| Florida Crackers originate from The United States of America. They can generally be claimed as coming from the state of Florida, hence the name. A popular favorite for all western men and cowboys that engaged in whip cracking in those times, they survived several name changes such as Chicksaw Pony, Seminole Pony, March Tackle, Grass Cut, Prairie Pony, and the ever popular Florida Cow Pony. After many changes and identity turns, they decided to go with Florida Cracker. These creatures, believe it or not, are sired from Spanish roots. Known for being attractive and very smart, the Florida Cracker is a very well loved animal. Some experts believe they were brought over from Cuba, which would certainly account for their smaller size and big persona styles. They, like some other famous southern breeds, have an unusual gait that comes all naturally to the Florida horse. They did very well over the years, but did suffer from a decrease in popularity when the Quarter Horse came about, though in some areas they did replace the state Spanish styled animal. Some farmers from that era decided to change the way this downward spiral was headed by using the docile creatures to help work on their ranches, which instantly increased their breeding population. |
