Marsh Tacky a living link to Daufuskie Island history
REBECCA J. DUCKER, Morning News
DAUFUSKIE ISLAND S.C. — Loggerhead, Brown Pelican, Harbor Seal are all common names for a few of the endangered species one may hope to find along the shores of Daufuskie Island.
But a Marsh Tacky, what is that? A bird? A turtle?
Actually it’s a horse, a powerful, stocky breed native to the low-country of South Carolina. And more than a dozen of them gathered on the island Saturday to celebrate their long history in the state.
It may come as a surprise to many that any horses are considered an endangered species but in fact the Marsh Tacky is one of a nearly a dozen horse breeds listed as endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservatory. There are only 300 Tackys alive today.
“It is believed that Daufuskie Island is the last place these horses would have lived in the wilderness,” said Jackie McFadden, of the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association. “So it’s the perfect place for this year’s race.”
Descendents of the Spanish horses brought up the coast from St. Augustine, Florida, the small horses are perfectly adapted for life on the Carolina coast. Mud, brush, briars, and sand are no match for the rugged little Tacky.
Standing about 14 hands tall (each hand is 4 inches) the horses look just like their Spanish ancestors with thick double manes, a variety of unusual colors and, in some cases like David Grant’s stallion DP, they still have the zebra like dorsal stripes on their legs.
Hacksaw, a rugged stallion, was the last Marsh Tacky removed from Daufuskie in the 1980’s, his savior was D.P. Lowther. Just as rugged and wise as the Marsh Tackys are, Lowther, now 80- years-old has been working with the breed his entire life.
“You live with something that long it gets in your blood,” he said. Lowther currently owns about 100 of the remaining horses. Many of the Tackys who ran Saturday’s race are direct descendents of Hacksaw.
Saturday, the beach at Melrose on the Beach Golf Club was packed with visitors waiting to catch a glimpse of living history. More than a dozen of the unique horses ran the beach for several races all leading up to the best over all race.
“There is nothing like this, can you even believe it,” Bonnie Gunter said.
Gunter traveled all the way from Chicago to watch the race with friends Janice Kennedy and Maribeth Veidt, who own a house in Melrose. Veidt said although she has been coming to vacation in South Carolina for years she had never even heard of the historic horse.
For the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association, it is the history of the horse that is so important to preserve. Considering the breed was nearly lost forever just 30 years ago it’s considered to be a great achievement by the Association that so many people are now working to preserve them.
Even people relatively new to the Tacky, like 21 year-old Lamar Smith who ran his dad’s horse Lonely in Saturday’s geldings races, can see how special the tough little horses are.
“They are stockier (than a Quarter Horse),” he said. “They can do more, we have even pulled a buggy with him, and they are really special little horses.”
Saturday’s best over all race was won by M.J. and Chris Goodwin’s stallion Jack Friday ridden by Paige Cooley.
DAUFUSKIE ISLAND S.C. — Loggerhead, Brown Pelican, Harbor Seal are all common names for a few of the endangered species one may hope to find along the shores of Daufuskie Island.
But a Marsh Tacky, what is that? A bird? A turtle?
Actually it’s a horse, a powerful, stocky breed native to the low-country of South Carolina. And more than a dozen of them gathered on the island Saturday to celebrate their long history in the state.
It may come as a surprise to many that any horses are considered an endangered species but in fact the Marsh Tacky is one of a nearly a dozen horse breeds listed as endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservatory. There are only 300 Tackys alive today.
“It is believed that Daufuskie Island is the last place these horses would have lived in the wilderness,” said Jackie McFadden, of the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association. “So it’s the perfect place for this year’s race.”
Descendents of the Spanish horses brought up the coast from St. Augustine, Florida, the small horses are perfectly adapted for life on the Carolina coast. Mud, brush, briars, and sand are no match for the rugged little Tacky.
Standing about 14 hands tall (each hand is 4 inches) the horses look just like their Spanish ancestors with thick double manes, a variety of unusual colors and, in some cases like David Grant’s stallion DP, they still have the zebra like dorsal stripes on their legs.
Hacksaw, a rugged stallion, was the last Marsh Tacky removed from Daufuskie in the 1980’s, his savior was D.P. Lowther. Just as rugged and wise as the Marsh Tackys are, Lowther, now 80- years-old has been working with the breed his entire life.
“You live with something that long it gets in your blood,” he said. Lowther currently owns about 100 of the remaining horses. Many of the Tackys who ran Saturday’s race are direct descendents of Hacksaw.
Saturday, the beach at Melrose on the Beach Golf Club was packed with visitors waiting to catch a glimpse of living history. More than a dozen of the unique horses ran the beach for several races all leading up to the best over all race.
“There is nothing like this, can you even believe it,” Bonnie Gunter said.
Gunter traveled all the way from Chicago to watch the race with friends Janice Kennedy and Maribeth Veidt, who own a house in Melrose. Veidt said although she has been coming to vacation in South Carolina for years she had never even heard of the historic horse.
For the Carolina Marsh Tacky Association, it is the history of the horse that is so important to preserve. Considering the breed was nearly lost forever just 30 years ago it’s considered to be a great achievement by the Association that so many people are now working to preserve them.
Even people relatively new to the Tacky, like 21 year-old Lamar Smith who ran his dad’s horse Lonely in Saturday’s geldings races, can see how special the tough little horses are.
“They are stockier (than a Quarter Horse),” he said. “They can do more, we have even pulled a buggy with him, and they are really special little horses.”
Saturday’s best over all race was won by M.J. and Chris Goodwin’s stallion Jack Friday ridden by Paige Cooley.
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