CHARACTERISTICS
This breed is well-known for it's stockybuild, heavy muscling and compact appearance. There are two distinct types ofQuarter Horses -- the old-fashioned "bulldog" type (the FoundationQuarter Horses) and the "racing Quarter", which looks more like awell-muscled Thoroughbred. They range in size from 14 to 16 hands. They aresolid in color, with limited white markings.
TheQuarter Horse head is short and wide; with a short muzzle; small ears; largenostrils; wide-set eyes; and jawbones that are set wide apart and well-defined.The neck is full and medium length with a slight crest. The withers are mediumhigh and well-defined, combining with deep sloping shoulders; the back isshort, full and powerful across the kidneys; and, the underline should risecleanly to the flank.
Thebarrel is deep with well-sprung ribs. Forelegs are powerful and set wide in adeep, broad chest; and, the hind legs are muscled inside and out. The stifle isvery deep and hind quarters are heavy and muscular. Cannons are short, pasternsare medium length, hocks are set wide, deep and straight, and hooves arewell-rounded, with deep open heels. There has been an alarming trend toward"vanity-breeding" heavily muscled horses with small feet.Fortunately, this trend seems to be diminishing.
Quarterhorses are quick, balanced and agile They are collected in action and stand atease with their legs well under them. They are evel-headed, kind, surefootedand steady.
HISTORY
Thehistory of the American Quarter Horse began in the early 1600's, when EnglishColonists crossed their imported stallions from the Hobby and Galloway lines ofIreland and Scotland on the native mares gotten from the Chickasaw Indians. Theimported horses were noted for the speed and small compact build.
The mostnoteworthy infusion of imported blood has been credited to Janus, a grandson ofthe Godolphin Barb, who was bred in England by Anthony Langley Swimmer, foaledin 1746, and imported to Virginia (Eastern US) in 1752 by Mordecai Booth.Edgar's "The American Race-Turf Register, Sportsman's Herald and GeneralStud Book," published in 1833, described Janus as: a chestnuthorse....about 14 hands, 3/4ths of an inch high...Janus had great bone andmuscle, round, very compact, large quarters, and very swift...Nearly all hisdescendants were 'swift Quarter nags'."
Settlersin the colonies entertained themselves by match racing their horses. Since themain streets of their small towns were usually the only straight stretch ofleared ground available, this is where the races were held. The main streetswere short, often a quarter mile or less; the settlers bred horses who weresprinters; they could start fast and sustain a burst of speed for a shortdistance. These horses were so adept at sprinting they became known as the"Celebrated Quarter of a Mile Race Horses."
As longdistance racing became established in the East, quarter-mile racing moved westwith the pioneers. Quarter Race Horses were primarily work horses, their ownerscommon men, and they had little place in the heady world of Thoroughbredracing. The settlers of the west bred their horses to the Spanish mares of thearea, who were already known as tough, hardy, independent range horsesunequaled for cow-sense and endurance. The crosses produced horses who werecompact and heavily muscled, with greater weight and speed and the attributesof their dams.
One ofthe first native bred stallions to impact the breed was Steel Dust, born andbred in Kentucky and brought to Texas in 1844 by Middleton Perry and JonesGreene, farmers from Illinois. He was described as "a big-jawed,short-backed sprinter standing 15 hands and weighing 1200 lbs." and in hisday was unequaled. At the age of 12 he won a quarter-mile race by three lengthsover a younger Kentucky import named Monmouth. Other important stallionsinclude Copper Bottom, imported to Texas by Sam Houston; and Shiloh, acontemporary of Steel Dust.
Asranches grew in size and importance, the Quarter Horse became a fixture in thewest. Ranches like the King Ranch began to selectively breed cattle which weremore commercially profitable and at the same time began upgrading their horseherds. Unfortunately, those who bred and worked with Quarter Horses were moreconcerned with performance than pedigree and bloodlines became fuzzy. It wasn'tuntil the early 1900's that any serious attempt was made at tracing the QuarterHorse's origins.
Thepopular stallions of the 1930's, such as Old Sorrel, Little Joe, Joe Hanock,Midnight and Joe Bailey were traced back to such horses as Peter McCue,Traveler, Billy and Shiloh, which were in turn traced back to Steel Dust, SirArchy and Janus. Out of the diligent work of Robert Denhardt, an avid horseenthusiast, author, researcher and scholar, in researching these bloodlines theAmerican Quarter Horse Association was formed in 1940. The first horse to beregistered was Wimpy, listed as P-1 in the Stud Book. Over three millionQuarter Horses are now registered, making it the largest horse breedorganization in the world.
For moreinformation, contact the American Quarter Horse Association.
Thisarticle was kindly provided by Michelle Staples,Staples Stables
