BREED INFORMATION
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.
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.
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 information about Marsh Tacky Horses, please contact the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, PO Box 477,
Pittsboro, NC, 27312, 919-542-5704, www.albc-usa.org or the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association, www.marshtacky.org
The chance to get involved in a noble cause and for the effort to be recorded in history rarely occurs for most people. That
Marsh Tackies have endured for over 400 years with very little outside breeding influence is quite amazing.
I am passionate about the Marsh Tacky for many reasons. First is the fascinating documented history that surrounds these
horses. Ask DP Lowther, Ed Ravenel, or Lee McKenzie about these horses and they will take you back 50 years or more and
tell you some intriguing stories of people and horses. We simply cannot allow these great memories of horses and people to
pass from our generation undocumented. I offer a challenge to each person that reads this to find out why there is a movement
going on to preserve not only the horse but also the priceless heritage surrounding them, and get involved.
I cannot speak as an authority on the history of these amazing horses but I can speak first hand about their many attributes.
You can have the prettiest horse in the world but if it doesn't have enough sense or hardiness to survive what do you have?
The Tacky has an innate sense of self-preservation. I have ridden my grulla stud, DP, for three years now and he has pulled me
out of some pretty tough situations and he is only six yeas old. On one hunt we fell into a hole large enough for him to roll down
into. He just rolled out from under me and literally crawled out. The most amazing thing is that he came back to get me. He has
already developed an ear for the dogs baying and will pick his own way to them. Tackies are very easy keepers. I have 15 and
have had very few problems. They stay fat on grass and hay, their feet require very little if any trimming, their resistance to
insects is astounding, and the list goes on and on.
We are at a crossroads in the effort to save these horses. We need newcomers to get involved in our effort. Even if a person
cannot own a horse, there are numerous ways to help preserve the breed. All of us have been given different strengths by the
good Lord and if we blend those strengths into grassroots conservation effort we can look back on our life and tell people, "I
helped save the Marsh Tacky from extinction."
At times I get discouraged in our effort. Then I stop and think about what our forefathers did on the backs of some of these
same types of horses to ensure our freedom. We cannot let the breed disappear. Won't you join us in the effort?
The best thing for the inside of a person is the backside of a horse! More so if that horse is a living legend, a Marsh Tacky!
Due to the breed’s Colonial Spanish heritage the Marsh Tacky was thought by some to be gaited, but there had never been
any research conducted concerning the gaits. One long time breeder once described it as a “rocking chair gait.” One thing for
certain is that some of the horses were found to be particularly comfortable under saddle. This thinking was the start of a
project to try and understand why the Marsh Tacky was often different from the feel of other horses when ridden. A study was
undertaken by Dr. Molly Nicodemus of Mississippi State University (MSU) and American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC)
to explore and define the gait of the Marsh Tacky using video of the horses analyzed with temporal variable measurements on
the horses. Ten horses from various bloodlines were selected and filmed by ALBC staff while the horses performed their
intermediate gait. Using frame-by-frame analysis, ten strides that were consistent with clearly visible hoof contact and lift-off
were evaluated for the study by MSU. An interesting development occurred as every one of the horses Dr. Nicodemus viewed
had periods of "gaiting." This meant that they demonstrated a symmetrical, 4-beat stepping (no suspension) gait with a lateral
footfall sequence (meaning the footfall was left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore) in which all of these variables are similar to
the walk and other gaited horse gaits (running walk, rack, fox trot, etc.).
What Dr. Nicodemus found is that the Marsh Tackies perform a "broken trot" (similar to the fox trot of the Missouri Fox Trotter
horse.) Instead of diagonal pairs, the two diagonal limbs disassociate creating instead of a 2-beat gait a 4-beat gait with
diagonal couplets. In place of the suspension, the horse has created a quadrupedal support phase where all four limbs are on
the ground. The durations, timing, and limb support are more similar to the marcha batida of the Mangalarga Marchador, the
National horse of Brazil. The fox trot does not demonstrate quadrupedal support, instead shows more tripedal support, but the
marcha batida does show quadrupedal support along with the diagonal couplets. Both the Mangalarga Marchador and Marsh
Tacky breeds share similar Spanish ancestries which may explain the similarities in their gaits.
At faster speeds than what was measured in the research study, the Tackies can produce a true trot, which is similar to other
gaited breeds which can produce either a pace or trot at faster speeds (depending on the breed.) Some horses in the study
could not hold the gait as well at the speeds that were observed, which can make the gaits feel and look rough as they switch in
and out of the trot and broken trot. Conformationally, some horses may be suited better for this gait than others, but the study
has not yet gotten that far into the research to understand this point. The lack of suspension, periods of quadrupedal support,
and the longer periods of stance (where the hoof is more on the ground) assist the horse in traveling through such terrain as
marshy land.
The next step for MSU in research will be to look at joint angles, head displacements, back and croup movements to determine
further what they are doing with the body to assist in producing the gait. With the current findings, the Marsh Tacky can be
considered gaited. The findings were published in the Journal of Animal Science in 2009. The gait variables found in the study
will assist in identifying characteristics that are unique to the Marsh Tacky in comparison to other gaited horse breeds.
Dr. Nicodemus writes “While the gait looks like the marcha batida, it is not exactly the same so it truly needs its own name” and
has invited the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association to coin a name for their breed’s gait.
Interestingly because the gait of the Marsh Tacky is definitely unlike anything Dr. Nicodemus has ever seen in other gaited
horses, it has encouraged further research on other Spanish Colonial breeds. Work is currently under way to collect of video
footage of the other Colonial Spanish horse breeds listed on the ALBC Conservation Priority List.
A big “thanks” goes out to all of the owners who helped us to collect video footage of their horses. Lee Brockington, senior interpreter at Hobcaw Barony, one of Baruch's plantations in Georgetown County, states "Bernard
A passionate interest in the American Revolution met a desire to ensure that today's children appreciate the state's past in a
recent presentation co-sponsored by the Francis Marion Trail Commission and Science South at the latter's Florence pavillion
located at Freedom Florence. To find out more about Science South and its programs, go to http://www.sciencesouth.org/.
David Grant is passionate about horses, particularly Marsh Tackies and the role they likely played in aiding Gen. Francis
Marion's Brigade in confounding the British in the swamps of the Carolina Pee Dee and Lowcountry.
Grant, a Dillon County native who has lived in Florence for 30 years, displayed two of the Marsh Tackies he breeds primarily for
hunting. His horses, he said, are the direct descendants of horses originally brought to this country by Spanish settlers in the
late 1500s and early 1600s, and he has the DNA test results to prove it. The Spaniards abandoned the horses to fend for
themselves when their settlements along the Carolina coast failed; others of the tough little horses swam ashore after Spanish
galleons shipwrecked just off the coast.
Hilton Head Island and other SC barrier islands provided a safe haven for the horses for many years. However, once
development started encroaching on their habitat, the breed came close to dying out. Breeders like D.P. Lowther from whom
Grant bought his first Marsh Tackies and after whom one of his horses is named, and the Ravenel family near Charleston
recognized the significance of the horses and have kept the breed pure. Grant said there are approximately 200 registered
Marsh Tackies alive today. He currently has 18 on his farm near Florence after establishing a breeding program four years ago.
Grant is also involved in the movement to have the legislature designate the Marsh Tacky as the state horse of South Carolina.
The horses, smaller than the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred, were also used in this area for many years for hunting just as
Grant and his friends use them today. New York financier Bernard Baruch likely used Tackies to hunt at his Williamsburg
County plantation Little Hobcaw, with such luminaries as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Gen. George Marshall and
others joining him on many of these hunts. Grant has viewed a photo of Baruch and Little Hobcaw caretaker Dave McGill
mounted for a hunting expedition and says the horses' configuration closely resembles that of the Marsh Tacky.
Baruch bought eleven plantations on the Waccamaw Neck in 1905-07 as a winter hunting retreat and quickly adopted hunting
methods common to the Carolina coast." Former employees, white and black, have said that Mr. Baruch would use Marsh
Tackies as his hunting horses. Staff was sent to Hilton Head Island where Tackies were purchased from local blacks who
herded and sold Tackies on a regular basis.
Brockington continued, "Dr. Havilah Babcock, an avid hunter and English professor at USC wrote in 'My Health is Better in
November', that he hunted quail with Mr. Baruch at Little Hobcaw, and that by then he was using Marsh Tackies exclusively for
hunting. Babcock's books were out of print for years until now and although not indexed, provide valuable insight into the
outdoor life of our Carolina hunters during the first half of the 20th century. Photographs in our digital archive," Brockington
said, "are being searched to locate images of horses believed to be Marsh Tackies. Some appear to me and to members of the
Carolina Marsh Tacky Association to indeed be Tackies." In March of 2010, the association visited Hobcaw Barony and
members rode the same dirt roads that Baruch and his guests rode as part of the trail rides offered to the horse-owning public.
For access to the Baruch Foundation's photo archive, visit http://www.gcdigital.org/ and for more information on Hobcaw's tours
and programs, go to http://www.hobcawbarony.org/.
David Grant says the horses were also used as pack animals to bring game out of the woods. Once the four-wheeler came
upon the scene however, the horses almost faded away, he said. In Grant's opinion, the horses' small size, agility and tough
hides make them excellent for hunting in briar infested swamps. He hunts both, wild hog and deer on horseback, and says his
animals are good-natured and don't flinch even when their riders take a shot. He proved his point when re-enactors fired a
volley during the presentation, and neither of the horses Grant had brought did more than flick an ear. "These are rough, tough
little horses; I'm a rough, tough guy myself," said Grant, who is known in hunting circles as the "Pee Dee Cowboy". He said that
as he hunted more from horseback and learned that many of Marion's Brigade would likely have ridden Tackies during
the Revolutionary War, he began to marvel at the endurance and tenacity these early American soldiers needed to fight in the
swamps of South Carolina. "They were tough men on tough horses," he said.
As Francis Marion Trail Commission Director Bob Barrett related the story of British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton and his men
chasing Marion and his men for seven hours over 26 miles in what is now Charleston County, Grant and Wylie Bell rode their
horses at a pace they have determined would have been needed to stay ahead of the British and Tory troops. The story, of
course, ends with Marion and his men vanishing into Ox Swamp and Tarleton reportedly saying, "Come on boys, let's go back.
As for this damned old fox the devil himself could not catch him," giving Marion the nickname, "Swamp Fox", which has come
down through history.
