Who posted the "little cracker horse" Appy the other day?
Aug 09 2007
I can’t find your comment but it’s this horse:
http://www.equinenow.com/horse-ad-33782
I want to know if you have a clear head shot I can use. Since you are a grown-up and can admit to (and laugh at) his appearance, I would like to make him the official FHOTD logo horse!
E-mail me a clear head shot if you have one!
90 comments to “Who posted the "little cracker horse" Appy the other day?”
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That is one ugly horse. At least the seller admits it!
Florida Cracker horse?
YUCK!
Oh cool, a mascot. He’d be a good one. Poor guy. LOL
He was uglier in person!!!
I am sorry I don’t think I have a head shot of him I will look though. The lady that bought him loves him!!! Good thing she is not a vain person.
heh, you should have a contest for the mascot horse….
Haha yeah you should take votes–i.e. set up a poll with pictures and let all your fans vote for which horse they want to be the FHOTD mascot
So fugly he’s cute (in a thank-god-he’s-gelded way).
FHOTD, I love your site… sent you an email, but figured this might be faster. (I imagine the number of emails in your inbox is frightening!)
This is one FUGLY horse!
http://www.dreamhorse.com/
show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1053075
Keep up the good work!
Horror-fied, OK, good point.
Who has a PHENOMENALLY fugly-headed creature they have a GREAT picture of, who would enjoy having their horse as our poster child?
Post the links to the pictures here (I am going to get through my e-mails around 2009) and let’s see who’s got the best example of equus yakkus
sold a moke asked:
“Florida Cracker horse?”
Yes, Florida Cracker horse:
http://albc-usa.org/cpl/floridacracker.html
and
http://www.thegaitedhorse.com/florida_cracker.htm
The seller of the horse pictured here on the blog may be using the term in the most generic sense, i.e. a scrappy little cow pony from Florida of indeterminate parentage. But, Florida Cracker horse is indeed a “real” breed.
What about Namusca?? That hideous Arabian with the extreme dish.
She’s not mine. . .but she is pretty fugly.
http://www.equinehits.com/horses-for-sale/horse-106415
“nice conformation”
I think our Fugly mascot should be a gelding. I like the “don’t you breed no fugly horses” slogan. I’d totally wear that.
I really want to use one of “our” horses, used with permission – I know someone out there has a hideous horse of their very own that would make a great example.
I had one but I do not think I still have any good pictures of her. I’ll look though. None of my current bunch have a fugly head, and fugly front legs just don’t look as cool on a t-shirt.
You should put a fugly mule on it.
I kid.
omfg! that “Namusca” is some really f’d up looking shit. I bet she doesn’t breath right, or eat right or something!
Lol. But Namusca is the perfect example of breeding for looks alone and in general turning out an ugly, misshapen horse that should not be bred further.
“Lol. But Namusca is the perfect example of breeding for looks alone and in general turning out an ugly, misshapen horse that should not be bred further.”
Yes indeed but apparently she has lots of babies and they say she’s “exotic”. I guess that makes that lady that eats light bulbs “exotic” too. They’re both freaks.
Exactly. Exotic does not equal extreme facial deformity. Granted I’m in no position to say whether or not it’s a deformity and whether or not it’s genetic to be passed on to foals. But as a breeder…would you take the chance??
Well, Namusca is not my cup of tea but for the logo, I’m thinking more of a hammerhead and a pig eye. Something anyone would recognize as FUGLY.
I think Namuska has one of the fugliest heads I’ve EVER seen on an Arab. She’s a disgrace to our breed *shakes head* who in sam’s heck would breed a horse that deformed??!!
*points at her breeders*
looks like someone took a 2 by 4 to her head.
lol
Here’s my fugly horse…
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=1699014
But she changed..
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=1699015
And changed (this one is age 14)
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=1308334842
And this is her strutting her stuff..
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=1308334438
And again..
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=1300878352
She’s jumped 5’6″ many times and is schooling PSG in dressage as a 14 year old, still sound and improving. I guess she isn’t your standard fugly horse. Question is (dare I ask this on this forum?) would you breed from her?
And can her yearling photo be considered for the fugly horse poster child competition?
She is a warmblood, right? I have a 2 y.o. warmblood gelding who went through some terribly fugly phases – he could easily have ended up featured here – but I had the good sense not to put him on my website until things worked themselves out! What shocks me is that some people (not you) put the most terrible photos of their babies up for everyone to see. Golly, can’t they wait through the ugly duckling phase if they want to highlight their quality breeding program?
Stolensilver:
I don’t mean to offend, since she obviously turned into a VERY lovely mare, but that hind end looks almost photo-shopped in in the second photo! Totally doesn’t fit IMO.
ridesobright she’s an Irish horse: Irish Draught x TB. I’m still stunned quite how fugly she was as a baby.
Carrie I promise there’s no photoshopping on any of those photos, not least because I don’t know how to do it! ROFL! In the second pic she had been bloodhounding for 3 seasons, galloping 15-20 miles and jumping 75-100 fences each time. That was when we were doing some very big hedges, some of them 5’6″ tall. It is the dressage training that has built her muscles up so her sloping croup and low set tail are less obvious.
The question remains though is she good enough to breed from or is she firmly in the fugly camp and should stay celibate?
StolenSilver – on looks alone I’m on the fence (not that my opinion matters) I guess I’d have to say if “any idiot” (not taken literally) could ride your mare (well) I think that’s very desireable. Eagerness to please, and a good work ethic comes #1 when the conformation is a tad iffy.
I hate to admit this, but having seen a film of Namusca in action . . . her head is fugly. Awesomely, deformedly fugly. But I’d breed her too. She has an awesome body. Just once to see if that head is a birth defect — Muscat and Nariadni (from whom she is descented) had lovely heads. I don’t know about her dam lines, but it would be worth the chance — knowing that if it is Fugly the foal is mine for life.
If you ended up not getting that head . . . you’d have something. I haven’t seen her foals, but I’ve heard that they don’t have her head.
Hello-I enjoy reading this blog and learning about horses. I am a complete novice and have no experience with horses, so this has been interesting. This is off topic, but on another forum, someone posted a link of a couple of horses that are so starved and emaciated, and they wanted to know how they can help. The horses are in the Westmoreland, Tennesee area, and the poster said they were a neighbor. They contacted the police and sheriff, and it seems that they won’t help. It’s pretty obvious that these people who own these horses are not right in the head (like Deliverence). I will post the link on another post, as I’m not too good at copy and paste. If anyone on this forum knows of that area, maybe you can advise or help?? When you see the link and how these horses look, it may be too late at this point. It might be best to put them down. Very, very sad! I appreciate any advice or help. Thank you. Judy
http://13thstreetoddities.googlepages.com/pleasehelpthesehorses%21 I hope this went through. Here’s the link. Really horrible! Thanks again- Judy
Ok, I’d be the first to say that Namusca is a freak. She reminds me of a bottlenosed dolphin.
But….here’s a daughter of hers with very little of her dam’s head: http://www.kakagiarabians.com/rossi.htm and a friend recently sent me a photo of her most recent foal, who’s head is pretty (and yes, exotic) but NOT freaky.
I don’t know if it’s genetic, and it doesn’t seem to be something she’s passing on…but who’s to say that’s not the kind of thing that’s going to bite a breeder in the ass in a generation or two?
Personally, I wouldn’t breed her, but she doesn’t appear to have done too badly as a broodmare.
JMHO.
How about my guy? He’s long backed, pigeon toed, cow hocked, wears a draft size halter, but is a 15.2 QH.
http://www.metalmom.com/mt%20body.jpg
not the best pic but if you want I can get a better one.
For all his faults (and there are TONS!)he’s a total sweety and “jack of all trades, master of none.” He’ll do anything you ask but there’s nothing he was ever going to excel at.
Oh, and he was gelded at 4 months, so his breeder definitely used common sense (he comes from a gorgeous sire and dam, I call him the “oops”.)
my son said shoot the owner…lol…he is 15 and has no interest in horses
Mintyfresh said…
“How about my guy? He’s long backed, pigeon toed, cow hocked, wears a draft size halter, but is a 15.2 QH.”
I’m sorry, but IMO his face is just WAY too cute to work as a fugly horse logo.
i have 15 horses and i would say 13 are fugly…..lmao..but we love them.
you could rip the shit outa me, i do lots of multiple ppl on horses and photo’s fugly would rip into….but thats ok. mine are well fed vetted respectful nags.
http://www.freewebs.com/paintedappys
oh and the only 2 foals i own were not bred by us..lol…one is rescue and one is a fence job…so not my breeding fugly babies.
Mintyfresh – you are right, he’s pretty fugly, but I agree with incognitomosquito – he does have a sweet face. Sorry, not fugly enough.
How about my boy?
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/jarrn/Pics/?action=view¤t=wasedrfg.jpg
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/jarrn/Pics/?action=view¤t=Picturessssssrs004.jpg
I think this is the worst pic I have of him:
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/jarrn/Pics/?action=view¤t=Picturessssssrs015.jpg
Though, he’s actually gotten A LOT less fugly while I’ve had him
Thank God.
See?
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/jarrn/Pics/Hellsbane/?action=view¤t=picturesssssssssssssbane045.jpg
I can’t view any of your pictures. I think photobucket is tormenting me.
A good horse is never a bad color…..or a bad shape
BTW I have one Fugly gelding at home. One of the best horses I ever owned mind. Will send you pic soon.
Ok, here’s a digitally enhanced really ugly horse. I realize FHotD wants a “naturally’ ugly horse who has not been photo-shopped. But take a look anyway. He IS pretty ugly here:
http://www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=361885
OK well if you guys wanna check out my Fugly gelding, you can find him here:
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j169/OakyPoke/?action=view¤t=OakyheadJul03b.jpg
He’s a rescue (the horse on the right) and his ears arent back. They are like that all the time. And yes one really is shorter than the other.
He’s rising 32 and worth his weight in gold!
Judy/Junker: your URL got truncated. If you repost it, break it up onto a couple of lines (hit “return”).
horseychick, I think that entire picture is fantastic. It really made me chuckle.
Skye said
How about a fugly mule?
Awww geee I knew that was coming! LOL
Why not just a big donkey? A mule maker? I would be honored to have one of mine up here!!
http://www.usipp.com/gatefarm
What’s a “cracker horse?”…haha.
Ozland Horse rescue has a rescue horse that I think is the epitome of the ugly horse. They call him Elmer because he looked so much like the popular collectable figurine Elmer. He is close to 20 I believe and was still a stallion! when he was rescued from an auction. Go here….
http://myozland.tripod.com/ozlandhorserescue/id18.html
and tell me that is not one of the fugliest animals you ever saw….
http://13thstreetoddities.googlepages.com/pleasehelpthesehorses%21 Here it is again. Thanks.
http://13thstreetoddities.googlepages.com/pleasehelpthesehorses%21
Danielle – Elmer has my vote!
Now that’s a great story about a successful rescue.
Even when he’s all rehabbed, he’s still pretty fugly!
It appears to be a legitimate rescue organization, but I haven’t finished reviewing the site yet.
ELMER for MASCOT!
Junker, have you contacted the area’s ACO? The media is also a good ally in these cases. They LOVE to splash that kind of senseless cruelty across the front pages.
You need to contact your state’s Animal Welfare Agent. It’s not an easy battle. you wouldn’t believe the laws that protect the owners. Please be prepared for a fight. But please don’t give up fighting.
Okay here is the best picture I could find of the Cracker horse. It is an actual breed of horses and trust me I have not seen one that isn’t fugly. If you want a hard working cow horse though you can’t beat them. They are really tough little horses. All the ranches here in Florida use them to work cows. We have a lot of swamp areas and they can go where a lot of other horses can’t. Anyway here is a head shot. Sorry the quality isn’t so great. I had just gotten my digital camera and hadn’t figured it out yet.
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/
x276/spinningpeppy/IM000126.jpg
OK, you need to go to Ozland’s rescue website: http://myozland.tripod.com/ozlandhorserescue/
Elmer has a great story. He was rescued by the people on Horsecity.com. We all donated funds to buy him and ship him to Ozland. He is indeed the poster child for fugly.
Talk to Oz, I’m sure she would love him to be used for this.
heh- I *LOVE* this horse- but he’s not the prettiest thing on earth though he may have grown into himself since I last saw him. I last saw him when he was 2- his head was roughly the size of an elephant, and all his legs point in different directions. It’s a shame I don’t have a pic of his dam, she was an all-out mess (and speaking of irresponsible breeding, owner was told not to breed her again as she couldn’t handle it. He did anyway, and she died giving birth to the next one)
Hi, I’m a moose
“The name’s Jughead, pleased to meet you!”
Can you believe he’s not a mule?
love me, love my nose
Link right to Elmer’s page here:
http://myozland.tripod.com/ozlandhorserescue/id18.html
how could I forget about Elmer? Though he’s fugly in an “awwww…. I want to hug him” sort of way. To think he was a stallion when he was found…
http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa167/Stevie_Rabbit/Rabbit/
entry for Fugly mascot, what a head…goes on forever.
Hoping that link works, I seem to be trucating links.
Fugly, wonderful hubby-safe gaited gelding, found him starving in a field and could not walk away. Probably a throw away show horse – he is so happy to be safe and fed, what a clown – at least he was gelded…looks like an eggbeater going down the trail – everything goes in all directions – but smooooooth
I LOVE this blog!! Definitely one of the most entertaining(and informative)reads on the net.
Keep up the good work…*to exile island with all of these fugly breeders!!!!!*
Ozland is a legitimate rescue. 501c3 and everything. She has been on HC forever and we all feel like we know her.
Elmer is absolutly my vote. He has been my poster child of fugly since I ever saw him lol….
I live in Florida and the Cracker Horse (to me in my mass of humbleness) is just an excuse for bad breeding and what comes of it…some of these little nags are lucky and they are trained and loved and kept by good people…More often they end up in a desolate ‘turn-out’ never viewed by the public, scraping for a living in sandy soil and disgusting water…I just evicted tenants off my central Florida farm and found TWO such horses left to starve to death on my property…Hopefully when they were loaded into a county horse trailer and seized by Animal Control, they will find a better life…
Miss Fuglyhorseoftheday, I seriously salute what you are doing and in my book, you are a hero!!!
Crazy Horse you are right. The cracker horse leads a terrible life. Because they are such hardy little cow horses mostly cowboys own them. Now don’t get me wrong I have a lot of cowboy friends that are wonderfull horse people but the majority of “COWBOYS” are very very hard on their horses and treat them as tools not animals. When they are finished with these horses they dump them. These horses are usually great riding horses as they have many many hours on them. Now as for ground manners “UGH” they are not so great. How many of you have seen a cowboy bathe his horse before he goes and works cows or after for that matter???
My dear friend is a true cowboy, he makes a living everyday working cows, doing fence work, building barns, breaking horses, etc…. He is a true horseman and treats his horses with respect. I love riding his horses because they are so well trained. He picks these cracker horses up all the time on ranches that are finished with them. He usually brings them to me and I do some ground work (grooming, fly spray etc…) then sell them for nice riding horses. The problem is people keep breeding them and there is hardly any use for them now. Ranches are selling out to developers every day in FL and the cow industry is getting hit hard. What are we going to do with all the “Cracker” horses??? It is very sad as they are good at what they do but what is going to happen when all the ranches are gone???? Who is going to need the Cracker horse???
It is very sad to watch.
I’ve been reading here and I LOVE this blog!!! My first horse was butt-fugly but I loved him to death, and yes he was gelded. I wish I still had my photo of his head, he would have made a great mascot-he was blind in one eye so always looked at you at a funny angle, had big hairy donkey ears, and I’m told he was originally a red roan Appy but by the time I bought him at 22 years old he was so roaned out he just looked muddy brown. He was so fugly, and had so much hair in his ears, his name was YODA! I loved it and didn’t change it when I got him. His trot was like riding a jackhammer, he refused to canter for more than 4 strides, had no left lead at all because he was blind on that side so wouldn’t turn left (yes we had to go all the way around to the right to make a left turn!). But Yoda would go to hell and back for me and I’ll never find his equal. I wish I still had his picture, he would have been the perfect example of why you shouldn’t breed just because a horse is “sweet-tempered”.
Crazyhorse, I’m so glad you called AC and they were able to get some help. Horses like these fall into hands like that so very often. It’s disgusting.
HERE IS YOUR FUGLY HORSE!! ELMER
He was rescued from killers too, I believe. He IS the fugly poster child.
http://myozland.tripod.com/ozlandhorserescue/id18.html
Wow, that shire mare is certainly a conformational nightmare… dang.
And Elmer is cute(in an ugly-sorta-way), so glad someone rescued him and got him the brain surgery he needed. He looks good now, lucky fella.
L
Oh, I only wish I had a pic of one of the horses in our lesson string when I was growing up. This horse would have been the perfect FHOTD mascot!!
Bless his heart, his name was Limestone, and it fit him. He had just about every conformation fault in the book. He was Roman-nosed, pig-eyed, ewe necked, straight in the shoulder, bench kneed, splay footed on one front foot and pigeon toed on the other, cow hocked AND sickle hocked, goose rumped, roach backed and had withers that looked like Mt Everest. Top that off with flea-bitten gray and you have one awfully fugly horse.
I will add that he was absolutely the best, most reliable lesson horse we had. He was the ONLY one who would come running up to the barn when you’d call the horses in the morning – knew he was coming to work and loved it. I’d have loved to have a barn full of horses just like him at the time. He was well cared-for his whole life, even after he was retired, and lived his last years out in the pasture (but still fed, vetted and feet cared for) until he died peacefully at somewhere in his mid-30′s. I’m sure Old Limey would have been honored to be the FHOTD mascot!
How ’bout him. My hubby’s yearling..oh and he’s PERLINO!! WHOO HOO, he’s also a GELDING!! His head is hideous, but with this picture I was thinking somewhere along the lines of STOP BREEDING FUGLY…kinda looks like he’s yelling!! LOL
Hope this works..
http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa28/deendave_photo/?action=view¤t=stormyawn.jpg
Darnit, Trying again…
http://www.prettyponywebdesign.com/page3.html
(my website, also my photograph so free for use if ya wanna use it!!;)
WOW…. *applies smelling salts*
i think my vote goes for fuglys original suggestion of the little cracker horse. looks like a TAPIR!!
Okay, obviously I’m an idiot, and somehow screwed up my links. Hopefully these work :/
My fugly boy:
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/jarrn/Pics/?action=view¤t=Picturessssssrsssssshmdwvvv021.jpg
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/jarrn/Pics/?action=view¤t=wasedrfg.jpg
The ugliest pic I have of him:
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/jarrn/Pics/?action=view¤t=Picturessssssrs015.jpg
He’s gotten a bit more muscle and whatnot on him, so he doesn’t look too bad now:
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/jarrn/Pics/Hellsbane/?action=view¤t=picturesssssssssssssbane045.jpg
damn http stuff!!! I shall try again
FYI regarding ozland “rescue”:
http://forums.horsecity.com/cgi-bin/bb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=29;t=065478;p=1
and
http://forums.horsecity.com/cgi-bin/bb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=29;t=063029#000010
Discuss.
I read through those threads regarding Ozland, and it looks to me like those are foals out of her personal horses. Many people who started out in breeding ended up doing rescue, if they are breeding quality horses and NOT breeding rescues and if their paperwork is all in order (keeping their personal operations and their rescue operations seperate) I have no problem with it. At least they seem to be doing rescue and good work to off set the horses they are bringing into the world some.
It’s pretty common in the show dog homes I know for people to be active rescuing along side their breeding for show dogs. That is actually how I adopted one of my dogs, from a show breeder who also does rescue.
Denanner, your “pretty Pony” link worked for me! The one of him yawning. Yeah, that’s pretty awful!
I just think it’s a riot that there seems to be a competition here of who has the fugliest horse!
What a dubious distinction!
Aww. I vote for Elmer too. Why are the fugly horses so cute, though?
Jarrn – I think your albums are private, which is why we can’t see them. You have to make the album public to allow other people to see the pictures without logging in to your account.
testing……
OH THEM’S FIGHTING WORDS – You guys are picking on one of the most amazing breeds out there – the Florida Cracker Horse. I own one and FUGLY he is NOT. Perfect he is not either but there are some truly marvelous Cracker horses at the serious breeding farms. These horses are of Spanish origin and very closely related to the paso fino. They are gaited, tough as nails, supposedly immune to the mosquito borne diseases, have feet that are both large and unbelievably tough. Supposedly they also don’t get thrush.
If I had 100 acres I start a herd of my own. I LOVE these horses.
Let me tell you about mine and link to his picture. The photos are copyrighted by the way but can of course be put on forums because I have web rights.
I got him as a gangly, bony five year old. FUGLY he was indeed. He is a coppper wild bay dun. He has the typical Roman nose of from the Barb ancestry but it is not extreme and he has since grown into his bones and turned into a muscled hunk that I have a very hard time keeping to a proper weight he is such an easy keeper.
But what makes him so special is his brains. His is a thinking horse. When he figures out what you want and he likes you because you are firm and fair you can get him to do almost anything. He was a rotten spoiled pet when we got him and it took many hours to get through to him what was expected of him including NO BUCKING when the saddle is on his back. No BALKING when the leadline is on, and when you are asked to move off, you do so, don’t just stand and stare at me. I could and may write and entire book on his brainpower, how he can untie knots, how he thinks when he’s in a difficult situation, how he tried to wriggle out of his saddle, how he managed to open a huge locked barn door and so on. But again that’s another story.
What we all have to realize about feral or feral based breeds is that survival of the fittest does not mean survival of the prettiest. But there are very beautiful Florida Crackers. Floridians themselves consider the Cracker horse throw aways because they were free. Just goes to show how we almost lost this amazing horse because it was taken for granted. I’ve visited the farm of one of the major Cracker breeders. They are breeding for cow sense which they already have, and all the things that make a good cow horse but also for gait. They are truly the thinking mans’ horse.
Why don’t I have more of them? Their gait is not yet as smooth as the paso fino and it’s almost impossible to find trained breeding quality mares. A little easier now but not when we were horse hunting.
Our Cracker is also 15 2 which is taller than I consider safe for my geriatric self. So I tend to ride my 13 2 mare more just because it’s easier to get on her.
By the way – I also read that the oldest horse on record is a Florida Cracker gelding who is 50 and still being ridden. This may not be true now but they are one tough horse. I hope to ride mine in some LD endurance rides. LD because I can’t do the distance, not him.
Here he is – the superbrain of the horse world – the FLORIDA CRACKER HORSE!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/
v99/motorgypsy/CRW_1594.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/
v99/motorgypsy/CRW_1705.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/
v99/motorgypsy/sloughpjtaila.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/
v99/motorgypsy/sloughpheight.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/
v99/motorgypsy/IMG_0380a.jpg
Theerreee he goes!!! Oh – he can buck to moon but he now understand he’s not supposed to under saddle. He also has a huge sense of humor and will steal your hat, your wallet, your tools and anything else he can get to. I hope he lives to 50 because he is truly a gem.
Forgot to mention – any one mixed breed horse is called a “Cracker horse” by native Floridians. The florida Cracker breed has a standard and came over with the conquistadors. And I’ve not seen any Cracker horses in app colors even though there may be some.
IncognitoMosquito–you are correct. Ozland is a serious Arabian breeder who is concerned for “old blood” and only breeds quality Arabian foals… and very few of them.
She definitely DOES NOT breed her rescues and keeps the two endeavors completely separate. She is 100% legit.
im wondering if the cracker horse is named after the crack the owner must be smoking
It may not be a head shot, but what about putting this on the back to lead to the head on the front??
Holy Downhill!!
The fugliest I’ve had.
This poor pony was my first real one, and she had been through hell before I got her at the tender age of 3. She was advertised as a 6 year old, called rising 5 at the prepurchase, and our vet confirmed 3 after we bought her. She had been left in a halter long enough for it to grow into her nose, turning a not-attractive head into just-plain-fugly. She had the heart of a million horses, though, and so began my love for the underdog.
Do you really think TW breeders want their entire breed represented by the cremello stallion pictured? I think not. Neither do the Cracker horse breeders want their breed represented by the ugly/cute little guy here.
Native Floridians are called Crackers for one reason or another. One is the whip that was used for cattle roundups cracked.
The semi feral horses and the native cattle, also Spanish in origin were called Cracker horses and Cracker cattle (also a very ancient breed of Spanish origin). Many of today’s Cracker horse breeders also breed the Cracker cattle which are smaller, extremely tough and well suited to live in the sloughs (swamps) of Florida. The largest Cracker horse herd was the Ayers herd and this is the herd our boy came from so we named him Ayer’s SloughP pronounced Sloopy but with the spelling of the Florida swamps he came from. He was gelded as a yearling because his owner already had a Cracker stallion who tried to kill him and she didn’t want to have to deal with two stallions. I might add that despite being gelded at age one he can still accommodate any mare who is interested but he’s not aggressive – merely assertive. He is the boss of our stallion herd despite being a gelding but he rules by toughness and pushiness, not by inflicting injury on the other stallions.
The near end of these ancient Spanish horses came when Roosevelt brought the larger Hereford cattle to Florida. The Cracker horses who were perfect for the smaller Cracker cattle were a bit small for these much larger cattle so the ranches started using QH’s. But where one Cracker horse could go all day with no problems, the QH’s had to be switched out every few hours. A few native Floridians realized the value of these wonderful old Spanish breed and saved them before they were all dispersed. We visited a breeder in San Antonio Florida. The state of Florida has now put two herds of Cracker horses at Payne Prairie wildlife preserve and they are doing very very well there. They have 5,000 acres so they don’t negatively impact the land.
All breeds have poor representatives but please don’t think all Cracker horses look like the one who is for sale. I do wonder what his age is. Cracker horse owners won’t take any amount of money for their trained Crackers so they are very hard to come by and most of us aren’t up to training a feral horse – even one who is accustomed to people, so they aren’t seen a lot. I’ve ridden three of them and personally seen about 200. They have more variability than paso finos which is hard to believe but still have that compact, muscular, Spanish look to them. Again they are amazing horses. Don’t criticize something you really have no knowledge of.
There is a yearly gathering of Cracker horse owners by the way with a trail ride and just hanging out bragging about your horse. This would be a good place to see the ones that more personify the breed.
jesus downhillin’ christ!! i would never have believed that.. had i not noticed the parallel fetlocks
BY THE WAY, whoever posted the link of the super downhill horse in these comments clearly can’t take a joke. That is my horse, and NO she isn’t really downhill like that. I posted that picture on myspace JOKINGLY asking if anybody thought she was downhill.
Sheesh apparently nobody in the myspace horse groups that I am on and post in every single day can take a joke.
HERE are some more pictures of her showing how she isn’t really like that. It was the ground she was standing on.
here is another picture of her.
Yeesh.
Lindsay–I knew you were joking. I only posted it to show an extreme. I saw your recent picture in the thread, and she’s a cutie. Doesn’t look very downhill at all anymore. But it was a good picture to show a fugly butt. Sorry if it made you mad. I honestly wasn’t posting it as an example of shitty breeding or anything of the like. I promise. : ) Sorry for the mix up.
this should be the mascot
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v29/sparkflint/uglyass.jpg
*LOL* we really need some ‘no photoshopping’ condition on all submissions.
Motor:
Nobody was picking on the Cracker horse like I said earlier they can’t be beat for what they were bred for. They are tough little working cow horses but they do have fugly heads.This horse just has a little bit more of a fugly head than normal for the breed. This is a quote right off their website
“They have wide foreheads and finely made faces, with straight or slightly roman noses. “
No one is bashing the breed I just posted this one because he is fugly but he was an awesome riding horse.Note: he is a gelding so thak god he is not passing the fugly head on. He is not appy he is a flea bitten grey. He was only 12 yrs old.He does not have papers because the people dumped him and did not want the papers to go with him. Yes, some cracker horse have it great on the breeding farms but they are way to many of them getting dumped back into the market after the cowboys are done with them. It is just like ANY breed so don’t take offense.
i honestly thought motor was joking. good GOD.