Guest Author - Darling Poor

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.