Through the efforts of several private families and the Florida government, the breed was saved from extinction, but there is still concern about its low numbers.

[5][6] The modern breed retains the size of its Spanish ancestors, standing 13.2 to 15 hands (54 to 60 inches, 137 to 152 cm) high and weighing 750 to 1,000 pounds (340 to 450 kg).

[7] Florida Crackers have straight or slightly concave profiles, strong backs and sloping croups.

They are known for their speed and agility and excel at trail and endurance riding, and are also used extensively as stock horses.

[9] Horses first arrived on the southeast North American mainland in 1521, brought by Ponce de León on his second trip to the region, where they were used by officers, scouts, and livestock herders.

The horses included Barbs, Garranos, Spanish Jennets, Sorraias, Andalusians, and other Iberian breeds.

Overall, they were relatively small and had physical traits distinctive of Spanish breeds, including short backs, sloping shoulders, low set tails, and wide foreheads.

[5] The cattlemen were said to have received their nickname from the distinctive cracking of their whips, though modern etymology actually traces the term to a mostly obsolete word for 'braggart' or 'loudmouth'.

[11] During the Dust Bowl (1930–1940), large western cattle were moved into Florida, bringing with them the parasitic screwworm.

Cattle with this parasite needed to be treated frequently, being roped and held while the rider was on horseback.

[11] John Law Ayers was one such breeder; in 1984, he donated his herd of pure-bred horses to the state of Florida.

[14] The Equus Survival Trust also considers the population to be "critical," meaning that there are between 100 and 300 active breeding mares in existence today.