You can lead a horse to water...but can a horse lead you to a Spanish Galleon ?

Jolly Mon

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Sep 3, 2012
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Somewhat surprisingly, there is evidence the Spanish carried horses aboard treasure ships on the return trip to Spain.

Horseshoes and horse bones have been recovered from the Atocha site. There are references to the survivors of the 1715 fleet eating horses that swam and washed ashore after the storm.

Most people have heard of the wild horses of Assateague Island. There are conflicting theories as to their origin, but the idea the horses are descended from stock carried aboard the wrecked Spanish galleon La Galaga is not to be completely dismissed. The horses are almost certainly of Spanish origin-- however they first arrived.

I need not mention the vast amount of shipwreck treasure that has been found in the vicinity of Assateague Island.

I have a theory: if an isolated stock of feral horses with Spanish characteristics is found in an unusual coastal area---there is a chance those horses might be descended from horses that survived a Spanish shipwreck.

This would only be a clue, of course. Just a suggestive hint. It could never be proof.

There are wild horses on the Outer Banks of N.C....hmm...there are a few shipwrecks in that area, LOL.

Have you ever heard of the Carolina Marsh Tacky? Here is a picture:

Marsh tacky.jpg


They no longer exist in the wild and are a critically endangered breed, but they are almost certainly of Spanish origin.
They were discovered in substantial numbers by early English settlers as feral animals on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
As a matter of fact, there is still an annual Marsh Tacky race on the beaches of Hilton Head and/or Daufuskie Island, SC.
Could these animals, discovered by English settlers roaming freely on Hilton Head Island, be descended from shipwreck survivors?


1641 HH, Bermuda.png


"El alboroto de la venida de la flota, se ha templado con la noticia del suceso. Escribe el Almirante, Juan de Campos, que habiendo navegado con felicidad al canal de Bahama, en llegando al parage de la Bermuda, se levanto la mas terrible tempestad que han visto aquellos mares: y vino tan furioso el viento que le doblo hasta el arbol mayor; con que la Capitana se fuera a pique, si no cortaran arboles, velas y jarcias."

From Google Translate:
"bustle of the coming of the fleet, has been tempered by the news of the event. Write the Admiral, Juan de Campos, who, having sailed with happiness Bahama Channel, in arriving at the place of Bermuda, rose the most terrible storm they have seen those seas and the wind came so furious that I bow to the tree greater, with the Captain went under, if not cut trees, sails and rigging."

"en llegando al parage de la Bermuda" almost certainly means the fleet was struck by the storm as it reached the Latitude of Bermuda.

The Latitude of Bermuda? 32.3 degrees North...
The Latitude of Hilton Head Island, SC ? 32.21 degrees North...
 

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JM, I have often wondered about taking DNA samples from the horses on Assateague and the horses around Corolla. Sable Island also has horses reputed to be from shipwrecks. However, it has long been my belief that the Assateague and Corolla horses are related as they both likely came from the 1750 shipwrecks. A DNA test would help in this regard.
 

JM, I have often wondered about taking DNA samples from the horses on Assateague and the horses around Corolla. Sable Island also has horses reputed to be from shipwrecks. However, it has long been my belief that the Assateague and Corolla horses are related as they both likely came from the 1750 shipwrecks. A DNA test would help in this regard.

Apparently at least some DNA testing has been done. Here is a copy and paste from the Cape Lookout NPS website as well as the link:



"Where did the horses come from?

Like the Western mustangs, Eastern horses were reintroduced to North America by European explorers and colonists. Records show horses living on the Outer Banks for centuries. Genetic research shows evidence of Spanish ancestry in the Shackleford Banks herd.

What else do the genetic studies tell us?

Although the population has been isolated for some time, there is ample genetic variation within the Shackleford herd. Because they are not inbred, no additions of horses from other herds are needed.

DNA analysis shows the Shacklefords to be Colonial Spanish horses, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were brought to this area directly from Spain. Spanish horses were traded to other countries in Europe and to other parts of North America during the Spanish Colonial Period.

They group with (are closely related to) the domestic-bred Venezuelan Criollo, Puerto Rican Paso Fino, and Marsh Tacky horses into a cluster that contains primarily South American breeds of Iberian origin. These horses can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula--an area which includes Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar, and part of France.

Further, the Shacklefords are similar, along with the Marsh Tacky and Florida Cracker populations, to other New World Iberian horse populations. All three are considered a Critical conservation priority by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and as such are of interest for both preservation and historic value.


How did the horses get here?

There are many stories about the origin of the Shackleford horses. Perhaps the most interesting is that these horses are descendants of animals which swam ashore from ships that ran aground in the shallow waters surrounding the park (or that were thrown overboard to lighten the ship and prevent a wreck).

Overland traders may have played a part in distributing horses through this area. More recently, mainland and island residents let their horses (and cattle, sheep & goats) roam free on the islands.

So, as historians, we see that the answer of the horses' origin is not clear. For an in-depth discussion of the horses' possible origins and their relationships with people through the ages, see The Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks by Carmine Prioli with photos by Scott Taylor (2007)."

Frequently Asked Questions - Horses - Cape Lookout National Seashore
 

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