Long Mane On The Mare
by D Hackett
Title
Long Mane On The Mare
Artist
D Hackett
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
Long Mane On The Mare by D Hackett
An early morning trip to Paynes Prairie provided me with a wonderful morning observing the wild horses.
The wild horses at Paynes Prairie are descendants of those brought to Florida by the Spanish. These wild horses, known as Florida Crackers, are thought to be descendants of Andalusian horses brought over by Juan Ponce De Leon in 1521. Over the years, these horses along with other Spanish-bred horses brought to Florida may have bred with local Native American stock to produce todays Florida Cracker horse. This breed was used by early cattle drivers. The name came from the sound of the cattlemens whips cracking. Both the cowboys and their horses were thus referred to as crackers. As larger cattle came into Florida from other states, the Quarter Horse became a more popular mount for cattlemen and the Florida Cracker's numbers dropped.
The Florida Cracker is Floridas official state horse. Three main bloodlines are maintained by the state of Florida. These wild groups are located in Tallahassee, Withlacoochee, and at Paynes Prairie. The horses at Paynes Prairie are there for display purposes while the other two groups are specifically for breeding. It is a rare breed, listed in critical status by The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Less than 2,000 of these horses are thought to exist worldwide. Numbers are on the rise, however, thanks to private breeders, the existence of and breed promotion by the Florida Cracker Horse Association, and the state also helping to maintain the breed.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park, encompassing a 21,000-acre savanna in Micanopy, Florida, south of Gainesville. It is also a U.S. National Natural Landmark. It is crossed by both I-75 and U.S. 441
Paynes Prairie is biologically, geologically and historically unique. This park became Floridas first state preserve in 1971 and is now designated as a National Natural Landmark. Noted artist and naturalist William Bartram called it the great Alachua Savannah when he wrote about his visit to the prairie in 1774.
There are over 420 vertebrates identified in the park and over 270 of them are birds. Paynes Prarie is part of The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. There are many observation platforms and wildlife viewing areas located throughout the park. Some of the animals commonly seen in the park include: sandhill cranes, bald eagles, alligators, otters, deer, bobcat and snakes. Ten bison from Oklahoma were introduced here in 1975 because when the Spanish arrived, the bisons range extended this far south. Today theres a herd of 54.
A 50-foot-high observation tower near the visitor center provides a panoramic view of the preserve.
The wild horses at Paynes Prairie are descendants of those brought to Florida by the Spanish. These wild horses, known as Florida Crackers, are thought to be descendants of Andalusian horses brought over by Juan Ponce De Leon in 1521. Over the years, these horses along with other Spanish-bred horses brought to Florida may have bred with local Native American stock to produce today�s Florida Cracker horse. This breed was used by early cattle drivers. The name came from the sound of the cattlemen�s whips cracking. Both the cowboys and their horses were thus referred to as �crackers.� As larger cattle came into Florida from other states, the Quarter Horse became a more popular mount for cattlemen and the Florida Cracker's numbers dropped.
The Florida Cracker is Florida�s official state horse. Three main bloodlines are maintained by the state of Florida. These wild groups are located in Tallahassee, Withlacoochee, and at Paynes Prairie. The horses at Paynes Prairie are there for display purposes while the other two groups are specifically for breeding. It is a rare breed, listed in �critical� status by The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Less than 2,000 of these horses are thought to exist worldwide. Numbers are on the rise, however, thanks to private breeders, the existence of and breed promotion by the Florida Cracker Horse Association, and the state also helping to maintain the breed.
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a Florida State Park, encompassing a 21,000-acre savanna in Micanopy, Florida, south of Gainesville. It is also a U.S. National Natural Landmark. It is crossed by both I-75 and U.S. 441
Paynes Prairie is biologically, geologically and historically unique. This park became Florida�s first state preserve in 1971 and is now designated as a National Natural Landmark. Noted artist and naturalist William Bartram called it the great Alachua Savannah when he wrote about his visit to the prairie in 1774.
There are over 420 vertebrates identified in the park and over 270 of them are birds. Paynes Prarie is part of The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. There are many observation platforms and wildlife viewing areas located throughout the park. Some of the animals commonly seen in the park include: sandhill cranes, bald eagles, alligators, otters, deer, bobcat and snakes. Ten bison from Oklahoma were introduced here in 1975 because when the Spanish arrived, the bison�s range extended this far south. Today there�s a herd of 54.
A 50-foot-high observation tower near the visitor center provides a panoramic view of the preserve.
Uploaded
July 7th, 2016
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