Horse Breed

The American Quarter Horse is believed to be the oldest horse breed in America. Today, it is difficult to trace the exact origin of the breed, but it is commonly thought to have descended from the Chickasaw horse influenced by the Arabian and the Barb, which had arrived in America with the Spanish Conquistadors. Interested in strong, agile and intelligent companions to help them through the rigors of life in the new land, European colonists started cultivation of a new type of horse that would be fit for ranch work, cattle management, as well as quarter mile racing competitions.

American Quarter Horses have become a matter of pride for the American nation. Their exceptional strength, superb intelligence, unbelievable endurance and easy-going temperament have gained him enviable reputation of the world’s most unique equine. This is one of the most versatile horse breeds of today, excelling in a wide range of recreation activities, such as rodeo riding, barrel racing, calf roping, cutting, reining, and, of course, short distance racing. The breed is eponymous to its basic occupation – quarter-of-a-mile racing, which has become inalienable part of Wild West culture.

The American Quarter Horse has a compact yet robust and muscular body with a broad and deep chest and notably strong hindquarters. The head is short and refined, with a straight profile. Wither height averages 14-16 hands. Coat comes in a variety of solid colors, such as sorrel, chestnut, buckskin, bay, black, palomino, gray, dun, red dun, grullo, roan, blue roan, red roan, bay roan, and so forth. Common to this horse breed are white markings on the feet, by which the breed is usually distinguished from other breeds.

Quarter Horse breeders have developed two basic breed types: the Stock type and the racing type. The stock type possesses a compact yet extremely sturdy body formation. These powerful horses excel in ranch work, and they have been helpful in many other economic activities. The racing type has a slimmer body, and this is exactly the type of horse intended for quarter mile runs.

The American Quarter Horse has by now accumulated a diverse genetic background. Besides the Chickasaw and Thoroughbred, his gene pool contains the genes of the Morgan and the Standardbred. However, the Thoroughbred is believed to have exerted the greatest influence on the formation of the breed. Although breeding started centuries ago, the horse breed received an official registry in 1940, when the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was founded.