Horse Breeds – American Quarter Horse

The American Quarter Horse is the first breed of horse native to the United States. The breed evolved when the bloodlines of horses brought to the New World were mixed. The Foundation American Quarter Horse breed originated from the Arabian, Turkish and Barb breeds. The selected stallions and mares were crossed with horses brought to colonial America from England and Ireland in the 17th century. This combination resulted in a compact and highly muscular horse that evolved to fill the colonists’ passion for short distance racing.

The amazing power behind a quarter horse allowed this large animal to run short distances on a straight faster than any other horse, with the fastest being named the Celebrated American Running Horse. The names of this breed have changed many times throughout the years until 1940, when a registry was formed to preserve the breed that officially became the American Quarter Horse Association.

In the year 1674 in Enrico County, Virginia, the first American quarter horse race was held. They were one-on-one races through village streets, county streets, and level grasslands. Many disagreements and fights were generated from the heavy bets of the great stock races in 1690.

The American Quarter Horse, due to its calm disposition and quick response time, the horse became known for its “cow sense”, being able to outperform cattle. During the 1800s, as many pioneers moved west, so did the American Quarter Horse. A large number of cattle ranches stretched across the plains. Making this breed very suitable for ranchers.

In today’s world, the American Quarter Horse is still a great sprinter known for its great musculature, but it has far surpassed the cattle horse. These incredible horses compete in almost every discipline available, from rodeo events such as barrel racing and calf roping to English disciplines such as dressage and show jumping. They are also a nice little kid hunter, with the ability to jump a wide range of heights. They are one of the most versatile breeds in the world.

Many pleasure riders still look to the American Quarter Horse for recreational riding as they are a good pleasure horse too.

Breeders, since the breed’s inception over fifty years ago, have been diligently trying to perfect bloodlines to produce a high-quality, versatile animal. The American Quarter Horse Association has established strict guidelines regarding the registration of American Quarter Horses. Some of these guidelines include:

1. Limited white markings on the face and below the knee

2. Only thirteen accepted colors recognized by the AQHA. These are sorrel (reddish brown), laurel, black, brown, buff, chestnut, brown, red-brown, gray, crane, palomino, red roan, and blue roan. The official gray color is what most people call white, but there are no “white” American Quarter Horses.

3. A Quarter Horse foal must be the product of a numbered American Quarter Horse dam and a numbered American Quarter Horse sire. There is an appendix record for foals with a numbered American Quarter Horse sire and a purebred sire registered with The Jockey Club.

Some other notable characteristics of the American Quarter Horse are its speed, versatility, smooth nature, heavy musculature, and keen sense of the cow.

If you own an American Quarter Horse, no matter what discipline you choose to ride, your horse will excel. This breed is one of the most enjoyable horse breeds out there today and one of the most popular.

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