American Quarter Horse

History of The American Quarter Horse

If you have ever seen one of rodeo's timed events, been along for work on a ranch or watched a Western on the big screen or television, chances are you have witnessed one of the most popular breeds of horses used in the US, American Quarter Horse in action.

The American Quarter Horse is the first breed of horse native to the United States, it is also the oldest surviving horse breed in the United States (uk world). Its foundation bloodlines were a mix of Arab Barb and Turk horses bred to English mares which produced a compact heavily muscled horse that could run short distances faster than any other horse (Horse Preview). The principle development of the Quarter Horse was in the southwestern part of the United States in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, eastern Colorado, and Kansas. Selected stallions and mares were crossed with horses brought to Colonial America from England and Ireland in the early 1600s. The combination of theses horses resulted in a compact, heavily muscled horse that evolved to fill the colonist's passion for short-distance racing.

These powerful animals could run a short distance over a straightaway faster than any other horse. There were many variations of names throughout the years but in 1940, a registry was formed to preserve the breed which officially became the American Quarter Horse or the AQHA which is a non-profit organization that provides horse owners and breeders a variety of services and information to help them enjoy their horses more (Horse Preview). The first American Quarter Horse races were held at Enrico County, Virginia in 1674. One-on-one match races were run down village streets, country lanes and level pastures. By 1690, large purses, heavy betting, disagreements and fights were a common occurrence around match races. It is reported that grand plantations may have changed hands on the outcome of these sprints (Wikipedia).

As pioneers moved westward, so did the American Quarter Horse. During the 1800s, vast cattle ranches began to stretch across the plains. Known for its cow sense (the ability to outmaneuver cattle) and calm disposition, the American Quarter Horse was ideally suited for the challenge of the West, it is also the most used horse on today's working ranches. These horses are even used after the invention of the automobile, since they are the most irreplaceable tool in handling livestock (Wikipedia). The skills needed by ranch hands and their horses became the foundation of the sport of rodeo , a contest which began with informal competition between cowboys and expanded to become a major competitive event throughout the west. To this day, the Quarter Horse dominates the sport