Banker horse
Country of origin | United States |
---|---|
Traits | |
Distinguishing features | Small, compact conformation |
Breed standards | |
The Banker horse is a
Bankers are allowed to remain on the islands due to their historical significance even though they can trample plants and ground-nesting animals and are not considered to be
To prevent overpopulation and inbreeding, and to protect their habitat from being overgrazed, the horses are managed by the National Park Service, the state of North Carolina, and several private organizations. The horses are monitored for diseases, such as equine infectious anemia, an outbreak of which was discovered and subsequently eliminated on Shackleford in 1996. They are safeguarded from traffic on North Carolina Highway 12. Island populations are limited by adoptions and by birth control. Bankers taken from the wild and trained have been used for trail riding, driving, and occasionally for mounted patrols.
In June 2010, the Banker horse ("Colonial
Characteristics
The typical Banker horse is relatively small, standing between 13.0 and 14.3 hands (52 and 59 inches, 132 and 150 cm) high at the withers[3] and weighing 800 to 1,000 pounds (360 to 450 kg).[4] Other sources list them as taller, standing between 14.0 and 15.2 hands (56 and 62 inches, 142 and 157 cm) high.[4] The forehead is broad, and the facial profile tends to be straight or slightly convex.
In terms of
The coat can be any
Several of the Bankers' characteristics indicate that they share ancestry with other
A 2011 DNA study of the Banker horse found that it had very low heterozygosity and low mean number of alleles (29), similarly to the Florida Cracker Horse population, which was also shown to have a heterozygosity deficit. The study also showed evidence of DNA similarity of the Banker horse, Carolina Marsh Tacky, and Florida Cracker Horse populations to Iberian breeds. Of the three, the Banker horse was shown to most closely genetically resemble the original Colonial Spanish horse.[4][11]
The Foundation for Shackleford Horses has set up a
Breed history
Since they are free-roaming, Bankers are often referred to as
One theory is that ancestors of the Banker swam ashore from wrecked Spanish
Another conjecture is that the breed is descended from the 89 horses brought to the islands in 1526 by Spanish explorer Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón. His attempted colonization of San Miguel de Gualdape (near the Santee River in South Carolina) failed, forcing the colonists to move, possibly to North Carolina. Vázquez de Ayllón and about 450 of the original 600 colonists subsequently died as a result of desertion, disease, and an early frost. Lacking effective leadership, the new settlement lasted for only two months; the survivors abandoned the colony and fled to Hispaniola, leaving their horses behind.[14]
A similar theory is that Sir Richard Grenville brought horses to the islands in 1585 during an attempt to establish an English naval base. All five of the expedition's vessels ran aground at Wococon (present-day Ocracoke).[15] Documents indicate that the ships carried various types of livestock obtained through trade in Hispaniola, including "mares, kyne [cattle], buls, goates, swine [and] sheep."[16] While the smaller vessels were easily refloated, one of Grenville's larger ships, the Tiger, was nearly destroyed. Scholars believe that as the crew attempted to lighten the ship, they either unloaded the horses or forced them overboard, letting them swim to shore. In a letter to Sir Francis Walsingham that same year, Grenville suggested that livestock survived on the island after the grounding of his ships.[15]
Life on the barrier islands
About 400 Bankers inhabit the long, narrow barrier islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks.[4] These islands are offshore sediment deposits separated from the mainland by a body of water such as an estuary[17] or sound.[3] The islands can be up to 30 miles (48 km) from the shore; most are less than one mile (1.6 km) wide. Vegetation is sparse and consists mainly of coarse grasses and a few stunted trees.[18] Each island in the chain is separated from the next by a tidal inlet.[17]
The Bankers' small stature can be attributed, in part, to limited nutrients in their diet.
Fresh water is a limiting resource for Bankers, as the islands are surrounded by
Land use controversies
The
A 2004 study declared that the greatest impact on plant life was not from grazing, but from the damage plants sustained when trampled by the horses' hooves.[20] Banker horses - an introduced species - pose a threat to native ground-nesting animals, such as sea turtles and shorebirds. Feral horses interrupt nesting activities[24] and can crush the young.[22]
A 2019 study, citing earlier studies from 2014[25] and 2017,[26] also found that free-roaming Banker horses also appear to cause some environmental issues by directly affecting other wild species. This included Banker horses potentially limiting these native species' access to water sources, and that not managing Banker horses increased the risk of soil erosion in both riparian and upland plant communities. This was found to decrease ecosystem productivity and function at some sites, and that unrestricted free-roaming horses may, over time, cause stream channel incision and a drop in the water table in riparian areas, particularly if the banks were made unstable by a loss of deep-rooted plant species. The study also found that soil compaction from unrestricted free-roaming-horse use likely limits herbaceous vegetation, because soil compaction can restrict water infiltration and root growth, thereby having a substantial ecological impact in native upland and riparian plant communities.[27]
The study recommended a longer-term environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the response of soil, vegetation, and wildlife to free-roaming-horse exclusion in order to better understand the magnitude of these effects. However, the study's authors also noted that magnitude of horse effects will likely vary substantially across the landscape, because horse use intensity and frequency is variable. The ecological effects of free-roaming horses were recommended to be considered in restoration and nature conservation plans for native species. The study noted that some restoration and conservation goals may not be achievable in areas that free-roaming horses occupy, and should therefore not be attempted, because resources would be wasted. The study's final recommendation was more management of free-roaming Banker horse populations to reduce their negative impact.[27]
Management and adoption
As the Bankers are seen as a part of North Carolina's coastal heritage, they have been allowed to remain on the barrier islands.[28] To cope with the expanding population, prevent inbreeding and attempt to minimize environmental damage, several organizations partner in managing the herds.
In the 1920s, over 5,000 Banker horses ran wild on the
Ocracoke
Since 1959, Bankers on Ocracoke Island have been confined to fenced areas of approximately 180 acres (0.73 km2; 0.28 sq mi). The areas protect the horses from the traffic of North Carolina Highway 12, as well as safeguarding the island from overgrazing. The NPS, the authority managing the Ocracoke herd, supplements the horses' diet with additional hay and grain.[31]
In 2006, as a precaution against inbreeding, two fillies from the Shackleford herd were transported to Ocracoke.[32]
Shackleford
Since 2000, adoptions of Bankers from Shackleford have been managed by the Foundation for Shackleford Horses. As of 2007, 56 horses had found new homes, 10 resided with another herd on Cedar Island, and two had been moved to the Ocracoke herd.[33]
On November 12, 1996, the Shackleford horses were rounded up by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Division and tested for equine infectious anemia (EIA). EIA is a potentially lethal disease, a lentivirus transmitted by bodily fluids and insects. Seventy-six of the 184 captured horses tested positive. Those that tested negative were allowed to remain on the island and those with the disease were transported to a temporary quarantine facility. Finding a permanent, isolated area for such a large number of Bankers was a challenging task for the Foundation; eight days later the state declared all proposed locations for the herd unsuitable. It ordered the euthanization of the 76 infected horses. Two more horses died in the process—one that was fatally injured during the roundup, and an uninfected foal that slipped into the quarantined herd to be with its mother.[34]
Currituck Banks
As a consequence of development in Corolla and Sandbridge during the 1980s, horses on Currituck Banks came into contact with humans more frequently.[35] This proved to be dangerous and sometimes fatal for the horses. By 1989, eleven Bankers had been killed by cars on the newly constructed Highway 12,[36] and several others in Sandbridge.[37] That same year, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, a nonprofit organization, was created to protect the horses from human interference. As a result of its efforts, the remainder of the herd was moved to a more remote part of Currituck Banks,[38] where they were fenced into 1,800 acres (7.28 km2; 2.81 sq mi) of combined federal and privately donated land between Corolla and the Virginia/North Carolina line. Corolla commissioners declared the site a horse sanctuary.[22]
The population is now managed by adopting out yearlings, both fillies and gelded colts.[39] Conflicts over the preservation of the horses continued into 2012.[40] In 2013, legislation was introduced to help preserve the herd on Currituck.[41]
Rachel Carson Site
A herd lives on the Rachel Carson component of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, a series of five small islands and several salt marshes.[42] There were no horses at the Sanctuary until the 1940s. It is unclear whether the Bankers swam over from nearby Shackleford[43] or were left by residents who had used the islands to graze livestock. They are owned and managed by the state of North Carolina and regarded as a cultural resource.
No management action was taken until the late 1980s and early 1990s, when after years of flourishing population, the island's carrying capacity was exceeded. Malnourishment caused by overcrowding resulted in the deaths of several horses; the reserve's staff instituted a birth control program to restrict the herd to about 40 animals.[44]
Uses
Adopted Bankers are often used for pleasure riding and driving.[28] As they have a calm disposition,[43] they are used as children's mounts.[28] The breed has also been used in several mounted patrols.[43]
Before 1915, the United States Lifesaving Service used horses for beach watches and rescues. In addition to carrying park rangers on patrols,[45] the horses hauled equipment to and from shipwreck sites.[31] During World War II, the Coast Guard used them for patrols.[31] In the 1980s, Bankers were used for beach duty at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.[45]
In 1955, ten horses were taken from the Ocracoke herd as a project for Mounted Boy Scout Troop 290. After taming and branding the horses, the scouts trained them for public service activities. The Bankers were ridden in parades and used as mounts during programs to spray mosquito-ridden salt marshes.[45]
See also
- The Livestock Conservancy
- Carolina Marsh Tacky
- Chincoteague Pony
- Cumberland Island horse
- Equus Survival Trust
- Sable Island Pony
- Wildlife of North Carolina
References
Notes
- ^ "Conservation Priority List". The Livestock Conservancy. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ Hampton, Jeff (3 June 2010). "Wild horses set to become North Carolina state horse". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ a b Hendricks 1995, p. 63.
- ^ a b c d e f Campbell Smith, Donna. "Breed Profile: Banker Horses". The Gaited Horse Magazine. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
- ^ a b c Sponenberg, D. Phillip (August 2005). "North American Colonial Spanish Horse Update". Heritage Breeds Southwest. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
- ^ "Breeding Objectives for the American Haflinger Registry" (PDF). American Haflinger Registry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 September 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
- ^ a b Ives, Vickie; Tom Norush; Gretchen Patterson (February 2007). "Corolla and Shackleford Horse of the Americas Inspection" (PDF). Horse of the Americas. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-18. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
- ^ "Colonial Spanish Horse". American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
- ^ Hendricks 1995, pp. 64–65.
- ^ Mason, Carolyn (November 17, 1997). "Shackleford Horses Timeline- History on Hooves: The Horses of Shackleford Banks". The Foundation for Shackleford Horses. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
- PMID 22221025. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ Prioli 2007, pp. 12–13.
- ^ Prioli 2007, p. 21.
- ^ Prioli 2007, pp. 16–20.
- ^ a b Prioli 2007, pp. 25–27.
- ^ Quinn 1955, p. 187.
- ^ a b "Barrier Islands: Formation and Evolution". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on August 8, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
- ^ a b c Blythe & Egeblad 1983, pp. 63–72.
- ^ a b Prioli 2007, p. 12.
- ^ a b c d Rheinhardt & Rheinhardt 2004, pp. 253–258.
- ^ Harrison 2003, pp. 211–213.
- ^ a b c d Dohner 2001, pp. 400–401.
- ^ Wood, Mengak & Murphy 2004, pp. 236–244.
- ^ Laliberté, Jennifer. "Natural Resource Assessment" (PDF). National Parks Conservation Association. Duke University. Retrieved January 23, 2009.
- .
- .
- ^ doi:10.1093/biosci/biz060. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c Dutson 2005, pp. 323–325.
- ^ Campbell Smith, Donna. "Banker Horses". The Gaited Horse. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ Edwards, Steve (27 May 2016). "Preserving the Banker Horses Through The Off site Breeding Program". Mills Swamp Indian Horses. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ a b c "Ocracoke Ponies: The Wild Bankers of Ocracoke Island". National Park Service: Cape Hatteras National Seashore. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. November 7, 2003. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
- ^ Prioli 2007, p. 77.
- ^ Prioli 2007, pp. 65–83.
- ^ Prioli 2007, pp. 61–63.
- ^ "Sandbridge Fences, Daily Press January 2003".
- ^ "Wild Horses of North Carolina". NC Beaches. 2007. Archived from the original on 25 January 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
- ^ "Back Bay False Cape Horses".
- ^ "What is the Corolla Wild Horse Fund". Corolla Wild Horse Fund. Archived from the original on 2012-02-28. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ "Adoption Program". Corolla Wild Horse Fund. December 23, 2008. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
- ^ Beil, Laura (May 7, 2012). "Wild Horses' Fate in Outer Banks Lies in Preservation Clash". The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
- ^ Raia, Pat (5 June 2013). "Corolla Wild Horse Bill Gets House Nod". TheHorse.com. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
- ^ "Rachel Carson". North Carolina Coastal Reserve. 2007. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
- ^ a b c Hendricks 1995, p. 65.
- ^ Fear, John (2008). "Rachel Carson Component" (PDF). North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve. North Carolina Coastal Reserve. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 December 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c Prioli 2007, p. 48.
Bibliography
- Blythe, William B.; Egeblad, K. (1983). "The banker ponies of North Carolina and the Ghyben-Herzberg principle". Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association. 94 (6): 63–72. PMID 7186237.
- Dohner, Janet Vorwald (2001). "Equines: Banker". Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds. Topeka, Kansas: Yale University Press. pp. 400–401. ISBN 978-0-300-08880-9.
- Dutson, Judith (2005). Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America. Storey Publishing. pp. 323–325. ISBN 978-1-58017-612-5.
- Harrison, Molly (August 1, 2003). Exploring Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores. Globe Pequot. pp. 211–213. ISBN 978-0-7627-2609-7.
- Hendricks, Bonnie Lou (1995). International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds. University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 63–65. ISBN 978-0-8061-2753-8.
- Prioli, Carmine (2007). The Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks. Winston-Salem, N.C.: John F. Blair. pp. 15–27. ISBN 978-0-89587-334-7.
- ISBN 978-0-486-26513-1.
- Rheinhardt, Richard; Rheinhardt, Martha (May 2004). "Feral Horse Seasonal Habitat Use on a Coastal Barrier Spit". Journal of Range Management. 57 (3): 253–258. S2CID 56297339.
- Wood, Gene W.; Mengak, Michael T.; Murphy, Mark (2004). "Ecological Importance of Feral Ungulates at Shackleford Banks, North Carolina". American Midland Naturalist. 118 (2): 236–244. JSTOR 2425780.