By: Brandy Kines
The American Quarter Horse was the first native horse of the United States. Its foundation stock originated from Arab, Turk and Barb breeds. Select stallions and mares were then crossed with Colonial American horses from England and Ireland in the early 1600’s. Theses horses were originally bred specifically to race the quarter mile.
The first quarter mile races were held in Enrico County, Virginia in 1674. They were one-on-one match races that were run down village streets, country lanes or level pastures.
In the 1800’s, cattle ranches began to stretch across the plains. On of the most active place for the breed was in the state of Texas. Being known for cow sense and a calm disposition, the Quarter horse was ideally suited for the West.
In 1940, The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was formed. It is located in Amarillo, TX, and is now the largest equine registry in the world. The AQHA has over four million registered horses and more than 300,000 members’ world wide. This Association was established to ensure the unique qualities of the breed did not perish.
Today, Quarter horses compete in every discipline ranging from traditional rodeo events such as roping and barrel racing to English classes of dressage and show jumping to the western events of pleasure and reining. This makes them one of the most versatile breeds in the world.
The characteristics of the American Quarter horse are numerous. The AQHA has set forth a strict set of guidelines regarding the registration of their horses. They are only allowed to have white on the face and white reaching the knees or hocks of the horse. White anywhere else is not allowed. The Quarter horses have 13 common colors with sorrel and bay being the most common. The other 11 are black, brown, buckskin, dun, red dun, grey, chestnut, grullo, palomino, red roan and blue roan. Most horses are between 14 and 16 hands high, but can become as tall as 17 hands. Other identifiable characteristics are heavy muscling, sprinters speed, versatility, keen cow sense and a gently nature. It has kept its docile temperament, sound structure, cow sense and speed to this day. The American Quarter Horse is still a staple on cattle ranches and now on the rodeo scene. This gentle breed is also an everyday pleasure horse for adults and children.
With the wide range of talents the American Quarter Horse possesses, it will continue to grow and be known as one of the most popular horse breeds in the world.
