanish horses brought to the South Carolina coast by Spanish explorers, settlers and traders as early as the 16th century. The horses were used by the colonists during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and by South Carolinians for farm work, herding cattle and hunting throughout the breed's history.
The breed is considered to be critically endangered by both the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting genetic diversity among rare breeds of livestock...
and the Equus Survival Trust
Equus Survival Trust
The Equus Survival Trust is a United States nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping conservation efforts for over 25 endangered horse breeds. It is dedicated to protecting the genetic diversity and traditional traits of historical horse, pony and donkey breeds that are currently nearly extinct...
, and there are thought to be less than 150 Marsh Tackies in existence today. In 2006 and 2007, the two organizations worked together to complete DNA testing on the breed with the goals of mapping the Marsh Tacky's place among the horse breeds of the world and beginning a stud book. In 2007, an association was begun with the objective of preserving and promoting the Marsh Tacky; it is currently developing a breed registry
Breed registry
A breed registry, also known as a stud book or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders when they are still young...
and stud book.
Characteristics
Dun gene
The dun gene is a dilution gene that affects both red and black pigments in the coat color of a horse. The dun gene has the ability to affect the appearance of all black, bay, or chestnut -based horses to some degree by lightening the base body coat and suppressing the underlying base color to the...
, bay, roan
Roan (horse)
Roan is a horse coat color pattern characterized by an even mixture of colored and white hairs on the body, while the head and "points"—lower legs, mane and tail—are more solid-colored. The roan pattern is dominantly-inherited, and is found in many horse breeds...
, chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
, black
Black (horse)
Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and novices frequently mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black. However, some breeds of horses, such as the Friesian horse, Murgese and Ariegeois are almost exclusively black...
and grullo
Grullo
Grullo is a color of horses in the dun family, characterized by tan-gray or mouse-colored hairs on the body, often with shoulder and dorsal stripes and black barring on the lower legs. In this coloration each individual hair is mouse-colored, unlike a roan which is composed of a mixture of dark and...
. Historically, multi-colored patterns such as pinto
Pinto
-General:*Conspiracy of the Pintos, a rebellion against Portuguese rule in Goa, India in 1787*Ford Pinto , a subcompact car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market...
were found, but they were not selected for when breeding, and today are not seen. The colors today are consistent with those of other Colonial Spanish horses. The profile of the breed's head is usually flat or somewhat concave, becoming slightly convex from the nasal region to the top of the muzzle. The forehead is wide and the eyes set well apart. The breed typically has a slight ewe neck, and the neck is attached low on the chest compared to many other breeds. The withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
are pronounced, the back
Back (horse)
The back describes the area of horse anatomy where the saddle goes, and in popular usage extends to include the loin or lumbar region behind the thoracic vertebrae that also is crucial to a horse's weight-carrying ability. These two sections of the vertebral column beginning at the withers, the...
short and strong, and the croup
Rump (animal)
The rump or croup, in the external morphology of an animal, is the portion of the posterior dorsum that is posterior to the loins and anterior to the tail. Anatomically, the rump corresponds to the sacrum....
steeply angled. The chest is deep but narrow and the shoulder long and angled. The legs have long, tapering muscling, with in general no feathering
Feathering (horse)
Feathering, or feather, is a term used to describe the long hair on the lower legs and fetlocks of some breeds of horse and pony. On some horses, especially draft breeds, the hair can almost cover the hooves...
on the lower legs. The Marsh Tacky exhibits an four-beat ambling
Ambling
The term amble or ambling is used to describe a number of four-beat intermediate gaits of horses. All are faster than a walk but usually slower than a canter or gallop...
gait, most similar to the marcha batida of the Brazilian Mangalarga Marchador
Mangalarga Marchador
The Mangalarga Marchador is a breed of horse. There are over 350,000 registered Mangalarga Marchador horses in Brazil and others registered in countries outside its Brazilian homeland...
, another breed with Spanish heritage, although also compared to the fox trot of the Missouri Fox Trotter
Missouri Fox Trotter
The Missouri Fox Trotter is an American breed of horse with a unique four beat gait. It was bred in the Ozark Mountain foothills, and used by settlers who valued its smoothness.-Breed characteristics:...
. However, the Marsh Tacky's gait shows a period of quadrupedal support where all four feet are planted and diagonal foot pairings, whereas the Fox Trotter shows tripedal support and the Mangalarga Marchador lacks the diagonal foot pairings.
The Marsh Tacky is known by owners for its stamina and ability to work in water and swamps without panicking. They tend to be sure-footed, sturdy, smart, and able to survive in challenging coastal environments, as well as being easy keeper
Easy keeper
An easy keeper, easy doer or good doer is a livestock animal that can live on relatively little food. The opposite of an easy keeper is a hard keeper , an animal that is prone to be too thin and has difficulty maintaining adequate weight.Easy keepers tend to be found most often in breeds...
s. Their small size and gentle nature made them the historically preferred mount for children and women, but they were also used as working animals due to their abilities in the field. Today, they are used in endurance riding
Endurance riding
Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI. There are endurance rides worldwide....
, as well as continuing their traditional work assisting humans with hunting wild game and herding cattle.
Marsh Tackies have the same ancestral bloodlines as Florida Cracker Horse
Florida Cracker Horse
The Florida Cracker Horse is a breed of horse from Florida in the United States. It is genetically and physically similar to many other Spanish-style horses, especially those from the Spanish Colonial Horse group. The Florida Cracker is a gaited breed known for its agility and speed...
s and North Carolina Banker horse
Banker Horse
The Banker horse is a breed of feral horse living on the islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks. It is small, hardy, and has a docile temperament...
s. However, DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
testing has proved that the Marsh Tackies' relative isolation has made them a separate breed with unique characteristics.
History
The Carolina Marsh Tacky developed from Spanish horsesIberian horse
The Iberian horse is a title given to a number of horse breeds native to the Iberian peninsula. At present, 17 horse breeds are recognized by FAO as characteristic of the Iberian Peninsula....
brought to the island and coastal areas of South Carolina by Spanish explorers and settlers as early as the 16th century. More horses were added to the population that would become the Marsh Tacky through animals that were purchased in the Spanish settlement of St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
in Florida. They were then used as pack horses on Native American trade routes, and sold when the traders reached Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. They were managed mainly as feral
Feral horse
A feral horse is a free-roaming horse of domesticated ancestry. As such, a feral horse is not a wild animal in the sense of an animal without domesticated ancestors. However, some populations of feral horses are managed as wildlife, and these horses often are popularly called "wild" horses...
herds, rounded up by locals when horses were needed, and this tradition continued into the 20th century. The breed was used during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
by many of the irregular forces
Irregular military
Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. Being defined by exclusion, there is significant variance in what comes under the term. It can refer to the type of military organization, or to the type of tactics used....
of Francis Marion
Francis Marion
Francis Marion was a military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Acting with Continental Army and South Carolina militia commissions, he was a persistent adversary of the British in their occupation of South Carolina in 1780 and 1781, even after the Continental Army was driven...
, nicknamed the "Swamp Fox". The swamp savvy of the Marsh Tacky may have given Marion's forces an advantage, as British cavalry mounted on larger European breeds were not as easily able to maneuver in the dense lowland swamps. After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, they were commonly used by members of the Gullah
Gullah
The Gullah are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands....
community on the islands off the South Carolina shore for use in fields and gardens. The breed derives the "tacky" part of its name from the English word meaning "common" or "cheap", as these horses were the most common breed in their area of the country for most of their history. During the height of their popularity they ranged from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to St. Simon's Island
St. Simons, Georgia
St. Simons is a census-designated place located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. Both the community and the island are commonly considered to be one location, known simply as "St. Simons Island", or locally as "The Island". St...
in Georgia. The Tackies continued to be used during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by members of the beach patrols tasked with the surveillance of South Carolina beaches against Nazi u-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s attacks and enemy troop or spy landings. During the 1960s, Marsh Tackies were used in races on Hilton Head beaches. This tradition was revived in 2009 during the Gullah Cultural Festival, and the races will be continued at the festival in future years.
In 2007, the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association was formed. The association was developed through the efforts of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting genetic diversity among rare breeds of livestock...
working with owners and breed enthusiasts, with the goal of preserving and promoting the Marsh Tacky breed. The association performs DNA testing on horses that are possibly Marsh Tackies, and is working to create a breed registry and stud book.
Conservation
In the lowcountry region of coastal Georgia and South Carolina, the Carolina Marsh Tacky was the most common horse for most of the breed's history. As the automobile became more common during the 20th century, breed numbers declined, and the Marsh Tacky was thought to have gone extinct during the 1980s and 1990s. Today, the American Livestock Breeds ConservancyAmerican Livestock Breeds Conservancy
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting genetic diversity among rare breeds of livestock...
(ALBC) estimates that fewer than 150 purebred
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
Marsh Tackies remain in South Carolina. However, a few landholders remain committed to the breed, and it is getting a second chance for survival. The Equus Survival Trust
Equus Survival Trust
The Equus Survival Trust is a United States nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping conservation efforts for over 25 endangered horse breeds. It is dedicated to protecting the genetic diversity and traditional traits of historical horse, pony and donkey breeds that are currently nearly extinct...
considers the breed to be at critical/nearly extinct levels, meaning that there are fewer than 100 breeding mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
s in existence. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy considers the Marsh Tacky (which they consider a strain of the Colonial Spanish horse) to be at critical levels, meaning that there are fewer than 200 annual registrations in the United States and an estimated global population of less than 2,000. Representatives of the ALBC state that the breed numbers will have to increase to an estimated 1,000 members to ensure permanent survival. On June 11, 2010, a bill was signed into law that made the Carolina Marsh Tacky the state heritage horse
State horse
Twelve U.S. states have designated a horse breed as the official state horse. The first state horse was designated in Vermont in 1961. The most recent state designations occurred in 2010, when North Carolina and South Carolina both declared state breeds...
of South Carolina.
In 2006, the ALBC began investigating the Marsh Tacky to see if it was truly a descendent of Spanish stock, and during the organization's initial field investigations it was found that many surviving members of the breed fit the physical type of Colonial Spanish stock. In 2007, the Equus Survival Trust partnered with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy in a project to preserve the Carolina Marsh Tacky. DNA samples and photos were taken of a herd in South Carolina, considered to be the largest remaining herd, with a heritage tracing back to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. DNA testing was undertaken in an effort to identify horses for a new studbook, reveal what DNA markers the breed carries, and map the breed's genetic place among all other horse breeds worldwide. Sixty horses were tested in the effort.