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FLORIDA CRAa CKER HORSE The Organization The Florida Cracker Horse Association (FCHA) was organized and chartered in 1989 as a non-profit Florida corporation with the purpose of searching for the remnant herds of Florida Cracker Horses. Its purpose is the preservation and perpetuation of the Florida Cracker Horse as a distinct and unique Colonial Spanish breed of horse.
North African Barb, Spanish Sorraia and Spanish Jennet (gaited). Its geSince then, a registry and blood type netic base is generally the same as have been established, and the strin- that of the Spanish Mustang, Paso gent application process has resulted Fino, Peruvian Paso, Criolla and other breeds developed from the horses in a very consistent breed. Today, originally introduced by the Spanish the Florida Cracker Horse is prointo the Caribbean Islands, Cuba and moted as a valuable and vital part of Florida’s heritage. While still rare, North, Central, and South America. there are now over 1,000 registered horses, and the number continues to Florida cowmen were nicknamed “Crackers” because of the sound grow each year. made by their cow whip cracking the air. This name was also given to the The Horse small agile Spanish Horse essential The Florida Cracker Horse, like the for working Spanish cattle. Over the cattle breed of the same name, years, Cracker Horses have been traces its ancestry to Spanish stock brought to Florida in the 1500’s. Pre- known by a variety of names: Chicksaw Pony, Seminole Pony, Marsh paring to return to Spain, the SpanTackie, Prairie Pony, Florida Horse, ish left some of their cattle, horses Florida Cow Pony, Grass Gut and and hogs to make room for their others. collected treasures. The genetic heritage of the Florida Cracker Horse is derived from the Iberian Horse of early sixteenth century Spain, and includes blood of the
The Cracker Horse suffered a reversal of fortune in the 1930’s. The Great Depression led to the creation of a number of relief programs, one
34 • The Sound Advocate • Issue 4, 2021
