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Carolina Marsh Tacky

Yesterday and Today
 by Jeannette Beranger, Reach & Technical Programs Manager, American Livestock Breed Conservancy
    The name "Tacky" is derived  from the English word for "cheap" or "common." For most of their history, Marsh  Tackies were the most common horse in the swampy and marshy Lowcountry  region of coastal South Carolina and Georgia 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, Ga.,  until the
advent of the automobile. As the car replaced the horse, the Marsh  Tacky began to disappear. Until recently the breed was thought to have  become extinct during the 1980s and 1990s. This ancient breed has managed  to hold on in the hands of the people committed to their long held family traditions of keeping Marsh Tackies.

 Origin of the Tackies

    Although the exact origin of the Marsh Tacky horse is unclear, it can  be attributed to Spanish stock
that arrived on the coast and islands of  South Carolina as "drop offs" by Spanish explorers and stock brought over  by Spanish  settlers in the 1500s. A number of Spanish horse populations  along the Southeast coast ultimately thrived and became feral
herds. (Some of  the more famous herds comprise the Banker ponies of North Carolina.) A  further influx of Spanish horses made their way to South Carolina in the  Charleston area through the deerskin trade.Spanish horses were acquired  at the St. Augustine Spanish settlement and were used as pack animals for  the Native American trade routes of the Chickasaw, Creek and Southeastern Choctaw tribes. The horses were sold once
they arrived in Charleston and  bolstered the population of Spanish horses that would become the Marsh  Tacky.

     Tackies  were largely managed on islands in the lowland or "lowcountry" region and on coastal islands including Hilton Head. These herds were
occasionally  rounded up by local inhabitants whenever there was a need for horses.  Until recently, Marsh Tackies were still managed in this fashion. Today,  the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) estimates through extensive field investigation that there are fewer than 300 pure Marsh Tackies left.

    Identifying the Breed

    ALBC began an investigation into the Marsh Tacky horse breed through a lead given to ALBC's 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 Florida Cracker horses but had  some distinct differences. There were very few left, according to the  remaining Marsh Tacky breeders. Upon returning to Florida, the Cracker horse  breeders contacted Dr. Sponenberg, a leading authority on horse genetics, and in particular, an expert on Colonial Spanish horses. They thought he might be able to shed more light on the Marsh Tacky horse and help create a  strategy to conserve the few remaining
Tackies.

    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 1500s.
                                                         
    According to Dr. Sponenberg, "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 were indeed a strain of these genetically significant horses, then  their conservation would become a priority for ALBC.

    Their relative isolation in coastal and lowland regions of South Carolina contributed to the enduring Spanish qualities in the breed.
Initial field inspection of a  number of Marsh Tackies revealed that many were still clearly very consistent  with the old Colonial Spanish "type." Over the centuries, the horses  adapted to the environment and through relative isolation became a unique  strain within the Colonial Spanish horse population. DNA samples were taken from  nearly 100 Tackies to increase the understanding of how these horses are  related to other Colonial Spanish strains, including the Florida Cracker, Spanish Mustang, Spanish Barb, Sulphur, Choctaw and Wilbur-Cruce horses,  among others.

    Breed Characteristics

    The Marsh Tacky  is a sturdy, well-balanced and easy keeping horse with a sharp mind. Owners will  attest to the ease of training that is characteristic of these horses.  The Tacky's thoughtful approach to novel items and experiences reduces the likelihood of panic and flight, as found in high-strung breeds. Their  gentle nature and easily managed size (13.5 to 15 hands) historically  made the Marsh Tacky the preferred
mount for ladies and children, but their  strength, prowess and fearlessness in the field made them popular as  working animals utilized for hunting and herding cattle. Newly broken horses  often are in the field and used as hunting mounts within weeks of having  the first saddle on their back. For modern times, the breed continues in its traditional roles, but also shows great promise as an endurance or  competitive trail horse.

    Marsh Tackies come in a variety of colors that are consistent with other Colonial Spanish horses. Historically, there may  have been some
color patterns, such as paints, within the population but  these patterns were not selected for, and in recent times, are not seen within the breed. The more common colors remaining in Marsh Tackies today are dun, bay, blue roan, dun roan, red roan, sorrel, chestnut, black and  grulla.


    A Part of South Carolina's History

    Marsh Tackies have played a significant role in South Carolina's history. During the  American Revolution, Marsh Tackies
were used by many of the troops of the  famous General Francis Marion, the "Swampfox." Marion's troops of "irregulars"  used
their own mounts, the common horses of the area, during their campaigns against the British. The most common horse in the region at that time would have been the Marsh Tacky.
    
    Known as the "Father  of American Guerrilla Warfare," Marion not only was a great tactician,  but also 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  may have been at a disadvantage in trying to maneuver in the
dense and  wild swamps of the lowlands. 
 
    After the Civil War, the Marsh Tacky became an integral part agricultural life and in particular within
the Gullah community and culture, as they were the common using horse of  every farmer on the islands of South Carolina
and Georgia. 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.

    During World War II, some Tackies were used as Beach Patrol  horses on the coast of South Carolina, protecting the shores from the  threat of Nazi U-boats or potential landings of enemy troops or spies.  
 
    A popular local  event held on Hilton Head up until the 1960s were horse 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. This tradition was revisited for the  first time since the 1960s during the annual Gullah
Cultural Festival on  Hilton Head in February in 2009 to the delight of over 3,000 spectators on  historic Mitchellville Beach. The
huge success of the event has slated  the races to become an annual tradition with the festival on the island.

    Preserving the Breed
   
    Today, a majority of the Marsh Tacky horses lie in the hands of hunters  and long time fanciers who 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. 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 panicking or getting
stuck in the mud.  "If a horse panics in the water, then it is not a Marsh Tacky," boasts one  breeder. Another claims 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. 
   
    It's been nearly fifteen years  since ALBC first found out about the breed and two years since we succeeded in  finding and working with
the breeders, and in that time the future has  begun to look brighter for these rare horses. All the efforts of documenting and networking
are now serving to support the breed's recovery. In  October of 2006, Marsh Tacky breeder David Grant, with the assistance of  Equus
Survival Trust, held an open house at his farm to introduce the public to  Marsh Tackies. Following the event, ALBC conducted an
informational  workshop on Hilton Head in February 2007 to discuss the formation of a breed association. ALBC met once again with Marsh
Tacky owners and supporters in  June 2007 at the Mullet Hall Equestrian Center on Johns Island, S.C., to  discuss the formalization of a Marsh Tacky Horse Association. During the meeting  the owners formed a Board of Governance that will pave the way for the  creation of a Carolina Marsh Tacky Association (CMTA) whose mission will  be to support and promote the Marsh Tacky horse.
 
     Following the formation of the breed  association, ALBC received a grant from the Thorne Foundation to continue  fieldwork and create a studbook for the Marsh Tacky. The studbook was  completed in 2009 and is managed using the Breeders Assistant studbook  program. This software was chosen for its versatility and for its proven record  in management of other rare breeds. It also gives ALBC the ability to  make the studbook available to owners through the ALBC  website.

     As part of the recovery project, DNA  samples were collected for analysis by Dr. Gus Cothran of Texas A&M  University. Results of this information are being used to enhance the  strategy for population management and help maintain the remaining  genetic diversity within the
population.

     Additional scientific study on the  Marsh Tacky has been undertaken through the Gaited Locomotive Research Program  at Mississippi State
University. This program studied the gait of the  breed to get a better understanding as to why these horses can work or be ridden all day without the horse or its rider tiring. Video for the study was compiled by ALBC staff of a collection of Tackies from several bloodlines  within the breed. The study found that every horse in the videos did gait, and  that the Marsh Tacky breed can be considered a gaited horse that has very  unique movement specific to the breed. 

The breed having the most similar  gait to the Marsh Tacky is another horse with Spanish roots - the Mangalarga  Marchador, the National
horse of Brazil. Because there is enough  difference between the two gaits, the breed association was given the honor to  give the
Marsh Tacky's gait a name of its own. The name "Swamp Fox Trot"  was voted on and accepted as the name of the gait by the
CMTA membership  at their 2010 annual meeting.

     The Marsh Tacky remains a living  piece of history in its native region and in 2010 was honored by being named the  official State Heritage Horse of South Carolina. The Marsh Tacky has  endured for over 400 years and has the potential to survive far beyond  that, as long as enthusiasts
and conservationist work together to preserve what  remains of this historic treasure.
For more interesting facts visit http://www.carolinamarshtacky.com/BREED_INFORMATION.html

Please visit the Marsh Tacky Association  http://www.marshtacky.org

Many of our site photos are of the Carolina Marsh Tacky courtesy of Dwain and Daniela Snyder.  Dwain and Daniela arrived during a critical period to save an endangered horse breed and to designate the breed as the South Carolina State Heritage Horse. They both got to know the people and the horses and developed a clear understanding of the breed. Dwain's stunning photographs captured the wildness beauty, and majesty of the Marsh Tacky and Daniela took the message worldwide. Soon, Marsh Tackies were featured on the covers of magazines, in the media, and on calendars. As members of Carolina Marsh Tacky Outdoors their quest to promote the State Heritage Horse continues to this day via their imagery and articles being featured all over the world. Please visit their websites, www.EquestrianImages.us and www.SnyderEquestrian.com. 
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