Banker horse
 Horses on Corolla Island | |
| Country of origin | United States of America |
|---|---|
The Banker Horse is a breed of horse which has existed on the islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks for centuries. This feral horse survives by eating the marsh grass and by scratching through sand for water seepage.
Characteristics
The typical Banker horse is of small stature, standing between 13.2 to 15.0 hands high (54 inches (140 cm) to 60 inches (150 cm)) and weighing between 700 pounds (320 kg) and 900 pounds (410 kg).[1] Several characteristics suggest that the Banker horse is descended from Spanish stock. The presence of the genetic marker Q-ac indicate shared ancestry 400 years ago with two other breeds descended from Spanish stock: the Paso Fino and Pryor Mountain Mustang.[2] Banker horses on Corolla Island, North Carolina also exhibit skeletal traits of colonial Spanish horses: Wings of Atlas and a fused spine at the 5th and 6th lumbar.[3] The coat of a Banker horse can be any color, but is typically brown, bay, dun, or chestnut.[1]
Breed history
The exact origin of the Banker Horse is not known, but they appear to be of Spanish stock as it was the Spanish explorers who first visited the island in the 1520s. In the 1580s, the island was briefly colonized by the English. Both were known to have brought stock over, though we are uncertain whether the stock escaped, were released or saved from shipwreck.
Notes
- ^ a b "Colonial Spanish Horse". American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ Mason, Carolyn (1997-11-17). "History on Hooves: The Horses of Shackleford Banks". The Foundation for Shackleford Horses. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ Ives, Vickie (2007-02-25). "Corolla and Shackleford Horse of the Americas Inspections" (PDF). The Horse of the Americas. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
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References
- Pickeral, Tamsin. The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies. Barnes & Noble. 2003. ISBN: 0760734577.
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