Horses For Sale in South Carolina

Horses for sale in South Carolina - find your dream horse

For many horse owners, South Carolina has it all. A balmy maritime climate, beautiful trails and beaches to ride, and long-standing equestrian traditions. You can experience some of this state’s laid-back equestrian warmth and charm wherever you are in the world. Simply look at the horses for sale in South Carolina on the ehorses website. Set the country and radius filters to pinpoint your preferred search location to find out if your dream horse is there. Then, add other criteria such as age, height, gender, and color to find your ideal match among the horses for sale in South Carolina. Thoroughbreds are the most popular breed in South Carolina, making up nearly a quarter of the total horse population. After Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses are the most searched-for and bought horses in South Carolina, at 16.1% of the total state population. Standardbreds have their aficionados here but make up a mere 1.3% of South Carolina’s total horse population. The remaining 58.2% encompasses all other breeds, with sports horses, gaited horses, and color breeds popular in this state.

Horses for sale in South Carolina - find the perfect owner for your horse

Whether you are a private seller or a horse breeder in South Carolina, you can now reach out to potential purchasers across the globe. The user-friendly ehorses website helps you connect right away with a world of buyers looking for horses like yours. Follow the advertisement checklist for the best results.

Checklist for an advertisement

• The essentials of any advertisement are your horse's age, height, gender, and color. Describe your horse’s talents and achievements, too.
• Appealing images and videos of your horse are an excellent promotional tool proven to aid sales success. On the ehorses website, up to 20 images and 4 videos can be included in every advertisement at no additional cost.
• To ensure an advertisement reaches a wide audience of potential buyers across the globe, complete as many of the options on the ehorses menu as possible.
• Finally, always double-check contact information. Sales can be lost through sharing incorrect or out-of-date contact details.

Horses in South Carolina

The economic impact of the South Carolina horse industry

In 2019, there were an estimated 73,600 horses in South Carolina. 17,963 of these were Thoroughbreds. Although it represents approximately 1 percent of the total U.S. horse population, the horse industry still contributes massive cultural and economic contributions to the state. The total annual economic impact is $1.9 billion, sustaining 28,545 jobs. Carolina’s equine sector is diverse. Each equestrian activity, including racing, showing, training, polo, fox hunting, and recreational and trail riding, contributes to the economic impact. Recreational riding accounts for over a quarter of all horse-related expenditure. Furthermore, both horse ownership and equestrian activities are increasing in South Carolina. This resulted in a notable expansion of the equine economy between 2004 and 2019. Today, the South Carolina Horsemen’s Council represents the voices of all stakeholders in South Carolina’s thriving horse industry. 

The history of horses in South Carolina

Both the Spanish and English equestrian traditions met and mingled in South Carolina. Local native American cultures have also contributed greatly to the history of horses in this state, as have black farmers and agriculturalists. Spanish colonists first introduced horses to the area. Soon, bands of semi-feral horses were found in the region's marshlands. They were captured and used when required, principally as pack horses and for herding cattle. British colonists, mainly from England, brought a passion for horse racing. While informal racing took place in the U.S.A. from the earliest times, in 1734, the South Carolina Gazette noted the first recorded race in the state. In the same year, the wealthy elite of South Carolina founded their own Jockey Club. It can rightly claim to be the oldest in the world, as the British Jockey Club was only established sixteen years later. The elegant city of Charleston became a focal point of racing. Wealthy South Carolina families, such as the Fenwicks, bred fast local Chickasaw horses owned by the local native Americans with Narragansett Pacers and imported English horses to produce outstanding racers. Horse racing could not have developed as successfully as it did before the Civil War without the work of mostly black stable staff and jockeys. They were often enslaved people or the descendants of enslaved people. Today steeplechasing and flat racing are still popular. 

South Carolina’s own breed: the Marsh Tacky Horse

South Carolina also lays claim to the rare Marsh Tacky breed. Its ancestors arrived nearly five hundred years ago with the Spanish missions. This unusual little horse has developed key attributes of hardiness, agility, and innate cow sense in the intervening years. They were ridden during the American Revolution and the American Civil War. Marsh Tacky Horses have been found to share DNA with the Florida Cracker Horses and North Carolina Banker Horses through common ancestors within the Spanish Colonial horse group. However, the Marsh Tackies’ distinctive characteristics, produced through their relative isolation, mean they are now viewed as a unique breed. Since 2010, the Carolina Marsh Tacky has been the state heritage horse of South Carolina. 

Equestrian disciplines in South Carolina

South Carolina still celebrates its traditional equestrian pursuits, such as racing and polo. Trail riding is popular among recreational riders and visitors. There are active dressage and combined training groups. Showing, gaited horses, and Western riding are all popular. That’s not all: South Carolina’s Medieval Times company presents jousting and other equestrian games.

Basic information about South Carolina

South Carolina is known as the Palmetto State, reflecting its warm climate and the rich, productive soil of the region. The population is 5.149 million, and the state capital is Colombia.