The Quarter Horse
It is difficult to conceive of a greater benchmark for popularity than sheer
numbers. 3.7 million Quarter Horses are registered worldwide with the
American Quarter Horse Association ("AQHA"). What is it that makes this
American-bred horse so favored?
One reason for their popularity is the horse's suitability for many types of
disciplines. You can find Quarter Horses who work as cow ponies, barrel
racers, trail mounts and even hunter/jumpers. They are also found in sprint
racing, where their amazing speed at short distances has been clocked at
over 60 miles per hour. Ranging in size from 14 to 16 hands, the compact,
muscular body of the Quarter Horse is ideal for western events, such as
reining and cutting; however, taller Quarter Horses (some up to 17 hands)
have found their way into English arenas as dressage mounts. The Quarter
Horse is agile, gentle and eager to please, which makes it an excellent
choice for a beginning rider. Plus, their muscular potential makes them
highly desireable for advanced riders as well.
The breed began to take shape in the 1600's when early American settlers
crossed horses they brought with them from the British Isles with the Native
ponies found in their new land. The Native American ponies contained
bloodlines of the small but swift African Barb and desert Arabian, while the
English bloodlines contained Thoroughbred stock. The result was a speedy,
hardy horse, well-suited to farm work as well as racing -- a sport much
enjoyed in the settlers' former homeland of Great Britain. The settlers did
not have the luxury of preparing long, grassy ovals for racing and therefore
early racing in America consisted of short, quarter mile races along
straight tracks. Because these mixed breed horses performed so well at
sprinting quarter mile races, they became known as Quarter Milers.
As the settlers expanded west during the 1800's, cow handlers and ranchers
mixed the blood of the Quarter Milers with the hardy Mustangs of the plains
and horses reared by other Native tribes such as the Shoshone of Wyoming and
Nez Pierce of the Pacific Northwest. The resulting mix led to horses who
seemed to have good "cow sense," or an ability to mingle with cows without
fear (most horses not liking cows) and an apparent understanding of bovine
mentality.
It is at this point that the Quarter Horse begins to become refined and to
have foundation stock known by name, such as Old Shiloh and Steel Dust, a
blood bay who was very influential on the breed. Other famous stallions were
Lock's Rondo, Peter McCue and Traveler. Many of the early foundation stock
had "Billy," "Rondo," and "Old" in their names, showing the solid link they
had to the laidback, simpler times of the Old West and the cowboys who rode
and loved them. The first officially registered AQHA horse was Wimpy, and
many of today's QHs carry the genes of this fine stallion in their pedigree.
The QH is the horse who helped found the rodeo - a sporting event based
around the daily tasks of the cowboy. They still dominate in rodeos across
the world, winning large purses for their owners and achieving legendary
fame for their willingness to respond to good training. Of all the
spectacular Quarter Horses of the 20th century, perhaps Rugged Lark is the
most famous, for his uncannily human-like nature, his innate ability to
understand what was asked of him, and for the way he could be ridden
unbridled, performing the intricate moves most people previously thought
were only achievable through reins and ropes.
The Quarter Horse still undergoes infusion of Thoroughbred blood into its
lines, as the AQHA is an open registry. Some lovers of the breed felt this
could change the horse, and founded a new registry known as Foundation
Quarter Horses.
Regardless of registry, there are two types universally recognized: stock
and racing. Stock QHs are compact and muscular, tending toward a shorter
height. The racing QHs are taller with smoother muscling. Both types have
the small head distinctive of the breed, well-rounded and powerful haunches
that sit a bit higher than the withers, and a broad chest.
Quarter Horses can be found in thirteen official colors, the most popular
being sorrel. Pinto types used to be excluded from registration, however,
with DNA proof of sire and dam being purebred registered QHs, pinto
offspring can now be officially registered as well. There are limits,
however, to how much white a QH can have in its coat and obtain foundation
stock registry.
The Quarter Horse has been exported worldwide due to its versatility in many
different types of work or pleasure pursuits. The AQHA registers both
American and Canadian QHs. The next largest registry is in Brazil, where
these compact but powerful mounts have become very popular. Australia and
Europe have also exported great numbers of these American horses.
Because of a few genetic diseases that have been discovered in the line, it
is worthwhile to research any QH prior to purchase. DNA testing can now rule
out most of these unfortunate diseases, and the industry is working hard to
remove carriers of these genes from breeding roles.
Overall, a QH makes a fine companion animal and wonderful performance horse.
You won't be struggling to engage a horse's back end with a properly trained
QH. With such power in the hindquarters and the ability to turn on a dime
all residing underneath your saddle, you will find riding an American
Quarter Horse a pleasure indeed.
____________________
Judy
http://icehorses.net
http://clickryder.com
