Horse of the Americas Newsletter

Horse of the Americas Newsletter

ALBC Marsh Tacky Horse Conservation Project

By Jeannette Beranger, ALBC Research & Technical Programs Manager

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy began an investigation into the Marsh Tacky horse breed through a lead given to ALBC Technical Advisor, Dr. Phillip Sponenberg of Virginia Tech’s Veterinary College by members of the Florida Cracker Horse Association. Members of that association had heard of horses in South Carolina that were very similar to their Florida Cracker horse (a strain of Colonial Spanish horse). Florida breeders decided to see for themselves. Initial inspection showed that the breed of horse in South Carolina, the Marsh Tacky, did in fact resemble their horses in Florida but had some distinct differences. There were very few left according to the remaining Marsh Tacky breeders. Upon returning to Florida, the Florida Cracker breeders then contacted Dr. Sponenberg as he is a leading authority on horse genetics, in particular Colonial Spanish horses. They thought he may be able to shed more light on the Marsh Tacky horse and help conserve the few that were left. During the spring of 2006, Dr. Sponenberg, along with two other ALBC staff members, Marjorie Bender and Jeannette Beranger, made a trip to South Carolina to begin an ALBC field investigation and determine if the Marsh Tacky could be a surviving descendant of the Spanish horses that arrived in the Americas as early as the 1500’s.

According to Dr. Sponenberg’s research, he states that “Colonial Spanish Horses are of great historic importance in the New World. They descend from horses introduced from Spain during the age of the conquest of the New World. They are a direct remnant of the horses of the Golden Age of Spain and that type is mostly or wholly extinct now in Spain. Our Colonial Spanish horses are therefore a treasure chest of genetic wealth from a time long gone.” If the Marsh Tacky was indeed a strain of these genetically significant horses, then there conservation would become a priority for ALBC in order to ensure the continued survival of the breed and the genetics they represent.

Initial field inspection of a number of Marsh Tackies revealed that many were still clearly very consistent with the old Colonial Spanish “type”. Their relative isolation in coastal and lowland regions of South Carolina contributed to the enduring Spanish qualities in the breed. Over the centuries the horses became adapted to the environment and became its own strain within the Colonial Spanish horse populations. DNA samples were taken by ALBC staff along with the help of Victoria Tollman and Jean Cave Equus Survival Trust to increase the understanding of how these horses are related to other strains including the Florida Cracker, Spanish Mustang, Spanish Barb, Sulphur, Choctaw, and Wilbur-Cruce horses, among others.

Oral histories were collected from long time Marsh Tacky breeders, local historical organizations, and public record to support the hypothesis of the origin of the Marsh Tacky. One thing has become clear: the case is strong for the Marsh Tacky to be a Colonial Spanish horse whose roots reach back centuries in South Carolina.

Although the exact origin of the Marsh Tacky is unclear, it can be attributed to Spanish stock that arrived on the coast of South Carolina as “drop offs” on the islands by Spanish explorers or brought over by Spanish settlers in the 1600’s. A number of Spanish horse populations along the Southeast coast ultimately thrived and became feral herds. (Some of the more famous herds being the Chincoteague ponies of Virginia and the Banker ponies of North Carolina.) These herds were occasionally rounded up by local inhabitants whenever there was a need for horses. Until recently Marsh Tackies were managed in a similar fashion. There were groups of horses kept and managed on islands in the lowland region and on coastal islands including Hilton Head. For most of their history, Marsh Tackies were the most common horse in the region and were used for riding, pulling, and anything else horsepower was needed for. They were found from as far north as Myrtle Beach and as far south as St. Simon’s Island, Georgia until the advent of the automobile. As the car replaced the horse, the Marsh Tacky began to disappear. Today ALBC estimates there are fewer than 200 pure Marsh Tackies left.

Marsh Tackies have played a significant role in South Carolina’s history. During the American Revolution Marsh Tackies were used by Francis Marion’s troops of “irregulars” who used their own mounts, the common horses of the area, during their campaigns against the British. Known as the “Swamp Fox” and the “Father of American Guerrilla Warfare”, Marion not only was a great tactician but his troops inadvertently had the additional technical advantage of being mounted on horses superbly adapted to the rough and swampy terrain of the region. British troops mounted on larger European breeds were at a disadvantage in trying to maneuver in the dense and wild swamps of the lowlands.

Painter William Ranney, in 1845, recreated the scene from the Battle of Cowpens of 1781, probably from a traditional retelling or from an account of the battle recorded in John Marshall's biography of George Washington. Marshall describes, "a waiter, too small to wield a sword" saved the life of a relative of George Washington, Lieutenant Colonel William Washington, during the battle. Just as Washington was about to be cut down by a sword, the black man "saved him by wounding the officer with a ball from a pistol."

Ranney depicts the unnamed man as a bugler astride a horse, as Morgan and Washington battle three British soldiers. The horse depicted in the painting is diminutive and distinctly resembles a Marsh Tacky which would have been the logical mount for a man of his station at the time. It is interesting to note that the painting currently hangs in the South Carolina State House.

The after the Civil war, the Marsh Tacky became an integral part of the Gullah culture as they were the common using horse of every farmer on the islands. Oral history indicates that the freed slaves on Hilton head were given 40 acres and a Marsh Tacky. The horses were used for everything from delivering the mail, to bringing folks to church, to plowing the fields. Every Gullah family seemingly had a Marsh Tacky in their field or garden.

A popular local event held on Hilton Head up until the 1960’s were racing derbies. Marsh Tackies would run on a stretch of beach, round an obstacle, and return to the finish. Winners were presented roses as any distinguished Thoroughbred would have received in a grand race.

Today a majority of the Marsh Tacky horses lie in the hands of hunters and long time fanciers that have had these horses in their families for generations. The remaining horses retain their ability to thrive in the challenging environments of coastal South Carolina and have stamina in the field that is second to none in the lowlands. Owners often comment on the built-in “woods sense” of the breed and how the horses have a natural way of traversing water obstacles and swamps without panic or getting stuck in the mud. “If a horse panics in the water, then it is not a Marsh Tacky” boasts one breeder. Another breeder claimed that these horses “know how to wear their feet” attesting to their sure footedness, smooth ride, and almost thoughtful approach to traveling in the field.

A concerted effort is under way to preserve the Marsh Tacky. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and a group of breeders and owners are coming together to identify remaining horses and to ultimately create a studbook to be used as a tool for the conservation of the breed. ALBC along with this group of concerned individuals will be working on defining and describing the breed, organizing for long-term conservation, and discover & identification of remaining horses.

For more information on Marsh Tacky horses contact American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, PO Box 477, Pittsboro, NC, 27312, jberanger@albc-usa.org, www.albc-usa.org