Florida Cracker Horse: Breed Profile

Have you ever heard of the Florida Cracker Horse? If you haven’t, you aren’t alone – this breed is quite rare, and at one point there were less than 40 horses in the breed’s registry. With a history that started back in the 1500s, this breed has been in America for centuries, and thankfully some families and breeders are working to preserve the breed and build its popularity.

This gaited horse breed is smaller than most, but it’s also agile and well-suited to working cattle. Spirited and with a strong herding instinct, these horses are right at home on a cattle ranch, but they can also be ridden and driven, too. With smooth, comfortable, ground-covering gaits and a small build that makes mounting from the ground easy, you’re likely to see this breed out on the trails, working on a ranch, or being driven down a road.

Florida Cracker Horse History and Origins

The Florida Cracker Horse’s history spans multiple centuries and originates with the Spanish horses that arrived in Florida during the 1500s. When the Spanish were ready to sail back to Spain, they discovered they wouldn’t have room on their ships for all of their cattle, horses, hogs, and the treasures that they wanted to bring back from America. So, they decided to leave some of their animals – including some horses – behind.

These horses that remained in Florida had descended from the Iberian Horse, and their bloodlines included influences from the North African Barb, Spanish Sorraia, and Spanish Jennet. The horses were closely related to the Spanish Mustang, Peruvian Paso, and the Paso Fino, which had also evolved from the horses that the Spanish had brought to areas like the