Last Sunday we had perfect weather for the 2nd annual Marsh Tacky Race. This is such a great promotional event to try and save the South Carolina Marsh Tacky breed.

They are a rare, small, colonial Spanish horse breed unique to South Carolina. My favorite fact is that these sure footed, agile horses, that were left by the Spanish explorers 500 years ago and survived in the low country’s swampy terrain, were the mounts used by General Francis Marion, aka The Swamp Fox, in victorious battles against the British troops who rode larger European horses.
The ‘Swamp Fox’ was one of my favorite Disney programs when growing up. I had such a crush on the actor that played Francis Marion.

To see these proud little horses in the flesh was such a treat. They range from 13 to 15 hands tall. The way the newspapers spoke about these small horses, I expected to see them at 12 hands high tops (15 hands isn’t that small). My brother’s Palomino, we had growing up on the farm, was 16 hands. That was a good-sized horse. The Marsh Tacky horses we saw at the race didn’t look that much smaller.

I began the above painting (ATC size 2.5″ x 3.5″) at the end of the preliminary heats. The announcer said that the horses had to rest before the final race. I was able to paint the sky and beach when all of a sudden the horses were racing!!! What kind of rest was that?? I finished up the painting in my studio.