Americans should be proud to call these magnificent horses American-bred. Their natural talents and abilities in many capacities, paired with their amiable personalities, make the American Quarter Horse a true renaissance animal, and a valuable asset to many.
In the 17th century, colonial Americans began crossing the English Thoroughbred horse with other horses native to America, including Chickasaw horses, themselves an amalgam of Arabian, Iberian, and Barb horse breeds from Spain.
Two hundred years later, during the Westward Expansion, the pioneers bred quarter horses with both wild and domesticated horses from the Southwestern US and Mexico, in order to achieve a more durable horse. These western horses were found to possess an innate ability to work with cattle, and began to be used more widely in this way.
Today, American quarter horses are exported throughout the world. In Germany and Italy, these horses are in high demand. However, Brazil has the second largest registry of quarter horses worldwide, with Australia in a close second place. Now that reining has been added to the events in the World Equestrian Games, the international demand for them has grown. In fact, the quarter horse has the largest breed registry in the world.
The quarter horse typically stands between 14.3 and 16 hh (the “hand” measurement=4 inches, and hh stands for “hands high.”) However, they have been known to grow as tall as 17 hh. They have muscular necks, deep chests, sloping shoulders, and a smallish head with pointed ears, which stand alert. Their legs are muscular, but skinny, and this results in being described as “chunky” or “stocky.”
They come in a wide variety of colors, the most common of which are chestnut, black, and brown. Other colors include cream shades, grays, and roans. The name “quarter horse” comes from their ability to run a quarter mile an hour faster during short-distance races than other horses.
Quarter horses have proven useful at several jobs. They excel at racing, which was the initial reason for their breeding. In fact, they are currently the most popular racing horses today. In addition, they are used as show horses, rodeo competitors, ranch horses, and pets.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
My latest horse is an Appendix Quarter Horse which is a cross between the Quarter Horse and the Thoroughbred and she is the most awesome horse I have ever shared my life with! She’s smart, gentle, willing and versatile. Quarter Horses ROCK!
This is some good information about American quarter horses. Keep it up!
The American Quarter Horse is well known both as a race horse and for its performance in rodeos,horse shows and as a working ranch horse.
I have owned several horses and found my Quarter Horse to be the most versatile, dependable, easy to train, and smart. Good information on the history of these splendid creatures.
Good post about the general history and purpose of the American Quarter Horse. If I could offer one suggestion, it would be to change the common color listed (brown) to bay. Bay and sorrel are the two most widely seen colors.
Flatknees Quarter Horses´s last [type] ..Horse Blogs