| The Quarter Horse is known as the All-American | | | | and many Quarter Horses today can trace back to |
| horse and as the world's most versatile horse. Not only | | | | him along the paternal side. |
| is it the most popular breed in the United States, but it | | | | Currently there are two basic varieties of the breed. |
| is possibly the oldest horse breed in the US. Named for | | | | The Foundation Quarter, Standard Quarter or |
| its amazing speed during a short one quarter mile | | | | old-fashioned "Bulldog" type is the smallest, shortest, |
| sprint, the fastest galloping speed by any horse has | | | | stockiest, most muscular variety, yet extremely agile |
| been achieved by the American Quarter Horse which | | | | and sure-footed. Used for ranch work, trail and |
| has been clocked at speeds near 55 mph (88 km/h) in | | | | pleasure riding, they average 14 to15 hands and weigh |
| a quarter mile or less. Their immensely powerful | | | | 900 to 1,100 lbs. The Racing Quarter, Running Quarter |
| hindquarters can propel the horse into a gallop almost | | | | is taller, leaner and looks more like a well-muscled |
| from a standing start, and Quarter Horse racing is | | | | Thoroughbred due to the added Thoroughbred genes. |
| becoming more popular. The average Quarter Horse | | | | These average between 15 to 16 hands, weigh 1,000 |
| usually lives 20 years, but 35 years is not uncommon | | | | to 1,250 pounds and tend to be in solid colors with |
| when properly cared for. | | | | limited white markings. |
| It has been called by many names over the years: | | | | American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the |
| American Quarter Horse, Foundation Quarter, | | | | largest equine breed registry in the world, and founded |
| Standard Quarter, Racing Quarter, Running Quarter, | | | | in 1940, has registered more than 5 million American |
| Quarter Miler, Short Horse and the cowboy's Cutting | | | | Quarter Horses with the current population estimated |
| Horse. | | | | at 3.2 million animals. |
| While the breed originated in the United States and is | | | | The breed is usually recognized by a short muzzle, |
| now distributed worldwide, its ancestry dates back to | | | | broad forehead with a straight profile and large jaws. It |
| the Arabian, Barb and Turk horses that were imported | | | | has small fox-like ears and large, wide-set eyes. The |
| to America by early Spanish explorers, conquistadors | | | | neck has a slight crest. Their backs are short with |
| and traders. These were combined into the | | | | good withers and a sloping croup. The barrel is deep |
| Chickaswas breed by Native Americans to form one | | | | with well-sprung ribs and the hooves are well-rounded, |
| side of the bloodline, with English horses and | | | | with deep open heels. The following 13 colors are |
| Thoroughbreds on the other. Morgan and | | | | accepted by the AQHA: brown, chestnut, gray, dun, |
| Standardbred horses have also been used in the | | | | red dun, bay, buckskin, black, grullo, red roan, blue roan, |
| breed's development. But it is difficult to give the exact | | | | and palomino, with sorrel being the most common and |
| origins because the blending of bloodlines to produce a | | | | limited white markings. |
| short-distance horse started in colonial regions prior to | | | | The walk, trot, canter, and gallop are the Quarter |
| the Revolutionary War. The true beginnings are | | | | Horse's natural gaits. Some individuals have long, leggy |
| believed to have been in the Carolinas and Virginia but | | | | movements with a lot of knee action, while others take |
| the principle development was in the southwestern | | | | shorter steps. |
| part of the United States, in Texas, Oklahoma, New | | | | As for disposition and personality, this horse is the |
| Mexico, eastern Colorado, and Kansas when in the | | | | most willing, laid-back, quiet and even-tempered of all |
| early 1600s, settlers began importing English horses | | | | the breeds, and has a gentle nature. They are quick |
| and breeding them to the native Spanish-based | | | | and agile, level-headed and sensible, sure-footed and |
| Chickaswas stock to create a tough all-purpose horse. | | | | steady with good stamina. Their unflappable nature |
| Of course, naming horses after people was common | | | | has made them suitable for mounted police units in |
| practice back then and when the horses were sold | | | | cities. Intelligence, reliability, adaptability and willingness to |
| their names were often changed. This led to confusion | | | | please their owners make the Quarter Horse very |
| when attempting to verify pedigrees. Nowadays a | | | | easy to train in all ways. The breed seems to have an |
| horse's name must be acceptable to the American | | | | innate "cow sense" and can anticipate the moves |
| Quarter Horse Association and must not exceed 20 | | | | made by cattle which makes them indispensable for |
| characters. Quarter Horse names may be reused only | | | | herding and cutting. |
| if certain criteria are met as per AQHA rules. | | | | There is one downside to the breed however, a |
| And no particular attention was made to keep them | | | | genetic oddity known as Hyperkalemic Periodic |
| as a distinct breed, either. Fast horses were raced in | | | | Paralysis (HYPP). This is listed as a genetic defect in |
| any suitable open space with many races being run as | | | | AQHA's rules, along with Parrot Mouth and |
| "match races" after a private wager between owners | | | | Cryptorchidism. HYPP is inherited as a dominant trait |
| or riders. Any of these fast horses that also made | | | | and is characterized by intermittent episodes of |
| good cow horses were crossed to existing mares. | | | | uncontrolled muscle tremors (shaking, trembling or |
| Many of these mares had Spanish, Arabian, Morgan, | | | | twitching) or profound muscle weakness, and in |
| or Standardbred backgrounds. | | | | severe cases, may lead to collapse and/or death. To |
| In 1889, Traveler, a horse of unknown pedigree, was | | | | date, HYPP has been traced only to descendants of a |
| shipped to Texas in a carload of horses but it is | | | | horse named IMPRESSIVE, #0767246. |
| believed that he originated in Kentucky. Traveler was | | | | They are indeed an all-purpose horse with uses |
| apparently not considered valuable and at least once | | | | ranging from racing, herding, and rodeo, to show |
| changed hands in a craps game. He and his | | | | jumping, dressage, carriage and pleasure riding. |
| descendants were mated to some excellent mares, | | | | |