COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The reliable little marsh tacky is finally getting its due in South Carolina.
Gov. Mark Sanford on Wednesday holds a ceremonial bill signing designating tackies the official state heritage horse. The measure passed the legislature earlier this year.
Ancestors of the short-legged, swaybacked tackies were left by colonial Spanish explorers. They survived for centuries on the sea islands but their numbers dwindled to about 150 several years ago as breeders renewed efforts to save them.
Tackies are suited for toiling in the heat and can take hunters into marshes that can't be reached by foot. They don't flinch easily and their hind ends slope downward, allowing tight turns in woods where other horses might have to back out.