Carolina Marsh Tacky Standard
This standard is an ideal to strive for when breeding Marsh Tackies. Not every horse will meet the standard in all points. It is important for breeders to understand the ideal, the acceptable range of variation, and how their horses fit into the breed. Stallions, especially, should come very close to the ideal. Horses that are off of the ideal but still acceptable should be mated to horses that more strongly meet the ideal so that the next generations maintain the uniqueness and desirability of the historic breed.
Temperament
Temperament is one of the most important aspects of a Marsh Tacky, and unfortunately is impossible to observe by "just looking" at the horse. Marsh Tackies should be sure footed in wooded and swampy lands, and have the ability to calmly and effectively get out of boggy areas safely and quickly. The ideal temperament is alert but calm, levelheaded, and no prone to panic.
Defects include horses that are nervous and flighty, as well as horses that are dull with little alertness.
General appearance and function
Marsh Tacky horses have traditionally been balanced and athletic, and are known for being "easy keepers" on forages with little supplemental feeding.
Most Tacky horses have a fluid, smooth trot. A few in the past have been gaited, and this tendency is not penalized should it reappear in the breed. A short, rough, choppy trot is to be avoided.
Height
The usual height is from 14 hands to 14.2 hands high at the withers. The usual range in height is from 13 hands to 15 hands. Few horses are below this, few are above this. At the extremes of the range (short, tall) horses tend to lose overall typiness. A tall, typey horse or a short, typey horse is acceptable, but horses that are too short or too tall and not of strong overall type should be avoided as breeding animals.
Head
The head is very important as it relates to breed type. Outside breeding shows up readily in the head conformation.
The profile of the head is usually flat or slightly concave, but becomes slightly convex from the nasal region to the top of the muzzle. Some are more uniformly convex, and some are nearly straight. To be avoided are fine heads that are markedly dished as is the Arabian, or heads that are markedly convex from poll to muzzle.
From the front view the head has a very characteristic shape. It is wide between the eyes, then tapers and is finely "chiseled" or defined through the mid region. The most typical heads are wide between eyes, taper in, and then flare back out at the region of the nostrils, then taper to a fine muzzle. The most usual off-type is wider through the mid region, and coarser, thicker, and rounder through the muzzle.
The nostrils are usually fine and crescent-shaped at rest. They flare larger and more open with excited or under exertion. To be avoided are large, coarse, round, open nostrils.
The ears are usually short to medium length, and most have a distinctive inward pointing notch at the tips. To be avoided are long, straight, thick, wide, or boxy ears with no inward notch at the tip.
The eyes are usually large and bold, though some have smaller eyes and these are acceptable. The eyes are high on the head. To be avoided are large, bold eyes that are low on the head.
The profile of the muzzle (from the side) is refined, with the top lip usually longer than the bottom lip. Avoid coarse and thick lower lips that are loose, large, and project beyond the upper lip.
Neck
The neck is usually wide from the side, though it is still typical to have a slight ewe-neck. The neck is attached lower on the chest than most other breeds. Avoid necks that are thin, long, and set high on the chest.
Withers
The withers are usually pronounced and obvious, or even "sharp." Avoid thick, low, meaty withers.
Back
The back is usually short and strong. Some have a longer back, but very weak, long backs that are weakly tied into croup and withers should be avoided.
Rear
The croup and hip are important indicators of type. The usual conformation is angled from the top of the croup to the tail base. This is usually a 30 degree slope, and some are steeper than this. Flat, high croups are not typical.
The tail is usually set on low, so that it appears to "fall off" the croup smoothly. A high tail set above the angle of the croup is not typical.
The rear end usually has a distinct break at the point of the hip, so that the line from the top of croup to point of hip is one line or curve, then it breaks and continues as a different curve from the point of the hip to the back of the gaskin. Avoid a smooth, round curve from top of croup to gaskin, as is seen in Quarter Horses. Overly-conditioned horses may be difficult to evaluate on this detail, as the fat can obscure the true conformation here.
From the rear view the spine is usually the top of the rear, and the muscles taper down off of this (rafter-hipped). This is a combination of the type and amount of muscling as well as the location of the hip joint. To be avoided is thicker muscling and higher hips which result in a distinct deep crease down the middle, so that the midpoint is lower rather than higher.
From the side the hips should be long and well angled, rather than steep and short.
Front
From the side, the chest is deep and usually accounts for about half the height of the horse. From the front the chest is narrow and the legs usually point up to an "A" shape at the chest, rather than a broader flatter appearance. This aspect varies in the breed, and historic photos show more narrowness here than many modern horses have. Expect variation in this aspect, but penalize very wide chests. These usually accompany heads that are off-type from the front view.
The shoulder is ideally long, and has a 45 to 55 degree angle. Short shoulders that are steeper than 55 degrees are objectionable.
From the front view the limbs should fall straight from the shoulder to the ground.
Rear limbs
From the rear view the rear limbs are usually straight or slightly inward at the hocks but then straight from there to the ground. The legs are very flexible, and at the trot the hind track can land past the front track. The muscling is long and tapering. Avoid excessive "cow hocks" as well as heavy, bunchy muscling (most obvious in the gaskin) or tight tendons.
There is usually no feathering on the fetlocks. Avoid coarse, abundant feathering.
Feet are balanced, and of a size to fit the overall weight of the horse. Hooves are tough and wear well.
Chestnuts
These vary from small and nearly nonexistent, to larger and more obvious. The most typical are the small, flat, ones, and some horses lack rear chestnuts entirely. Very large and thick chestnuts should be penalized.
Color
Any color is permissible, but some colors are more common. The most common colors include bay, black, grullo, dun, blue roan, and bay roan. Chestnut, red dun, and strawberry roan are also common. Many horses have little or no white markings on them, some have extensive white on the legs and heads. Other colors are no indication (by themselves) of crossbreeding. Mating of individuals with the most white on them could produce foals with enough white to have body spots.
