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The American Quarter Horse is a breed of horse originally bred specifically to race the quarter mile. It is today equally well known for its performance in rodeos and horse shows. The compact body of the Quarter Horse is well-suited to the intricate and speedy maneuvers required in roping and other stock-horse events. Riders are also known to show Quarter Horses in English and Hunt classes, although these types of events are more normally dominated by Thoroughbreds and Warmblood crosses. Also known as "America's Horse", the Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the United States.They can also boast the largest breed society in the world, with over 3.5 million Quarter Horses registered worldwide. The American colonists began, in the 1690s, to cross imported English horses with Chickasaw Ponies (which originated from Spanish and Barb stock). The resulting horse was small, hardy, and quick, and it was used as a work horse during the week, and a race horse on the weekend. As flat racing became popular with the colonists, this horse gained in popularity as a sprinter. Even when matched against a Thoroughbred, the small horse always won in short, quarter-mile races. And so its name became the "Quarter Horse" for the distance it so excelled in. |
