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Quarter Horse
The Quarter Horse is a sprinter. It is the fastest breed over short distances. It can run 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour!
This breed is a favorite mount of cowboys and rodeo riders. Chunky and well-muscled, it is skilled at "cutting"—separating a cow from a herd.
Height: 14-16 hh (horse hands)
Color: Any Solid Color
Body Type: Light
This breed comes from...
Southeastern USA (Virginia)
Explore the traits of this breed!
SIDE VIEW
Look at its thick and muscular upper legs. They help propel the Quarter Horse forward. However, such heavy muscling can make it tire over long distances.
THe Quarter Horse has a short, powerful loin. This trait efficiently transmits energy from the round, compact hindquarters to the forequarters.
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FRONT and BACK VIEW
See how the strong chest muscles form an upside-down "V"? This trait helps the Quarter Horse sidestep, dodge, and even spin. Trained to "turn on a dime," this breed excels in barrel racing and calf roping.
Look at the white stripe down the face. It is called a "blaze."
The white marking below the knee is called a "sock."
This horse is dark palomino. It has a creamy white tail and mane combined with a reddish-gold coat. Quarter Horses may also be chestnut, bay, black, gray, dun, and other colors.
Its hindquarters have powerful muscles. This trait provides explosive acceleration.
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The Quarter Horse Story
In the 1600s and 1700s, English colonists in Virginia and the Carolinas imported British running horses. It is believed they crossbred them with Spanish breeds ridden by Native Americans like the Chickasaws. The result of this crossbreeding was a compact, muscular horse. It excelled at short-distance racing—but could also do farm work.
When Quarter Horses went west in the 1800s, they were crossed with mustangs and horses from tribes like the Comanche, Shoshoni, and Nez Perce. These western Quarter Horses soon earned a reputation for their "cow sense," the ability to herd cattle. They began to be used on ranches. By the end of the 1800s, Quarter Horses had become icons of the American West.
The Quarter Horse is named for the quarter-mile races at which it excels.
Appaloosa | Arabian | Belgian Draft | Connemara | Dutch Warmblood | Friesian | Haflinger | Hanoverian | Icelandic Horse | Lusitano | Miniature Horse | Morgan | Oldenburg | Paint | Percheron | Quarter Horse | Selle Français | Thoroughbred
Credits:
All images, © AMNH